ANGLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16043, 27 October 1917, Page 13

ANGLING NOTES.

THE MARCH BROWNS

(specially written" for "the j'Ress. ')

(Bv "Ikon - Blue.")

While turning the pa-ges cf an angling diary, for some information which would assist us in a. comparison of "Now and Then," wo camo upon a record "Mangawax Creek, fifteen fish, weighing fourteen pounds," and that led to tho revisiting of a once favoured water. Tho record is dated nine long years ago, and for one reason or -another, and trout-preserving land-owners now Jiappjly gono west. I. have never flshsd thero since; but now as Frederick put it, "Wo havo until four o'clock, and I will hold the net/' and only a soon-done drive was between us and the creek. Frodorick does not fish, but he was going homo to his family by tho evening train, so perhaps this may explain his eagerness' to hold the net.

In those nine years of rapid advance in_ settlement and cultivation, one might havo expected to find that tho proelc had suffered sadly from civilising influonces, but these were not hero. As a matter of truth, the lands about apparently had been Idft very carefully alone since I had seen them last, and at this moment they are hidden beneath a mat of gorso and spreading willow trees, and tho creek is a brown thread of water which sometimes can bo approached with difficulty, but more often is lost among the overhanging tangle on the banks. Here and thoro a patch of grassland borders upon a set of gently flowing ripples, <.r the fellinc of a willow treo has revealed the unruffled breadth of a deep dark pool, that no doubt is the home of numerous big trout and bigger eels, but for all wo had seen of them by midday, the creek might have been tenantless, and the bag i carried remained empty as at the start.

From tho white-flocked bluo above lis tho sun poured down its heat upon tho vol low sea of gorse flowers, filling tho whole neighbourhood with their heavy fragrance; no breath of wind could reach us in the sheltered open places, where tho quail sprang up with a sudden • whirring, to perch in tsomo higher bush; and poor perspiring Frederick became quite gloomy and morose. He still held tho landing-net, dutifully if wearily, but botwoen whiles I caught him eyeing me reproachfully, and gathered that ho hlanied me greatly for not providing his family with a breakfast of trout. At last tho quest was abandoned as worse than hopeless, and we halted for ''smoke-oh" in tho shade of a willow trco below an open pool; yes, and Frederick remarked most cuttingly that ho "really felt glad that ho did not fish."

Presently, as wo idly watched tho clear brown water, a gauze-winged fly camo hovering and fluttering, soon to be joined by anothor and moro of its kindred; and then as ono touched the surfacc a rippling circle spread, and the fly had vanished. "Why, that was a trout!" exclaimed Frederick; "that was a trout. Now —" and again ho hold the net hopefully, in readiness for instant use. Certainly it was a trout, and as the hatch of fly continued, others began rising steadily near some rocks at .the head of the pool. We wcro in for a March Brown rise, for of the fly thcro oould be no question, the bright yellow spot showing plainly at tho wing-bases of the drifting insects, and. that pattern of "yellow-ribbed March Brown" was with us in the fly-bos for just such an opportunity.

A longish cast put the fly rather clumsily in front of a fat pounder, but he was far too busy filling himself to notice exactly what had liappenod, and gulped it down with several of tho rest. Pulled straight across tho pool, he was landed with little disturbance: and quickly a half-poundor followed him in the net, for the flics were now in swarms upon the water, and unexpected trout wero appearing everywhere. A couple of two-pounders had taken up their stations, one behind tho other under tho far bank, and I wanted both of them badly, for tho proper rewarding of the man -with tho net. They wore in awkward places, but as if to make things easy, the nearest fish cruisod outwards, met my fly, took it, and after v a little difficulty was landed safely, a.-nd a moment later I had hooked his mate. However, this proved a far less obliging customer, for in about five seconds ho had travelled, first down the pool, then up to some fastness among the rocks, and had smashed tho cast in two on some jagged corner. "Oh, lie's gone, he's gone!" mourned Frederick, and anon wo fleparted also, but not before that March Brown rise was over, and we had a dozen good trout to go with us, and so with the now rejoicing Frederick to his home in town. RANG ITAT A-OX-SEA. Apparently the peacefulness of the little fishing village at llangitata-on-Sea may soon be interrupted rather seriously; fortunately, not yet by any raidings of Zeps of sorts, but by the chances of isolation in flood time front its old familiar roads. Tho recent freshes have been among the heaviest known for many years, and some distance upwards from tho lagoon the river has broken away from its usual courses into some former and almost-forgotten channels. "Fallen into ovil courses," so to say; though the hut owner at the village is just now saying quito a lot more Already a large amount of damage has occurred through the outrush of the water across an up-river farm, and if another flood should scour a deeper channel, all access by motor to the huts will become impossible. A fisherman who visited Rangitata-on-Sea a week ago has kindly sent me word that the cucumber " smelts were then beginning to enter the river in close-packed shoals, working Tip close under the bank in an endless throng, and the trout were dashing among them, as in the good old days. A tenpounder dashed himself ashore and lay there, but across deep water which ih" fisherman could not wade —or he woula have put him back again, I.D.T. A FISHING BAG. For several seasons a new fishing basket has remained among tlio "wanteds" on my list, and at last, niy stock of repairing wire having failed nu\ I ventured so far as to make enquiry at a tacklo shop, where sundry

-wicker receptacles wcro ® ccapablc of containing at least a Uincii for a healthy child, and a tacklcist ingistod firmly that these were the usual size." Fancy going out with joui hopes limited by the scanty foot or so of carrving spaco in ouo ot theso dainty little creo|s, all to bo sold at P ll <*s especially prohibitive m present circumstances no, the trout may keep cleaner and fresher in a basket, but buv a cramped concern liko this, let u. make a bag of a size more in keeping -with our finc-mornmg imaginations, ancl trust to luck. First, get a piece of strong canvas horse-cover canvas is very good and cut it double the size of tlio bag you! ■want, leaving enough exti-a at ono end to form a turn-over flap for tho top. Next turn in ono inch of the edges and sew down firmly; and now folding the canvas back upon itself and bringing the flap over to the front, you havo tho shape of a fishing bag. Bore a row of holes through both thicknesses at tho sides, which aro fastened together by running a- bootlace in and out thiough tho corresponding pairs of holes; sow on a strap and lyuckio to secure the flap in front, and the addition of a wido canvas shoulder-band at tho top will finish the bag. A better arrangement is to havo two shoulder-bands sewn on like the straps of a knapsack, m which wav the bag is much less tiring # to carry; but this is a matter of choice, as also is an outsido pocket for tackle, which can be sewn on in lront. A chief reason against a bag is the truly awful smell which seems' a growing part of its long existence, but one made simplj, as I have noted, is cleaned so easily by merely pulling out the side-laces and squeezing it in water, that it should always bo clean, and approachable by others than it* accustomed owner.