FISHING NOTES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21324, 17 November 1934, Page 21

FISHING NOTES

A FRUITFUL SOURCE OF \ ARGUMENT i < (SF»CIA.LLT WEITTKK »0R TH» PSESS.) ( IBy BLACK GNAT.] j These Notes, which are written by a j lishonnan of long experience arid consider- 1 able theoretical knowledge, will appear I every Saturday. Letters containing news items or questions, and addressed to "Black ] Gnat," care ot the Editor of "The Press," . will receive prompt attention each week. , i A correspondent raises the ever- , green argument of shape versus colour j in flies, and with flattering directness : asks "Black Gnat" to solve a problem \ that has been exercising some of those ; "best brains in the country" for a gen- j eration. The fact is that if you di-

vided the number of fly fishermen in the world neatly in two, you would have on the one hand a body of men who believed that shape is everything, and that colour counts for nothing, and on the other hand a body of men who believe that the eye of the trout is so sensitive that it can detect the slightest shades of difference in the colour of the artificial fly that comes within its vision, and that it can even detect in natural flies differences that are barely perceptible to the human eye. Many practical anglers, and anglers who combine practice with a good deal of scientific speculation and research, have given much thought to the problem, and the answer seems to be as far away as ever. Witness the famous Dr. Ward, whose books on the probable vision of trout and other marine creatures are closely argued from the data science is able to provide, and are spiced with records of his own attempts to get under water and see exactly what the fish sees. He went to the extent of having waterproof observation boxes made, and immersing himself in a stream, there to observe what the trout presumably observed. He also took photographs, which showed some illuminating results. In the vision of the trout, these photographs showed that everything that projected below the level of the water was inverted, and that evervthing of the object that projected above was joined to it at an unusual angle. Thus a human figure in the water would appear to have the immersed legs inverted, the waist resting nicely on the bottom, and the feet just touching the surface. The body, rather disjointed from the feet, appeared to lean at an angle varying with the distance of the eye from the object. His conclusion was that the view of the trout was restricted in proportion as it neared the surface, and that the under surface of all the water other than the relatively small clear circle immediately above the fish's eyes acted merely as a mirror on which the bottom of the river was reflected. Hewitt, an American angler of great practical experience, also went deeply into the question, and his conclusion was that the colour of a fly was immaterial, and that its shape and the way it was placed on the water were everything. He used himself flies made in part of a dun colour, and in part of white. The dun colour was for the part of the fly that the trout would | see, and the white was to make U, easy for the fisherman to follow his fly on broken water at a distance. I Hewlti who was a most entertaining'

writer, unfortunately died recently. Many years ago Mr William Baigent, whose dry patterns may now be seen decorating the catalogues of some tackle houses, and whose angling experience was very deep, summed the matter up when he said: "It is no doubt of great scientific interest to know whether fish do really see actual colours and detect the slightest variation, or whethey they are colour blind, and see only in monochrome. From the fisherman's practical point of view, is this so important?" He goes on to say that a fish may appreciate difference in colour just as many colour-blind people appreciate it—by variations in the intensity of some single colour, say, grey. Therefore he concluded that it was important to copy natural colour as faithfully as possible, because the trout could detect slight variations as slight variations in a monochrome. Be all that as it may, one has only to take out his fly books, or boxes, and look at the different colours of all the different patterns that have killed fish. There is every colour, but it can be generally found that the best patterns have some small amount at least of vivid colour, scarlet, or gold tinsel. The experts have never been able to agree, so "Black Gnat" cannot begin to lay down the law. However, he can add his own theory, and that is that no matter whether colour matters or not, presentation does matter, and that in a bright water it is a fly with at least some brilliant colouring that takes most fish. • 9 • Encouraging news from the Ashley is that there are again good fish in it, and fish that will take the fly well. After two seasons when the stream was apparently bare of fish that would succumb to a fly, this will please those fishermen who look on the Asfoley as 'the best stream north of the group of rivers round the Opihi. The Ashley was once regarded as among the best fly streams in Canterbury, and it had a reputation that carried far beyond the boundaries of this province. Yf-ars of small yields from all except its lower waters allowed it to become neglected, but every few sea- ' sons, presumably when there has been a particularly favourable winter, the Ashley carried a good head of big fish. It is in that condition again this season, and some fine bags have ; been takon there. The best time of ' day is the early morning until about illl when the sun gets rathef

too strong. A small fly should b« used, and light tackle, because the Ashley in its best condition is a very clear stream and generally shallow. The fish take any of the ordinary patterns well, but Hardy's Favourite and the evergreen Governor are as good as any, wifchi perhaps a try with a Greenwell. • o • Fishing throughout Canterbury seems to have made a return to tha good old days in almost every stream. From the Opihi in the south to th« streams of North Canterbury there are reports that fish are abundant, and are taking what is offered them with some of that abandon whioh appeared to desert them for three seasons. There have been excellent bags in th« streams flowing into Lake Ellesmere, and more excellent bags from the lake itself. Higher up, there has been good success for fishermen who specialise with the fly, and there hava been good evenings for those who are able to fisih! a dry fly at night in imitation of the beetle. • • • The Rakaia and Rangitata hava been fishing with great success, and anglers who have been to these river* when conditions have been favourable have had good luck spinning. The fish are not as large.as the usual run of trout at the mouths of the snow rivers, but they are generally in good condition, and are plentiful enough to make good bags a possibility. « •" » The lakes, from the few reports that are to hand about them, are not fishing as well as they might. Lake Coleridge, which in the last few years has earned a great reputation, has been most disappointing of all. Trout have been scarce and in poor order, but there have been a few quinnat taken, most of them of only about three pounds. They give fair sport, but the tackle necessary for lake fishing generally has been too heavy for the angler to get the best out of a fish of this size.