ANGLING NOTES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14883, 24 January 1914, Page 3

ANGLING NOTES.

SUMMER DAYS. (Bt "Ibon Bixe.") (specially wltittex job "the fiiess.' , ) During sicven months of the year the New Zealand fisherman can disport himself according to his will, and for his own guidance he may divide tho whole season into three separate parts, the "spring ventures" from tho beginning of October to the close ot November, the "autumn fishing" of the two final months, and the longest midway pericd. which ccmes under this heading of '-Summer Days." Each division is marked by some difference in the most effective method, and thus tlio beginning is a mixture of the tiy and minnow stylos., with certain iiignJv undesirable baits, which we pass in proper horror wiiii a. wi&h that they were less generally known. March and April are set down as minnow months, wiien a hatch of duns oi'ten will bring up the lLsh in warm weather, but tho greatest hope of the angler is a lucky attachment between Ins own origin spinning bait and some huge migratory trout, uecembor, January, and rebru;try offer u.e widest scope lor all tho various forms of the art, and wlulo chiefly they are classed as fly-time, a heavy rain and consequent sudden fresh may'menu an outing tor the minnows, and there are several ways of bait-lish-ing with locust, grasshopper, or ft swum worm in dead low brooks. High authorities consider tho swum worm proposition to be on a par with, fly lishing, and though some of us may agree to differ about this, it -seems that the .successful use of such a fragileeasily whipped-off bait as a locust must need a fair quantity of scientific skill. January will generally find the lisb in excellent "sporting order, for they have had several months to recover from winter trials; and this condition of affairs should last until March, when tliey begin to get heavy and sluggish, a lid* are Ices inclined to rise. Nowadays many have changed their positions, and we may angle successfully in the quickest waters,"which during the early part of the season might have been passed with a few experimental casts. Concerning these places, it is clearly impossible to lay down any hard and fast rule, but of one thing I am fully convinced —it is at any time far more profitable to fish them across and down, than to attempt upstream casting, in which the fly merely drops on the surface to be carried back instantly by the swiffc current. In this manner it is probable that n trout will first notice a coil of gut, which is likely enough to mako him, regard the following flies with keen suspicion; while in the down-stream style, ho has a much greater chance of sighting the fly before a glisten of the gut cast alarms him. Certainly, as the fly sweeps across against the force of tho current, thero must be always a greater or less amount of "drag"; but I question if this movement is not attractive to the trout, for it bears a resemblance to the struggles of an insect endeavouring to get clear of the rapid flow, and though more lish are touched and lost in down-stream casting, it is also very sure that many more can be risen in this way: Therefore, I venture a counsel for beginners, to practise this method, and while never disagreeing with anyone who might bo supposed to know better, to continue the practise as before. At present the twilight rises often afford better opportunities of sport, and of the two, the late rise is the best; but many people miss it through a conviction "that it should have arrived sooner —when they wanted it —while as a fact it really happens in the brief space between the half-light and black night. Then on a warm evening a, large Coachman —with an equally •>>!> Ked Governor for the drop fly—will sometimes kill as fast as one*can land tho trout. Afterwards there nre stray fish who' go on picking up drifting flies nil through Uio night, but tho truo evening rise is all too short. A second best opportunity is the-hour at earliest break of day, just when the first silvery grey line appears away on the eastern rim oF 7)cyoud. and for a brief succeeding interval. Here the Coachman again will serve under a Red uovernor, and all considered,, it is doubtful if wo have «a better pair for twilight work, a those two are backed up by n Green well s Glory, a Red Palmer.Heel Upright, and a black gnat, we rely upon the halfdozen to catch trout in most waters. and at almost any time. A couple of exceptions may sound rather out of place, and these are the March Rrown in October, and the August Dim m April:'but it is unwise to forget them in ease of need. Seldom failing holds ior the best fish, in hot weather, are the rows of overhaivintr willows which now grow far too thickly along the river banks. There the big trout cruise' lazily under the boughs, or station themselves during the hours of mid-day heat. Such underwillow trout are frequently provoking to tho fisherman who is out of luck, and I will try to sketch tho scene T. -watched, a Areek ago, on one of these, bluo ami vellmvsummer days which wo. nre learning to accept as a matter ot course. In the foreground we have a broad river, flashing in the sunlight as it cops tearing down a stcen rapid, to be checked by the wall of willows which turn it into a deep sreen silent pool a hundred yards in IctieUi: and on tho bonk in front a slim little angler, who looks longinelv across the water at some huge fbb lying motionless nwir tho trees on the opposite side. mc fish were grent fellows weighing ton or a dozen Pounds oanh ; and though I may flatter him. J believe the nttlo visitor was a curate from Home. I understood him to -- that ho would cive a fiver to pet hold of any one of those fish, but "such a hone seemed faint, and 1 left him longinc still. Rotnrnint "an nmir later, a surprise awaited, for with bending rod he was careering madly down the river, towards a distant spotwhere apparently the end ot his line was associated with a heavy splashing and disturbance of the tranquil pool. Two country dwellers were encouraging him with shouts, and tijing to convey the idea that it would bo well to put 'more strain upon the fish and hold him away from the wi lows; but tho curate simply followed tho direction of his line, and it is doubtful if ho ever heard their advice. ihe two country dwellers were not exactly anglers, but each brandished a gall, which presumably must have grown upon a gorse bush, and excitedly they discussed the miracle that had happened, "he got him with a minnow, too. in this clear water, etc. I hope to bo forgiven if I thought most things were a shade too thick During tho next half hour all followed the curato—just like tnese others—and the curate followed his line, and the fish fought slowly seawards; down three more foamy rapids and through tho dividing pools and absurdly against every probable chance, ho still was fast. It appeared from the brief remarks, he addressed to his helpers that this trout was not the first fish tho angler had ever hooked, and craving no information about the playing of his quarry, he was "not goinc to run any risks, ' and so long as the top of his rod showed any visible inclination to curve he appeared satisfied. In course of time wo came to a wide sluggish reach, where we saw tho twelve pounder lashing and rolling on the top, evidently distressed after lus lone run : and from his looks, j judged the curate was in the same condition, or worse. This was the natural result of a big fish playing a little angler. However, it was now plain that tho little angler had resolved to finish the battle here or 'bust." and according to his own private views of how that end should bo attained, he altered his methods, and bciian to uull at the

twelyo-poundot: like one-, possessed. It seemed impossible that everything would hold, bnt the big fish was nearly out of action and tho impossible occurred. .Steadily he was drawn closo to tho shore into shallow water, and thi?ro bath helpers tried to , gaff him and one succeeded, while tho curate put his rod aside and grasped the line, to yank him out - that "manu forti." It was a strango business .altogether, for I saw that that tho stupid fish had seized tho spinning bait with his back fin; but his captor was too delighted to notico trivial details, ancl as the fish was lifted upon the bank, tho minnow loosed, its hold. The littlo angler said: — "Wasn't that luck," and I answered: — "Rather." It was jiist that —and a bit of management.