Mod caul Gun.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 131, 29 November 1902, Page 14 (Supplement)

Mod caul Gun.

[Contributions to this column, addressed "Gamebag," will be welcomed. They should be concise, and must be signed with the writer's full name and address, not for publication, but; as a guarantee of authenticity.^ [By Gamebag.] Local anglers have received with much satibf action the news that the ponds at Silver&tream have been stocked with 30,000 rainbow fry, which will twelve months hence be liberated in the Hutt river. The fish-.— which, as is well known, give splendid sport — will soon, find their way up the Hutt's tributaries, and the district will become more attractive than ever. In reply to an enquiry by the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society for two sittings of mallard eggs or two pair of ducks, the Secretary of the Wellington Society has written tkat owing to the ducks lay- J ing away he is unable to supply either I eggs or ducks this season. This season quite a number of farmers' sons have taken up fishing with, success. This is very desirable (says a Taranaki paper), as it creates an all-round interest in the sport, and those living on the streams take some pains to prevent poaching by natives and others. ■ A number of enthusiasts decided some years ago to introduce trout into the Queensland streams, and took in hand the construction of ponds and hatchery. Mr. W. G. Morris, formerly in the employ of the Otago Acclimatisation Society, was selected as manager, and he appears to have done splendid work. A recent issue of the Queensiander gives two pages of illustrations of the Killarney Trout Hatchery, which is evidently thoroughly up to date in every respect. The ponds now contain a splendid supply of stock fish, and before long the anglers in Queensland should have well-stocked streams. The fry were ' obtained from New Zealand, and the rainbow trout appear to have done exceedingly well. Amongst the illustrations is a yearling trout measuring over ten inches in length. Otago's former official is to be congratulated on his successful management in Queensland. » The Wellington Provincial Gun Club will hold its annual handicap pigeon match on 23rd January at Petone. Mr. A. Grosser, the winner of the Commonwealth pigeon championship, decided on 3rd .November, comes from Mount Gambier, South Australia. All the competitors shot from the 30yds mark, and Mr. Grosser was the only one to kill all 21 birds. Messrs. A. W. Bales and A. J. Stephens, who tied for second place, killed one bird less. Mr. Grosser's victory brought him £133 in cush and the £20 trophy. A fair number of fish are being caught in the Tawhiti (says the'Hawera Star), and as fishermen get to understand this stream better, bigger baskets may be .expected, for theie are plenty of good fish in it. Master Bate, ol Normanby, landed a very fine fish, weighing 71b, one evening from this stream. This was the third time he had hooked it, and the fly which he lost to it on the previous evening was still fast in its mouth. At a meeting of the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society the following suggestions to be made at the Conference of Acclimatisation Societies in Wellington on 23rd January were dealt with as stated : — The legalisation of the destruction of stoats and wea&cls ; the legislation re gun license was struck out ; the publication of an annual giving information as to the doings of all acclimatisa~ tion societies ; that a license-holder be entitled to shoot in any district wherein game exists ; that all netting in riveis where salmon are now liberated be stopped ; that the fishing season commence two weeks later, and shooting for native game one month later, for the South Island. It was resolved to recommend that the expeuses of carrying on the conference be met out of the funds of each society, the amount to be fixed according to their income. Writing on the subject of an acclimatisation society for the colony, the Grey Star says: — "It seems to us that the proposal is an exceedingly wise one, and will prove beneficial to the whole colony. Under good management arrangements can be made for the exchange of animals, birds, and fishes from one district to the other at a" much lesser cost than would be possible for any single society to secure, while the unification of all the acclimatisation laws could be | obtained at once. In regard to importa- i lions from other countries the whole of the societies would be required to contribute their quota. The stock so imported would be taken charge of by the society having the best natural facilities foi breeding, and the progeny would subsequently be distributed in future seasons among the whole of the contributing societies. This would secure to all parts of -New Zealand a fair distribution of all importations that might be suitable to the different districts. We therefore hail the establishment of a New Zealand Acclimatisation Society with much satisfaction." A somewhat sensational statement recently appeared in the dairy press to the effect that a spring of water had burst out in a field belonging -to the Haberdashers' Company, in the neighbourhood of Brockley, Kent, and that a curious fish — some of which were blind — were found swimming about in the water. The incident gave occasion for learned disputations on underground fi«h, their peculiarities, strange appearance?, and so forth. The Field has been making some enquiries into the subject, and the following explanation is put forward as being the most probable, but it unfortunately robs the incident of its phenomenal character. A trench was cut from a fishpond oa the other side of a railway embankment. A number of tench were earned along this into • a ditch which led to a drain under the embankment, and Avere forced up through an old pipe opening By the water, which was endeavouring to find its level. Some of them Avere blind, and had the appearance of having had their sides rubbed during their underground 1 journey. In British waters (says an English contemporary) v/e have our fights with big conger or bass, and they seem sufficiently exciting, but they pale into insignificance

compared with the sport obtained in Californian waters. From time to time we have mentioned the amazing weights of fish caught fairly on rod and line by the members of the Flying Tuna Club, of Avalon, Santa Catalina, and visitois to that remarkable spot. Now we hear that \a the waters surrounding this island the world's record for black sea bass, or Jew fhh, has been broken by Mr. H. T. Kendall, of Pasadena. His fish was a monster of 4191b, and was played and gaffed in one hour and fifty minutes. Other big fish taken are a bass of 3301b, caught by Commodore Paine, and a tunny of 2381b, captured 1 by Mr. Fox, who is known in London angling circles. This gentleman also took three black bass weighing in the aggregate 6511b. These bass are huge marine perch, and feed usually near the t>otloni.