Rowdy Discussion Of Threadline Fishing Move

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30602, 19 November 1964, Page 18

Rowdy Discussion Of Threadline Fishing Move

A remit that threadline fishing be permitted in all North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society area back-country lakes, with certain areas to be pegged off solely for flyfishing, was lost on a sounding of voices at the 100th annual general meeting of the society last evening. The decision, followed a rowdy discussion with the two different camps—threadliners and fly-fishermen—largely pushing their own particular interest. Some fly-fishermen called threadliners at the meeting “hardware merchants.” One threadliner said highhanded fly-fishermen had referred to him as “a man with a bulldozer” and “here comes a man with a harpoon." The mover of the remit (Mr A. Evans) said backcountry lakes should be open to all fishermen. “As it stands at the moment, the minority are trying to rule over the majority of fishermen,” he said. Mr Evans said he did not think the threadline was as deadly as some people thought. If the back-country lakes were opened to threadliners, it would ease the pressure on fly fishermen in local j waters.

Voice: Why don’t you go to a pond? Mr Evans said there should be some waters such as 200 yards on each side of the mouth of the Harper at Lake Coleridge and 200 yards on each side of the mouth of the Wrightson, where fly-fishing onjy, should be permitted. “I’d not like to see Georgina thrashed,” he said. Mr Evans said the permitting of threadline fishing in the back-country lakes could prove a boon to fly-fishing when they made visits to lakes such as Pearson or Grassmere in times of a nor’ wester. “Instead of coming back disappointed, they would be able to get some threadline fishing in, when it was unsuitable for fly-fishing,” he said. Mr G. R. Burrows said it seemed to him that the threadliner had a great many areas where they could go and yet there were not so many areas left for the flyfisherman. He was heartily against the motion.