Historic HB: Society determined to introduce trout to NZ rivers

Thought to be representatives of the Napier Harbour Board and other local bodies trout fishing on lake Waikaremoana in March 1922.

Mixing business with pleasure, and perhaps inviting disaster by trout fishing in these clothes in a boat on Lake Waikaremoana, are various members of local bodies in Hawke's Bay in March 1922.

Trout, of course, are not native to New Zealand, and were introduced by Acclimatisation Societies throughout New Zealand.

The Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Society (Society) came into existence in 1868 and its purpose was to import into New Zealand animals, fish and birds to supplement what they thought was an inadequate indigenous supply of them.

It was also a means to "greatly contribute to the pleasure of the settlers of New Zealand and keep up those associations with the old country, which it was desired should be maintained".

As we now know, some of the animals and birds they imported - with no natural predators - led to all sorts of problems – such as rabbits and opossums.

Donald McLean, the first provincial superintendent of Hawke's Bay, was the first president of the Society.

Many of the men were keen on introducing trout into Hawke's Bay, and the first to arrive came aboard the SS Dacota from New York with 160 trout of two to three inches (5 to 7.5cm) long. The trout were packed into two cans and four smaller jars and transported in a 4ft square (.37sqm) case.

The Acclimatisation Society wasted no time and released them into the Tukituki and Waipawa Rivers and also some to Maraekakaho and Porangahau. This first attempt, it appears, met with no success.

In 1876, fish ponds to hatch trout were established by the Society at Tomoana on J N Williams's Frimley Estate.

Seven thousand trout ova (eggs) were received from South Island Societies (who had received supplies Tasmania) and were hatched and put into the Ngaruroro River.

Sixty thousand Salmond ova – a gift from the United States government - arrived at Port Ahuriri in 1876 from San Francisco.

Twenty thousand were taken to a hatchery at Matipiro – but they all lost after the water temperature was too high. More success was achieved at a hatchery established in Clive, and 30,000 were put in batches of 2000 in the Ngaruroro and Tukituki rivers.

The suitability for salmon in Hawke's Bay rivers were such that they failed to survive.

Large supplies of trout ova for the Brown and Rainbow varieties were initially received from Southland and Otago Societies, and then from Masterton and Marlborough. In 1954, 1955 and 1957, Brown ova was obtained from Tasmania (which had come from England and Scotland).

In the later years of the Society's existence, it received its trout ova from Government hatcheries in Wanaka, Turangi (Brown ova) and Ngongataha (Rainbow ova). From 1958 to 1968 the Society produced each year 300,000 Rainbow and 200,000 Brown trout for release.

The most determined effort to establish trout belongs to member of the Society, William Birch, who set out from Napier in February 1880, with four other men to establish trout in the Inland Patea area (now the Northern Rangitikei/Taihape area). (William along with his brother Azim, farmed at Erewhon on Oruamatua-Kaimanawa block).

This trek most amused the Hawke's Bay Herald describing them as a "piscinal caravan" as the men carried a wooden yoke (beam used between oxen) with two milk pails filled with fresh water containing 184 "soles" carrying them over 100km to be released into tributary streams of the Rangitikei River. Each men took turns to be carry the yoke in either 10, 15 or 20 minute intervals according to the nature of the country.

Six years later in 1886, the Hawke's Bay Herald reported Azim Birch catching a trout of 2 ¾ pounds (1.25kg) using a spinning minnow as bait.

While William Birch was prepared in 1876 to painstakingly carry trout to the Inland Patea, it seems no-one wanted to do the same to stock Lake Waikaremoana.

In 1882, some disquiet was felt that the Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Society wasn't looking after the Wairoa area and claimed they were neglected. (To some extent, the liberation of trout into rivers had occurred in areas of self-interest).

"Kissing goes by favour in that mutual admiration society" stated a correspondent from Wairoa.

Wairoa, has, he argued, one of the grandest rivers in the country." But no trout ova would go north of Napier – "it is always south of Napier they are sent, never north."

Lake Waikaremoana, the correspondent argued, would rival Lake Taupo for a habitat for carp (thankfully it wasn't released).

The Society would not stock trout in Lake Waikaremoana – but the Government did in 1896.

There may have been a good reason why they didn't - local Māori had objected to the introduction of trout, but Premier Dick Seddon assured them in 1895 it would be an excellent new food source for them. Events post introduction of recreational trout fishing by boats and related tourism, made many Māori upset at this decision.

Smelt (small silvery fish) were released into the lake in 1948 as feed for trout, which improved the trout population.

Up to 1998, Fish and Game New Zealand stocked Waikaremoana annually with Brown and Rainbow trout. At this point the fishery was considered self-sustaining.

The Acclimatisation Societies had been replaced by 12 regional New Zealand Fish and Game Councils in 1990 and a national New Zealand Council.

Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a contract researcher and commercial business writer of Hawke's Bay history. Follow him on facebook.com/michaelfowlerhistory