ANGLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 13000, 31 December 1907, Page 9

ANGLING NOTES.

FISHING FANCIES

(Br. '•lron' Bunt.")

Superstitions or fancies, which in time develop into clear convictions, come sooner or later to nearly every fisherman and arc {tasked on to the next man, xvho if he is ft beginner will probably accept thvm a« tacts. Many havo implicit faith in a particular 11}', which tiiey think is more fatal to the fiuny inhabitants of our rivers than any other combination of fur and feathers; some boiioro in certain, weather conditions, or a Incky rod, or draw a happy augury from the successful lauding of the nrct fish hooked. Sometimes the fancy proves to bo correct, and sometimes—moro often.—the result of iJio day does not accord with the forecasted luck; in that en&o the memory is coon allowed to fade, but if the lucky rod, or the particular lly, fulfils expectation, our faith is increased out of all proportion to the event, until it becomes a firm and fast belief.

Often I havo been told that no other water couid compare with a given stream or river, ttud 1 iuivo *ome cush idea myself about certain, plates, but perhaps the real reason for the belief is that ono lias had better sport in tltem than elsewhere. Unce with a lnend i discovered a, creek which wo agreed was quit* perfect for dry-fly purposes; we had splendid sport, and at lunch timo were lull of admiration tor the good fish wo had caught, tho stream, and all its surroundings. It wo had loft the water then wo might have praised it for .til time, but Inter iv tho day wo came upon, several decaying sheep, lying half in, half out of tho creek, mired in tho aivanipy ground near tho edge, among the watercress and grass oiv which they had attempted to feed. Further on, below a. farmyard, was a dead pig, also lying ia tho stream, to help in giving us a lasting distaste for it, and since then we havo spoken of the placo as that beastly hole. There aro always pooplo who speak of certain hours as being tho beet timo to fish, quito regardless of the river, or flnytHmig edeo, but I do not see how it ie possible to lay down α-jiard and fast -nil©. No doubt the trout would liko to have thoir meals regularly, but—in fly_ streams at anyrato—it depends ft good deal on the fly, and tho best timo is when the flice are hatching out, and tho trout, therefore, on tho lookout for food. Recently I waa rather puzzled by hearing an old fisherman, who probably knows a good deal more than I do, calling November the "bully" month, as though bullies would be the only bait likely to tempt the trout. I have never heard of it before but he evidently believed in wm. he was baying, that the bullies were then ascending to the higher waters to spawn, and during the month tho fish preferred them to any other food.

During thunderstorms, trout) are popularly supposed to be off their feed, but twico on suoh occasions I have caught ac many as I could carry, 60 it is not one of my own beliefe; neither do I think that nprthrweaters aro necessarily fatal to ejport, though they may be uncomfortable to fish in. If things can be arranged no that tho wind is behind the angler, whero it will bo a. help instead of A hindranoe in casting, the fish will often be found to rife exceptionally well. Medicated baits aro often a. subject for mtioh argument in u»hins; camps, and X heard of an angler who found it a very unpleasant one. Hβ waa a firm believer in the efficacy of oil of aniseed, for tho purpose of attracting unwary trout to hie minnows. And he always carried a bottle of it in hie pocket, until one nifeht when he had the misfortune to overlie and smash it itt the tent. According to ihe story, ho was promptly cast out, and taken to the river near, by, but even alter' suitable ite&tment, his presence wae co overpowering that he was made to sleep outside, ttnd 6. new sit* for the tent had to be cboseui.