THE FISHING SEASON.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15488, 15 January 1916, Page 3

THE FISHING SEASON.

"DISTINCTLY SATISFACTORY."

(SPECIALLY AYTUITEN FOR "THE TRESS.") (By ft.A.13.) Despite the lowness of many of our favourite rivers and theij- weedy condition, fishing during the past fortnight has been distinctly satisfactory. It is reported .that larger fish are now running up tho Selwyn. and I have heard from several sources that there is good ily-fishing.to be had in the daytime near the lower huts. ' Watson's Fancy was the principal fly in this locality last year, and I suppose it will be equally satisfactory now. Anglers in search of really well-conditioned fish and who arc content with one or two as a basket, are visiting the No. 2, wliero the trout, although certainly not plentiful, are invariably in tho very best condition. Fly-fishing higher up tho main river continues to provide sport for a number of enthusiasts, Coachman, Irish March, Brown, and R.W.R. flies being in regular demand. Anglers from Springfield report splendid sport in Lako Lyndon, where the trout are now in very fair condition, it being quite an exception to land one of the "slabs" so common during the early part of the season. Although the practice of trolling a spoon bait behind a boat meets with excellent .results, flyfishing from the shores of the lake is not to be despised. "Weights range usually up to about '4-J-lb. One party of four anglers took thirty fish as tho result of a week-end trip, and another group reports the capture of a total of fifty tor a slightly longer period. A rather unusual catch made in one of the back-country lakes recently was an eel. which took a large-size Cardinal fly.

T hear that there arc plenty of small fish in the reaches above the Ashley bridge, and there is always the prospect of hooking a one-and-a-half or twopounder in the holes under the various groups of willows. Lower down, there appears to be a surplus of weed at the present time, which renders fishing rather unpleasant. Nevertheless, there are said to be numbers of tempting fish near the "VVaiuku bridge, but it takes a considerable amount of skill to coax them out of the willows.

Since Christmas the north mouth of the Rakaia, which was not then very iiroad, Ims closed completely, the main outlet being some two or three miles south of the huts. Anglers who secure the best positions near the river mouth almost invariably secure good catches, but the difficulty is to decide just which are the most desirable spots. One evening recently anglers on the south side of the river were enjoying good sport, and those just opposite were getting nothing. Apparently, exasperated by this strange whim of fortune, they set out to cross the river in a small boat. It was a distinctly perilous passage, and the numerous onlookers were very much relieved to see them land safely. Night was fallin" rapidly, and had the adventurous trio been washed out to sea their position would have been dangerous in the extreme. _ Fishing in the Miminau. at Venlaw, (says the "Wyndham Farmer"), a Mataura angler secured a basket of 51 trout, which turned the scale at 681b. The heaviest fish weighed 3}lb, and ten of them weighed over 21b each. While carrying a basket about all day becomes a burden, the experience of a Mataura fisherman on the Mimihau on Saturday fullv demonstrates "that it is follv to ' pliint" fish on the river-bank. " The angler in question caught eleven trout carlv in the day, which he hid, intending to pick them up on bis return. When he got hack to the spot a weasel bolted for its life, and the fisherman found his trout non est.