ANGLING CONDITIONS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 190, 10 May 1934, Page 10

ANGLING CONDITIONS

Englishman’s Suggestions

SPORT ON WAIKANAE RIVER

Angling conditions on the Waikanae River were discussed in a letter received at last evening's meeting of tlie council of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society from an Englishman, Mr. A. V. G. Paddon, who has fished the river throughout the 1933-34 season. Mr. Paddon, who is member of the Red Spinner Angling Society. London, wrote that one could scarcely devise a water more suited to fly-fishing either with floating or sunken flies, although the flow was on the fast side where the delicate manipulation of the former method was required. Going by British standards, Mr. Paddon considered the river was far from being over-fished. The head of trout it contained was normal, though the average size was decidedly low. The food supply was definitely poor, and its paucity might account for the low average weight and the fact that tlie fish rose so freely to surface lines in the almost complete absence of the ephemerata. Fish began to fail in condition, due to lack of food, about the first week in December, the best sport being obtained in February. Minnow was ignored after November, showing that only a small proportion of cannibal fish was located in the stream. The fish commenced to spawn about March 18 and seemed to indicate the closure should be applied on March 31. With regard to pests, Mr. Paddon, said that, in addition to piscator vulgaris, there was the eel, tbe blackbacked gull and the shag. The lastnamed, once disturbed, rarely revisited the same locality until tlie following day, and did not fish at night. The gull, he said, haunted tlie river all day.

If the sport were to be improved by the alteration of tlie existing regulations. Mr. Paddon suggested: (1) The season should be from October 1 Io March 31; (2) tlie size-limit should be raised to 12in.: (3i the basket be limited to three brace; (4) a reward be offered for tlie destruction of blackbacked gulls.

Mr. Paddon was thanked for his letter, which will come before the fish committee with oilier recomnieiidations. Members, however, questioned the correctness of some of Mr. Paddon’s opinions.