ANGLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13906, 3 December 1910, Page 3

ANGLING NOTES.

! A DAY AT CLAXDEBOYE. t , J (SrECIALLY WRITTEN' FOR "THE VRESS. ) ! (Bt "Iron- Bi.rr:.") j To make matters sure, it may bf> I mentioned that Clandeboye is on and 'about the- Orari river, within sound of ] tho sea waves, and that it is a much imore important place than in former j times. Closer settlement and factories of sorts, particularly the sort which 6eparaU« cream Iron: the rest, have all made for progress, and while I tied mv horse to some willows by tho bridge at nine- a.m.. a whole stream of traffic passed rapidly on its way to the whitebaiting industry at KangUatn-on-Sep.. Thoughts c.ime to mo of a hank holiday in England, for from a cart some mockers called. "Go home," and I varied my preparations with a little of the silent scorn that is so unsatisfying in such a case. Nowadays the Orari hereabouts is much fished, and feeling that at least I was first on the water, the rod was put together, and I went to the I riverside to find out my mistake. ! Apparently 1 had not arrived ! soonest, for at the end of a long ripple 'below the bridge was a very long ■ angler ; likewise a skilful angler, I who was nutting a dry fly among the branches of some willow protection works, with perfect confidence and success. In a moment his rod bent to the struggles of a two-pounder, and 1 hur- ! ried upstream to get ahead of him. Eh, what !Th slipped out you know, and dors not me.-m that J went I ahead to wolf all the hest water, but I plainly there was no use in fishing bej hind such a clever man, so we will say I I walked sedately on to get my share. I A quarter of a milo I left unfishod, and carefully kept away from tho banks to avoid disturbing it, an<l then cut in at a deep hole under a spreading willow. This part of the river is thickly fringed by the useful willows, and tin's tree checks the current, as doubtless its planter honed, into a smooth run beneath a bank, which being slowly fished and tho corners searched, gayo mo six nice trout. Tliev were not all in ! tho best of condition, a lisl) of 1-Ub should have weighed 21b. and so on, but the threequarter-iiounders were tat enough, and as the whitebait are running, tho others will soon make weigiit. After landing those haif dozen fish 1 felt quite hopeful, when suddenly 1 heard footstep** on the shingle, and there was that long angler going ahead of roe. lie was certainly a master of the dry-liy art, and 1 had admired his methods from afar off. but it seemed that he waded more than was necessary, and so disturbed the water for the next. man. Tho fish were rising well, and tho basket soon held a dozen, so 1 placed them comfortably in the shade of a bush, and made a wide detour through some thick gorse, and wished I hadn't. It was very hot, and when not engaged in disentangling my gear from bushes, 1 was trying to disregard tlio few thousand gorse prickles in my legs, hut at last th<~gorse ended, and an unpeopled prospect spread itself in front. This time I began on a wide reach by n willow grove, whore, in the clear water each trout couKl be seen and stalked. One long b'aek fish, who shodld have weighed eight or nine pm-.nds, slipped swiftly upstream under tho overhanging boughs; but my Red Governor failed to interest him, for he followed a shoal of whitebait, and was feeding on tho principle of "get fat quick." Half-pounders and pounders came eagerly at the fly. I have not seen such a rise on this water during the past three years, and in half an hour another ten had been stored in a convenient spot. Rather to my surprse, ihn new owner of an adjoining farm informed mc that very few fish were now in this part of tho river. Ho <said_ "X caught eighteen here iast Friday evening; and I think he go*, most of them." Having seen hundreds that morning, I could take a more sanguine view, but an explanation would have, been mistimed while they were willing to rise, and I replied suitably, that it was a pity to do things in a wholesale way like t'aat. Then, perhaps unwisely, I gave him four, for whidi he returned thanks, though I am afraid he looked on mc with suspicion as ho rode away. My second store had been, revealed a.s I took a brace from it, and the farmer remarked, "This is a hot little country, and there are some pretty warm members in it." Now what ivould 3-011 suppose lie meant by that? While I think of it, here is a hint woith keeping in memory. Never cover up or pack trout, with "that hay-fever-ish smelling grass known as "sweetscented vernal," for it will taint the whole lot in a few hours and quite spoil their flavour. Mint is equally bad. A couple of miles from the starting place I was well satisfied and turned to fish some of the best places on the way back. Moro than thirty had been accounted for, including somo two-pounders and many over a pound ; so the fascinating pursuit of larger specimens at evening rise, could be left } until a future day. Above ttae bridge I came upon another follower of the gentle art; and wonderful to see, ohis angler was even longer than tho first. Truly they are sons of Anak who fish this river, and at a rough guess I put [ his height at seven feet six inches. I know now that it is six feet seven inches instead, but even that is very long and I approached cautiously to j get a nearer view. Another good j fisherman, and token his skilT 'ras ] kicking in the net. We all caught fish jon that happy day. He gave the news, I "E.G. got twenty-eight beauties and j wont home." Then in a tone of awe, ' ''Got 'em with dry fly." A deadly j thing this dry fly must be: shall I ever ! become- of the elect, and walk and stalk i through life? I began to try at once, I but as usual the trout stopped rising lin the middle of the afternoon, so I : gathered my forty less one and deI parted, while I could still feel pleased i with a good day.