ROAD BOARDS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13603, 11 December 1909, Page 2

ROAD BOARDS.

EYRETON. At the Eyret-on Road Board's last meeting Ellen Burt wrote enclosing account for hospital charges for medical attendance during the time she was in the hospital. The clerk was instructed to reply that the Board could not agree to pay the amount; also to state the course to be taken by her in reference to the account. It was decided to affix notices to the largo bridges stating that such bridges were unsafe for loads exceeding 15 tons, the rate of travelling over such bridges not to exceed two miles per hour. The tender of James Spriggs for the position of ranger and registrar of dogs was accented. I -ail ' ■' —-^

ANGLING NOTES. * f a AN EVENING AT THE BRIDGI.. (srECI-J-Lf V-UTTEN FOX ' r THE TKESS.") Bt "Iron Blue." To he definite, the bridge crosses the Orari river, and the chief idea of these particular notes is to show how quicKty the fishing >n a S iven P lace ma y r^g 3 ' ll i ls aood qualities, provided access from tl.e%ea is open, or the river is connected -with well-stocked waters below. \t the beginning 1 should say tnat last summer tho river dried up, both above and below the bridge, that it w -as empty the summer before, and did not run in tho summer before that and then it will be understood the locality ceased to hold out any great attractions as a fishing resort. In the •summer before," the riverbed was dry for miles below and for a long distance above, and very tew fish remained in the headwaters beyond the spot where the diminished stream disappeared into t:'ie --hingle. However, 1 met a man, and he told mc that in each summer when the water retired itself from the pools, he had "collected"' large quanti- j ties of trout. ''Last year,'' he said, '1 picked out forty-five, which weighed forty-eight pounds; .inst in the pool by the bridge. If 1 had left them they would have died, or the gulls would j have got them. There are plenty more there now." Evidently, these fish must run up during the winter months, when there is usually a good flow all the way from source to mouth ; certainly his tidings were worth investigation. As Upper Orari trout as a rule rise only about once a week, and then at the most unlikely time, the selection of a day was a matter of convenience. So on the first spare afternoon a horse r.vas put in, and we started for the bridge. A nor'-wester was blowing, while banked-up masses of cloud promised a thunderstorm later on, and the drive lacked incident, until I overheard a wayside greeting, which, if peculiar, was at least seasonable, and showed friendly interest. A buxom lady in a gig passed a still more buxom roadman, who was spreading shingle, ' and, beaming at him from her seat, I she thus made comment upon his shini ing countenance. "Good day, Mr _v; i I see you are a-swoatin'." "I be, mum, j I be; but 1 can do that setting on a tussock," was the proud reply. "1 think I see ye!*' said the lady, apparently pleased with the vision; and then ' they parted, mutually satisfied. It must be nice to be able to do things j and to find that they are noticed, and I consider it was a truly friendly greeting. The river looked in perfect order, and by walking through the nearest ford, instead of going a long round over the bridge, 1 got the nor'-wester behind mc at once, and immediately afterwards became aware of a big hsh in a 6Coured-out pool at the beginning of some willow protection works. A little later he was firmly hooked, and fighting hard for the shelter of the willows, and it was necessary- to hold on and trust to tackle, for an instant of slackened strain woiild have let him into the long streamers of roots which were waving in the current. However, the cast proved equal to the work of turning a three-pounder; he was played to a finish in the space of a few yards, and not daring to wait for a chance of using the gaff, I walked backwards from the edge, and managed to strand him safely. After this good beginning I found to my surprise that it was a feast-day on the Orari; and yet more surprising was the truth of the report which said that there were plenty of fish. Tho small trout were rising in spite of the nor'-wester all along the milo. or so of beautiful willow-fringed water next the bridge, and at intervals the greater of their kind attempted to absorb one of my flies, and a struggle, ensued in which I generally came off second best.. All true and trtfsty anglers should interest themselves in willow protection works, for they offer a sporting refuge which—speaking for the trout—leaves little to be desired. A dozen of the seven or eight-ouncers were retained for frying-pan purposes, but all the after-comexs of that size were carefully returned; which, when I come to think of it, was a very useless proceeding, for they will in all probability be left waterless before the winter, and fail a prey to the "collectors" who may inhabit the district. The last capture of the evening was a beauty weighing 3Jib; and was memorable because it happened in a pool where a man once nearly took my life out of a punt. A sunk -wire fence Ties across the pool, and in going down wie river on a fresh, our boat became entangled, almost to our undoing. The fish formed a most active connection with my drop fly, and he also showed a fondness for the fence, which was again avoided only by the most strenuous efforts. Then with a dozen troutlets and four trout weighing more than two pounds each, I departed for home in an unusually satisfied frame of mind; and moreover with a fixed determination to rescue—with artificial flies—as many as possible of these unfortunately situated fish from the clutches of ihe aforesaid collectors.