TELEOSTEI 227 



The Southland Society began to liberate fry in 1900, but appear 

 to have discontinued in 1904, after some 40,000 fish had been liberated, 

 mostly in the Makarewa. 



The Hawke's Bay Society began distributing fry in 1900, and 

 liberated up to 191 5 about 750,000 fish. 



The Westland Society, which liberated altogether over 500,000 

 fish, in 1907 declined an offer of eggs from the Tourist Department 

 " on account of rainbow trout failing to do well in this district." 



Some of my informants have stated that this species cannot hold 

 its own against the brown trout, for A. J. Rutherford who knows the 

 North Island trout streams very well, says (in 1901): "the only 

 stream I know which is well-stocked is the Tahuna-atara stream 

 between Rotorua and Taupo, which is full of them, and contains 

 no brown trout." 



The President of the Southland Society states : 



there is only one authenticated case of a rainbow trout having been found 

 (in Southland), and that was in a poor starved condition. Fishermen 

 attribute the destruction of these fish to the brown trout. 



Mr A. C. Henderson, Hon. Sec. of the Waimarino Society, reports 

 (19 1 5) that about 1900, two settlers, Messrs Nathan and Robertson, 

 turned out a number of brown trout in the Makotuku stream but 

 reported them as all dead. In 1903, however, some fairly large fish 

 were found to be in the stream, and they have increased steadily since : 



At first this increase of brown trout was viewed with satisfaction and the 

 Society went on liberating both rainbow and brown trout until 1908, 

 when it became evident that in the streams thus stocked, the rainbow 

 trout gradually disappeared and the brown trout increased. Profiting by 

 this experience the Society does not now liberate rainbows in the same 

 stream where there are brown trout. The southern streams of the district, 

 with one exception, have been given over to brown trout. 



The opposite opinion is held by Mr Bell of Hawera, who informs 

 me that rainbow trout dominate and are too strong for brown trout. 

 The former go up the streams and occupy the head waters, while 

 at the river mouths, brown trout chiefly are found. 



Mr C. P. M. Butterworth states that in the Tongariro River which 

 runs into Lake Taupo, he has caught only brown trout in a certain 

 pool, when the river was in flood and muddy, and the very next 

 day in the same pool, when the water was clear, has taken only rain- 

 bows. He is of opinion that the rainbow prefer the lake and only 

 move up stream on the approach of the spawning season. They give 

 very much better sport than the brown trout. 



In many Otago streams both brown and rainbow trout will be 

 taken in the same stream in the same day. In Lake Hawea the same 



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