[Mike Barrio]

Fishing with Dad on Lake Taupo in the 1970s 

[Guest]

They look like Rainbow trout, are they natural in New Zealand or stocked?

[Mike Barrio]

Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout are not native in New Zealand, they were transported as eggs and introduced to NZ back in the 1800s.

[Guest]

Ok, so they were introduced in the 1800's but do they breed naturally in NZ these days, I'm sure they breed naturally down in Derbyshire on the Derwent I think.

[Mike Barrio]

Ok, so they were introduced in the 1800's but do they breed naturally in NZ these days, I'm sure they breed naturally down in Derbyshire on the Derwent I think.

Yes, they are self sustaining, see https://niwa.co.nz/freshwater/nz-freshwater-fish-database/niwa-atlas-nz-freshwater-fishes/rainbow-trout

[Michael Kearney]

NZ’s first stock of brown trout ova were transported in 1867 from the Salmon Ponds hatchery in Tasmania to the Canterbury and Otago acclimatisation societies.
The first live trout ova arrived in Tasmania on 21 April 1864. The ova were stripped from fish caught in the rivers Itchen, Buckinghamshire Wye, Wey, and Test by Francis Francis and Frank Buckland, two of the foremost anglers of their day. For more details see an article at https://flylife.com.au/articles/featured-articles/150-years-of-trout by Rob Sloane, an angler, author and fisheries scientist of high repute who from the age of 28 served as the Commissioner of Tasmania’s Inland Fisheries Commission.

[Mike Barrio]

An interesting read thanks Michael, I had heard about the Salmon Ponds trout hatchery and could remember some of the history.

I believe the rainbow trout story was similar, with the Auckland Acclimatisation Society receiving eggs from California in the 1800s, I don't know if these came via Tasmania as well.

Rainbows tend to be more difficult to establish and were not so widespread. From memory I think they did better in rivers that were connected to lakes, and I also seem to remember there being some sort of 'top up' hatchery in the North Island to ensure their future.  ( but my memories are from the 1970s )

Cheers
Mike

[Michael Kearney]

Salmon Ponds is a lovely spot, Mike, and close to rivers offering good fishing. It is located on the Plenty River, a tributary of the Derwent.

This article https://philipweigall.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/thank-goodness-for-big-nets/ from another well-known angler and author named Phil Weigall attests to the quality of the genetics within the ova collected by Francis Francis and Frank Buckland, and to the quality of wild brown trout which thrive throughout Tasmania.