Arthur. — On the Brown Trout introduced into Otago. 485 



this stream contained crayfish, fresh-water whelks (Limnaa), alg£e, flies, 

 and lame ; but much of the food consists of smelts and whitebait, which 

 swarm in it during the summer. For edible qualities the "Waiwera trout 

 stand deservedly high. 



The Kuriwao River is a small branch of the Waiwera, which, after pass- 

 ing through the Popotunoa Gorge, joins the latter river on the plain 7 miles 

 below. It is a very stony water, but has excellent shelter and plenty of 

 food, including smelts and whetebait ; indeed, the same food-supply as the 

 Waiwera, and the same trap formation. About the end of 1878, one day 

 Mr. Statham Lowe fished it for curiosity, when waiting for the train at 

 Clinton, and had such wonderful luck with the fly as to remain a week. 

 But now it has sadly degenerated in the number and size of its trout. Un- 

 fortunately, I have lost his letter, but speaking from memory, I believe his 

 best take was seven trout, weighing in all 15 lbs., and ranging from Hlbs. 

 to 5 lbs. In 1881 Mr. Lowe and another in one day killed twelve trout, 

 which weighed 12 lbs. ; Mr. Lange, half a day, seven trout, weighing 6 lbs. 

 10 ozs. ; Mr. McCulloch, one day, five trout, weighing 5 lbs. ; Mr. Lange, 

 one day, fifteen trout, weighing 9 lbs. 11 ozs. ; and Mr. A. C. Begg, three 

 days, twenty-one trout, weighing 12 lbs. 8 ozs. In 1882 the latter angler 

 caught one, 6 lbs., above the Popotunoa Gorge, and several other good fish. 

 . Five years ago the yearly increase in weight of the trout I found to be 

 l^lbs. Poaching and excessive fishing have not only reduced the stock of 

 trout, but caused many anglers to forsake this stream altogether. I have 

 heard of boxes of trout, illegally caught, being sent by coach to Dunedin. 

 The above figures show a steady decrease in the average weight of trout 

 yearly. I have only examined the contents of the stomach of one trout 

 from this water, and found these to be the larvae of aquatic insects, and fresh- 

 water whelks, but the stream is also full of whitebait. This same trout ate 

 exceedingly well when cooked. 



The Waipahi River is undoubtedly a very beautiful trouting stream, as 

 it has abundance of shelter and plenty of range of water ; reefs of rock and 

 weeds also. It is situated about 8 miles west by rail from the Kuriwao, and 

 flows over a similar trap formation, has a good supply of the ordinary river 

 food, with thousands of smelts and whitebait also in the season. It has 

 few good spawning-beds, is not affected by snow water, is low-lying in its 

 course, and is an early river, like the two last-mentioned. In the middle of 

 October many of its trout are in fine condition, and generally they have the 

 golden and brown tints of the typical brown trout ; the spots also being 

 mostly round. In the season 1881-82, Mr. Begg, in six days' fishing, 

 killed fifteen trout, weighing 24ilbs, the heaviest being 8 lbs. The largest 

 trout I have known caught in this river was nearly 9 lbs., and was taken at 



