ANGLING NOTES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21708, 15 February 1936, Page 11

ANGLING NOTES

A MASTER’S METHODS

(Ey BLACK GNAT.] On two recent occasions in these notes mention wftd made of an angler’s remarkable success in Lake Grasmere. Setting an example, of generosity and sportsmanship almost without parallel. this angler has bitten to “Black Gnat" to let other anglers know how the. fish Were taken, and hoping the information will be useful.. Coupled with his .knowledge .of the habits of trout Miff’mastery ot the art of dry fly fishing must have played ah important part "and the results show that he has been well repaid for hid studies; "Black Gnat" has to thank this angler for his latter, and wishes him many More successes this season. He writes as follows;*— . I fieftd you a few notes on Lake Grasmere in the hope that they may be helpful to yourself and incidentally to my-fellow fishermen. . On Boxing Day I Visited the lake, and between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. landed four brown trout BJ, 10, 12, 9ilb, They were taken, bn ft fly of my own tying, fished dry, No. 10 hook,, and 3X Hardy tapered caSt with thf last link removed, making it .somewhat stouter. Conditions: a stiff nor’-wester, bright Stin, aftd'every fish was seen and stalked, afid hooked practically in the breakers. I tried several times under different conditions, and did ttO good, but each time it was late afternoon/ though hot; late enough for any possible eVenipg fiSe. - " L On January 10 the Boxing Day conditions were again present,, and ih company with a friend ! again visited the lake. ■My ■ friend' killed ft 10i pounder afid I took a and a six nounfieri $ qlsfi killed a 7i pounder on January 17. My experience, seems to point to one line of action. Choose a bright day with a strong wind, and which ever way it blows, fish with it in your face and close inshore. Personally/ I wander about till I find a fish and then fish him. I did not wear waders on any of these occasions. (This lake seems to contain a goOdly number of brown trout of heavy weight. However, I was talking to a man .who had fished the lake three times recently, and each time killed a rainbow oh wet fly, which to me was rather interesting as I did not know it contained any rainbow. Wishing you many “tight lines.” A party of four rods during a week a| Lake Te Anau recently captured 42 fish, of Which 31 were Atlantic salmart and 11 rainbow. The salmon, with the exception Of two. which weighed 61b and 7lb, ranged from 21b to Bilb. One Of the party who has, fished this water consistently for a number of years; states, that although these fish were a lot Smaller than they, used to be, the numbers taken were as good as what COuld have been expected ( flvo years or more ago. The greater proportion Of Salmon to rainbow taken by this party is interesting, as in recent seasons the rainbow taken t have been more numerous than , salmon; however, it is unsafe to generalise on the results of one party’s success. Reports from the Hakaia and Rangitata indicate that Jthe qulrihat salmon are already appearing in fair numbers. On Friday last six quinnat and five trout were taken in the Rakaia, and on Tuesday eight quinnat Were taken in the Rangitata. “It is really not to be wondered at that we never can get any first-rate fishing nowadays,” growled the chronic growler as he Sent a Red Palmer flying gently upstream to float down oyer the most likely looking spot ift the most likely looking stream. in the country. “First we near of those in control of our streams in one part of the country, who, are convinced that the only reason that any trout , are left at all is because they annually spend enormous Sums on the production of fry to liberate Ih almost any Old place where there; should be fish. The fry are given' no thought once they are given their freedom, and what, happens to them, nobody seems to know. In anOther ' part the fry are reared by hand umil 'they become fine* lively £hd are*; then turned out to take their chftnce fit the streams. Even these arc lost sight. Of at once, and no ihah can say whether they live to become the prey of Us anglers. , In yet another part of the land those in control believe that smaller liberations of fry and larger size limits and smaller bags will be the deciding factor in ensuring a supply of trout for Our grandchildren. From which of these, ponderously deliberating bodies will our salvation come? No co-operation anywhere or at any time, until now there’s hardly a fish to be. . . ” Bang! The grOV/fet’s fly sunk, firmly into the jaW of a fine five-pounder. At the end of five minutes the fish was as strong as ever, and the growler, for onoe cheerful, remarked: “It's not so bad after all; the fish seem to be able to solve the problem Of their perpetuation Without man’s help at all. They must know how to look after themselves.” At the end of 10 minutes the growler ro'ched out with his net to land the fish, but feeling the extra Strain the fish gave a last tremendous kick, broke the cast, and WftS gone'.