THE FISHING SEASON.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14823, 14 November 1913, Page 4

THE FISHING SEASON.

EXCELLENT CATCHES.

(By R.A.8.) Owing to local festivities, angling has received rather less attention than usual; nevertheless there are- some excellent catches to report. Many anglers have been wondering why the Halswell has not yielded the usual number of fish this season. A party of local enthusiasts seem to have ■discovered the solution of tho problem. Having carefully examined the mouth of the river, they came to tho conclusion that tho weed formed a barrier through which very few trout could pass. They accordingly cleared a narrow channel, and tueir eiforts were completely successful, as they creeled 10, 10, and 6 fish respectively, weighing up to 10Jib. A second visit made under simitar conditions proved equally satisfactory, bully on each occasion being the favourite lure. Fly enthusiasts are mooting >vith very fair success in tho lower feelwyn, one angler having creeled five fish below the huts. Three weighed over ljlb each, and all were in the very pmk of condition. Another angler bagged 18 good trout on "Hardy's Favourite" in the rapids just above the huts.

The Cust is now coming into good form. Last week a resident killed 15 trout, the largest weighing 3ilb. and th*> smallest slightly over lib. "Black Gnat." "Hardy's "Favourite," "Claret Hackle," and ''.March Brown" were used with equal success, tho fish showing no preference for any particular pattern. Fly has been responsible for some good baskets in the Hawkins, amongst .others fish weighing from 2flb to 3|lb having; been lauded. j The Rakaia is in excellent trim, trout taking freely on several patterns of minnows, and also on some of tho larger varieties of lake flies. The fish are in excellent condition, and those captured near tho mouth require a good deal of skill to land. In conversation with a Tomuka resident I gathered that very good sport was to be obtained a few miles above the town. Recently he spent an evening on the Opilii. using a fairly small "Greenwell's Glory" whilst it was light, and a larger pattern of the same fly when darkness set in. At first he missed several rises through striking too hard; but after he discovered his mistake ho did not miss a single fish. His total catch was 2-i fish, weighing from 13 lb to 31b. and four smaller ones. The cold snaps apparently havo little effect on the river as far as fly-fishing is concorned, but immediately a nor'-wester commences, one may as well pack up immediately.

There are a goodly number of large fish in the Waipara. and also in the I streams in tho locality of Glenmark. I Local residents are eagerly awaiting the opening of the perch season, as there are a very fine lot of these fish in the various streams in the district. Nothing particularly larco is reported from Little River. The big fish have hardly commenced to run up the river yet, but fair baskets of their smaller brethren are falling victims to fly and worm. The big fish usually stay in Lake Forsyth till well into Decomoer. when tho sun makes tho water uncomfortably warm. and they seek tho cooler waters of the streams near by.