ANGLING

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 97, 19 January 1924, Page 19

ANGLING

(By

“Coch-y-Bondhu”.)

The season at Taupo and Rotorua seems to bo a particularly good one, judging by the returns received. On Monday a fisherman recured on tho fly in the Tongariro River 15 fish, averaging 12lb. The largest weighed 201 b., and two were 17-poundcrs. Recent xains have improved the fishing in all the streams running into Taupo. At Rotorua numbers rather than siz“ seem to be the rule. Two anglers early last week took 75 and 80 fish each, and the condition is said to be a great improvement on past seasons. The Waikanae continues g'.od. Some nice catches were made there the last week-end. An angler who generally takes a limit bag, there, in all truth, was accosted by a stranger the other day, and asked for his license. To the man who is an angler of the best typef and who would sooner stay at home than transgress regulations in the slightest degree, such a request is always a little galling. Cur friend was not quite quick enough in producing the bit of najier to remove ths suspicions of the visitor, who asked fiTm How many he had taken. “A limit bag,” was the reply. “Let’s have a look at them, then.” The focal angler was so long in producing them that the suspicions of the other became certainties, and he was getting ready to see speared cr dynamited fish, when the 'ag was reluctantly opened to disclose three half-pounders.

Mr. Morris found the Wainui very low on Saturday morning, but got a fine bag of 10, averaging 21b., and the best scaled 3}lb. The same angler took half a score of nice fish in Martin’s River over two days. ’Hicy are large fish there for the most part, and in good condition.' He has taken 320 fish this season so far, mostly in tho Wainui. and the best part of it is to comq, for such an expert dry-fly man. Mr. Morris recalls with pleasure a trip to the upper part of the Tauherenikau. where his bag averaged 81b. It is a difficult place to reach, as an angler discovered recently, as he miss--ed the way, and made for the Dobson huts in the dark and in heavy rain, which put him off trying to reach the Tauhercnikau the next day. Contrary to the general run of fish in bush streams, where they are scl dem disturbed, the trout in tho Upper Tauherenikau are eaid }o be as -silvery and clean as could be desir id. and to give the best of sport. All too frequently these overgrown giants cf the out-of-the-way places, where they roach great size undisturbed, are all tail, gills, and fins, as black as coal, and as lifeless as a log. An angler who frequents the Martin’s River tells of a 12 pound trout that has lived in the same deep hole for three years, and has broken more tackle than most anglers use in a year. He is an epicure, for he refuses wet fly, thought he makes a

point of having a look at all that is presented to him. The lures he has succumbed to are bully and koura, but such common things as creeper and worm he will not look at. The fact that he has survived less legitimate methods of attack for so long is accounted for by the presence of a sportsman in the neighbourhood who keeps a good eye on the river. There aro many points on this stream where the river is too deep to wade, ind the banks are so high, that the angler is visible against the ’sky-line, out where it is fishable with the customary precautions good sport awaits the fly fisherman. It is not often that a.n eel takes the fly, but such an instance was mentioned to me yesterday. The Wainui is said to be very full of cels, some .of them of enormous size, and the wonder is that this stream remains as well stocked with trout as it does.

The time is coming -when the kingfish and tho larger denizens of the salty deep which give the best sea fishing obtainable, the mako shark and the swordfish, will be at their best at the Bay of Islands, and those who are going, there should get their tackle ready. A reel of at least six inch barrel will be required, as it must carry 200 yards of strong line and it should be fitted with some form- of brake that can apply a goodly drag on these big fish, but that can be released instantly in the event of a sudden rush. Some of the big sharks leap into the air when first hooked, and any cast-iron methods of giving them line mean disaster. The rod should be short and flexible. The

strain of holding up even a 10ft. rod with the big fellow on, for several hours, is too great. The. man going to Russell for the first time, and following his own ideas in the matter of tackle, will find that old hands like their hooks large. One does not get so many bites from the big fish that one can afford to lose chances, and the penchant of Russel fishermen is for Dig hooks and very strong, traces, which must be of stiffiish material as despite plenty of swivals, they are apt to kink when, trolling a full sized kahawai as bait. A good means of preventing kinking is keels of sheet lead on the trace. • x