Bright forecast for ‘bait

Press, 1 September 1977, Page 1

Bright forecast for ‘bait

Whitebatters who try their luck in Canterbury rivers today — the first day of the legal season — should fare better than last year. . Experienced whitebaiters and officials of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society said yesterday that this year should be much better than last — which yielded few big catches.

There is a good flow in most of the province’s main rivers, and the river mouths are suitable for the bait to run up. As usual, however, whitebaiters between the Hurunui River and the Rangitata will probably have to wait longer than those further north and further south for the steady runs.

“For some reason, our area is never much good for the first month or so, but this year it should come right after that,” said the chairman of the Acclimatisation Society’s fish management committee (Mr W. J. McKillop).

Whitebaiters have good reason to hope that this season will be a good one. As with other seasonal “hunting - shooting - fishing” sports, the costs involving whitebaiting have more than doubled in the last two years or so.

Those starting from scratch this season can expect to pay about $20.75 for a Im wire-mesh set net — minus a handle — compared with $9 or $lO two or three years ago.

A pole net covered with ulster or terylene fabric will cost between $25 and $45, compared with between $l5 and $2O two seasons ago.

The increase in the price of pole nets is mainly a result of a changeover from cotton fabric to ulster or tervlene, according to Mr McKillop, who runs a sports shop in New Brighton.

“There has been a drastic jump in the price of materials, but people can still make their own nets pretty cheaply if they want to spend the time,” he said. If any whitebaiters have dipped their nets illegally in Canterbury rivers before the start of the season, they have not been caught. Spokesmen for the Marine Department, the Acclimatisation Society, and the police said yesterday that they knew of no prosecution pending for pre-season fishing.