AN ANGLER'S PARADIS E [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sru,—Excuse a belated reply to the letter of Mr. Philip T.
Kenway published early iri November, to my article on freshwater fishing in New Zealand. The long course of mails between England and New Zealand, and other circumstances, have made for unavoidable delay.
Fishermen here agree with Mr. Kenway that in 1917, the year of which he speaks, the trout in Lake Taupo were small, and a five-pounder was considered a lucky catch. He and these whose opinions he cites, however, were wrong in their conclusion that the natural food supply of the fish in Taupo and Rotorua was exhausted. The figures given in my article to which he took exception were quite authentic, and up to date. - The fact is that since Mr. Kenway's visit in 1917 the fishing conditions at Taupo have much improved. As to the season now current, though I have not heard of any record equalling the maximum weight of 22i lb. of last year, some good weights have been reported. Only the other day a 12-pounder was taken at the Four-Mile Peg. A friend of mine who has just returned from Taupo tells me that last week he caught in two days 15 fish, of which one weighed 10 lb., and six from 5 to 7 lb. He reports that the fishing generally was good, and the fish were in great fighting con- Takapuna, Auckland, N.Z.
February 15th. .
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