FIELD AND STREAM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 122, 15 February 1908, Page 9

FIELD AND STREAM.

(Br Dry Fly.)

.. .Tho . continuous dry weather has 'practically caused trout fishing toicoine to a,standstill. .The .'majority of. the streams ; are "full of green weed'and exceptionally low. Trout are reported,to:bo dying in large niimbers in.ftho country distribts, and thero, aro, also many trout dying, in our . local'.'-streams. There seems to be; no likelihbod of any;gobd. fishing until, rain comes. Tho -Rotorua ; 1 'Chronicle' says Anglers havo not been quite so numerous during the past few days as they were at the beginning,of last; week, but those who havo been out; on the lakes havo secured good basketsful. Messrs'. Clarke, Scott, and Rutherford; who' spent;a day on ,li6ko Ret jehu, "were' rewarded'with'a good-basketful, 31- fine trout having been secured. : These were caught: on tho fly,'and averaged 51b'. Mr. Felton, 'flyfishing ih Lake Rotorua, caught 22 fish, tho heaviest of 'ivllich was' 731b., while the basketful averaged,'3Jlb'._/.Th<j'.Nathan Bros., of-Palmcrston-North, had two days' good fishing, tho result- being a catch of 57 fish, all on. the fly.i j Among.this lot 'wore many • fine trout'; tho lot; averaged 3ilb. Several others were out on the lakes, whilo many are in camp close to ■ the numerous streams that 'fldw, into the, lakes,/but we have:not,been favoured,wita-their catche3.i;:, , . ■:

During. his last, trip to the Snowy River, says a Sydney exchange, Mr. C. H. Gorrick caught: a ! good- basket of well-conditioned •trout; averaging ; ljlb each, 0110 evening. The."fish.'were' conspicuous for their small lieads ( .and' roach-like backs,' ' and their .'..Dr. S;'H. Hughes, in the presence,' of Messrs., S. Brooks and Gorrick,-. performed : an. autopsy, arid found the stomachs .packed with fine gravel .and clear yellow .sand; The conclusion arrived at 'bv some of the party was that these trout bn'tl been rooting in-tlio sand for food,-and inadvertently swallowed the sand - and gravel, but 110 traeii of food was found; Tlio question arose whether tho fish .had deliberately absorbed the sand for some natural purpose, not', at: present /explicable. ' '.The. fislr wcroi very fat and ' wqll-conditioned. ! Other fish taken at-the samo place 011 tlie samfi occasion had. plenty of -insects, larvao, etc., in their stomaohs. • .

■ Mr. C; H. .Gorrick . has fished many. New. Zealand : rivers y.'ith success, and a few" years ago was a regular visitor hero, but probably the- improved fishing conditions m Now South Wales satisfy Mr. Gorrick, as it is over four year's sincc his last, visit.

Our Carterton correspondent writes:— Fishing in tho Waiohino at tho beginning of the week, Mr. J. M;-Lightfoot captured a splendid' trout. : - No scales were handy to weigh tho capture, hut tho local fishing Ananias confesses: it'is tlio'largest fish captured so far this season Mr. Lightfoot was using a ,I'Coachinan" on the lightest of tackle, and- his friend, attempting to, slip the landing net Under the fish, fouled tho tail' fly,.'-'and Mr. Lightfoot had the unique experience of playing fish, friend, and landing not at one and the sainc time