FIELD AND STREAM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 75, 21 December 1907, Page 10

FIELD AND STREAM.

(By Dry Fi.y.) Two enthusiasts who make for the. wilds of the Whakataki must week ends, mot with hard luck last Sunday. Tho total catch up to noon, after hard fishing with fly, was three decent fish. Whilo preparations for boiling the billy were in progress, the fish wore placed in "some shallow water to keep them fresh. Although fish had < frequently been left in the same- place before without molestation, an eel was discovered making oif with one of tho fish, which weighed about ljlbs. Tho natural enemy of the trout had a good start,- and readied the black waters of the duck pond minus injury and plus a trout. Thcso two anglers have waged war against eels in this particular stream for several seasons, and their renewed <efforts may yet lead to them securing the scalp of tho daylight robber, although no impressions were taken as a guidance to future identification.

The continued drought has niado local fishing almost an impossibility. The streams are full of green slime, and contain vory little water. The Hutt River is considered to be in excellent fishing order, but with the few night fishermen as exceptions this benefits scarcelyany of our Waltonians. Two local anglers recently spent an ,evoning fishing with bully near the pipe bridges. Bites wero confined principally to the ferocious sandflies arid m'osquitoes, the only fish taken ' being a kahuwai of about ilb. weight. Some ketone anglers, who know tho river like a boolc, are-meeting with great success. Their catches this season include fish up to 121bs. in weight... The. town anglers who visit there usually draw a blank, as to fish successfully at' night it is essential that tho locality should bo thoroughly explored in daylight, : and a montal note of the locality of the existing snags taken. Many youthful Petoneites gather the minnows and livo bait tackles' daily off the logs and stumps which are very plentiful in tho lower reaches of the Hutt River. Thero-' are clear patches in the river, but to find theso in the dark is impossible unless a careful survey has been made by daylight.

From" November 12 until December 12, Mr. J.- Husliby, fly fishing exclusively in Lako Rotoiti (llotorua district), caught 451 fish, the aggregate weight of which was 12711b5. Among this number , wero trout weighing 7}lbs.', 71bs., 6|lbs., and 6Jlbs. Tho fish averaged 21' us. liJozs.

Trout are beginning to make their appearanco here in large numbers (writes a Huntly correspondent), though catches are still few and far between. -Anglers assort that last year's Hood lias put fishing back fully 10 years.' The fish.placed in the Various lakes appear to ,bo doing well, while in the river spawn can bo seen in great numbers.

Mr. A. C. Jonassen landed 10 fish at. the mouth of the Ashburton River oil Tuesday evening, the largest, . which was in splendid condition, weighing 14Ibs. The remainder of tho fish averaged 21bs. Mr. John Thompson, of Wakanui, was also successful, in the same part of the river during the past week. A few days ago he landed nine fish, several of which''weighed. Gibs, each, tho heaviest of the catch being lllbs. According to tho. lt'Ptorua ' "Chronicle," largo quantities trout—much larger than there is any idea of-rc.ontjnuo to .be . taken from the lakes and streams in and around Rotorua; no better . proof of this could be forthcoming than tlio numerous, .parcels of fish that are despatched by the oxpress every morning. • There can.be no question as to tho quantity and quality of the' fish this season , being greater 'and ; better, than' last season, and the sport accordingly moro exciting. Among those who havo been successful may be mentioned Dr. O'Hara, and Messrs. liracey and Tunfel,' who,- in the launch Huia, trolling ' in Lake Rotorua, caught, 21 fish, the heaviest of which whs 4}lbs., while, tho ' average was . 3ilbs. A second day's fishing in . the , Huia 'by ' Dr. O'llara and Messrs. .Bracoy and Tunfel, resulted in seven fish being caught, the heaviest being olbs., while tho averago-was 41bs. Theso trout wero caught ,in . Lake Rotoiti, while' trolling.' Mr.' and' Mrs. Hodgson, with fly antl. trolling, tin . Lake Rotorua, were rewarded. with 0 good trput, tho average being SJlbs. On board tho launch Cormorant, on „ the Btli inst., Mr. Hall ifrnl party, trol'lin£.ih Lako Rotorua, placed 17 line trout in-their basket. Judjje l'almer, and Messrs.; lies and Johnson, in the launch Zealandia,-. angling in Lake Rotorua, were successful iir securing 24 fish of an average weight ,of 3£lbs. In tho launch Mourea, Messrs. Maxwell, Forbes, . and Sutherland, trolling in Lako Rotorua, landed 15 nico trout, of an averago weight of 3Jlbs. Trolling in Lake Rotorua, Messrs. Buckthought and party secured 14 good fish,'all in line condition. Mr. Oldfield and party, trolling in Lake Rotorua, caught 17 fish, tho averago weight of which was 3-ilbs.,, Trolling in Lake Rotorua, Messrs. Clifton and Harris were successful in securing some good trout, tlio aggregate weight of 21' fish being lOolbs., an average of 51bs. : For the week ending Friday, .Decomber 13, Mr. Hall and party, trolling in Lako Rotorua, on board the launch Cormorant,, caught 33 fish, all in fine condition. ■ Messrs.' Harris and Clifton, in tho launch Ruby; fishing iii Lake Rotoiti, caught <21 fish, I all in splendid condition. , The Misses Watt.. and party, on December 15, secured 26 fish, the'heaviest of which was a beauty weighing lOlbs. In addition (to tlio above, scores of fish -were taken of which no record is kept, but. from those competent 4o judge the . fish throughout no .previous season has. been equal to that of-'.the present. . :■ • ■. ,•-

: /.The. fishing at .Tokaanu last season opened the eyes-of many local and visiting anglers. A trout- exceeding 201bs. in -'weight-was "a rarity in most districts, but- not so at Tokaanu, for it will be remembered that dozens of these monsters were taken from the Tongariro Rivor last year.- A report from thero dated Decomber 17-states that tho fishing has considerably improved. Tho rainbows aro moro in evidence' than formerly, and catches of both raiiibow and brown trout, ranging from 10 to 261b5., aro of daily occurrence. Tho fish take both tho fly and minnow, freely, and tho large influx of visiting anglers has not, so far, interfered with tho fishing. It is expected that the Xmas Year holidays will seo anglers from all parts journeying to Tokaanu to experience tho sensation of landing something big.