ANGLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 136099, 25 April 1908, Page 7

ANGLING NOTES.

JiIXNOW AND FLY.

(Br "Ikox Blte."} Facilis est descensus, which nreoas th.vt it is easy to fall from the high • principles of the dry-ily art to simple minnow work—at least, tha* is a free. .'• translation of the phrase from a fisherman's pciut of view. High principles are apt to pall towards the finish of " a season, when tlio trout will often >.. vouchsafe no moro than a sulky inspection, from the bo-Uoni of a pool . to tho succession of winged dainties offered tor their approval; so the flybox va<j loft a-t home, and I -went minnow fishing in tho Orari. _As I rigged up-an artificial whitotcut and proceeded to fish out a. long rapid, I felt- a mild sensation of wrong-cfoing thus was liot unrpleusing, aiwt when from tho shelter of an overhanging . bush a heavy fish plunged at the nunnow, all ray scruples vanished into ": space- Hbvvover, I did not get that -.'■ fish.; ho .iust touched the hooks, spla&h--e<l on tlio surface for a. second _ and . was pone, tlio remainder of tho ripplo proving bian'k. . ■ . •-;' : A little further on I overtook a : - friend with a bag empty as mv own, who accused" mc of "dragging al-Beastly . minnow through tho water." to tho detriment of his sport, and after some debate we made a. oouipact. -He was; to reconnoitre the most likely places :: for rising fish, but was pot to. disturb - tho water by showing himself, and in case his observations were unsuccess- ■•-;•■■ ful tho minnow could bo tried; My friend looked at mo rather doubtfully , when I stipulated'that the. trout should -; not see him, but he assented without '■ demur, and, speaking for myself, we. had a pleasant afternoon. At a bend in the river shaded by native biish . there is an eddying poof, formed by » tree trunk lying across the current, v and hero a tools posses- J - eion of tho whitebait almost; as it reached the water. A pretty fight on- . .<. cued, arid presently the trout was ;:: stranded on some stones below. It "•; looked beautifully plump, but from a disporting outlook had been caught too .;« late in the season, and I -was glad the ; gaff had not been used!,-for in this part . ' ' of the Orari tho fish aro few and far--between. It must bo confessed that ' -" tho struggle, with a natural desire *o '' -■'.■'; "put it m the bag" -was a-severe t one, : but among other things I wishesl •to''.':,.N prove to my companion'that-even. -a . I* r minnow fisher may have a conscience, v so in the end the captive ewam away":\ upstream, .seemingly none ~the: worse \ and no doubt rejoicing. After thia ;■; it was mutually'agreed that our treaty *. should lapse for a while, and the fly -'' was tried down and across the iext; j few pools, a nice little trout of a pound iv weight falling a.victim to tho.tempta--"..;".vf: tions of an August.dun. '.'.'. •■'■■'.';.■■ : ":^?;;

Then we'came.to , .a long stretch, of t rough water foaming down a steep fall in _ the river-bed, and here and thero swirling in slower .movement in the shelter of a rock. : . From 'behind eno v of those rocks, nboui half-way down, a big fisTi rushed at the whitebait as it spun, past, and in another moment was making down the river firmly hooked. At tho tail of the shallow , beyond fho broken water he 'jumped twice, and then tore like- a mad thing down .the rapid below. Through, tho next , pool and; , rapid ho , travelled -" on, and coming to> a placo where ' tho river divided, I feared greatly for the result, bu-t luckily Lo chose tho ' ' nearer channel. It was a, l<xa& chase, and.l luad to follow fast to keep eomo : line on tho reel, until at last it wae • finished in a slow-gliding reach. Aβ often happens -after a long run, th© fish -made little further resistance; he came quietly to- the edge, and tnis time A I had no hesitation an using the gaff orj» woll-conditianed six-pounder. - T/o explored, about two miles more of water, another; ral her larger , than, the.first was oaugfct-witht fly. and this was the ©inn of our sport. It Jβ -truo the tc<tal might have.been snore, but I always think tho-eurroundinge count largely in fish-ing. Given 'good wefe- "" ther and a fine, open stream, with, a background of Mils and wooded elopes and it is'possible fo f eel satisfied, even without a ibeavy 'bag.. In tie gathering dusk wo walked downstream, di&----turbin-g the hares and rabbite ooonine out. to feed, and. hearing an occasional swish and whistle ofVwingj as a*, dock paseed overhead, until wo arrived at the epot where the horses were- tethered, and isopa rated ©a our homeward way. •