Lyall Nash, of Roseneath, says his collective 8kg catch
within half-an-hour yesterday signals the start of the
summer salmon run in Otago Harbour. Photo by Peter
McIntosh.
Right on schedule, sizeable salmon are running in Otago
Harbour, heralding the start of the summer fishing season.
Dunedin Community Salmon Trust volunteer Lyall Nash lured and
hooked two 3-year-old salmon, collectively weighing about
8kg, from the lower harbour yesterday.
Mr Nash caught them within half-an-hour and said it indicated
the traditional pre-Christmas run had started.
The Roseneath resident said Dunedin was known as "salmon
city", and for good reason.
"When the salmon are returning, the average fisherman can
pick up half a dozen pretty easily. It's the result of hours
of volunteer work in the hatchery at Sawyers Bay," he said.
Mr Nash said only one or two salmon had been caught recently,
but he expected more to be hooked in coming weeks.
"Normally we get a run before Christmas and another
afterwards."
The salmon were raised from eggs in the hatchery then
released in the Leith about May, which triggered their annual
return to the Leith and upper harbour to breed in autumn.
Asked what kind of salmon they were, Mr Nash said "tasty".
-rosie.manins@odt.co.nz
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