Rod and Gun. [By Gamrbag.]

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue LXVII, 30 January 1904, Page 14

Rod and Gun. [By Gamrbag.]

WELLINGTON GUN CLUB'S MATCH. It would have been impossible for tlio Wellington Provincial Gun Club's 1903 mooting to huvo been moro successful than it Mas. Everything worked with smoothness, and tho officials must be warmly congratulated. Tho shooting, as shown by tho detailed scores published in Tuebday's Po^st, was of a high standard, and tho 210 first-barrel kill« included » large proportion of "hummers." Of tho four competitors who p,ot homo on both nominations, W. Buck, of tho Taita, had Hie best first-barrel u-cord, for he Ufed hi« second only once. His was an excellent perfoiinunce. D. Frnscr, Canterbury's crack, was not in his best form, and though ho got through on ono nomination, ho went out of his second \crv ear'.y. M. Rosoingrave, tho Aueklander, was even less successful, but in the sweepstake ho struck form and did not. draw on his reserve barrel once. J. T. Campbell's shooting had been so excellent thioughout — all firH b.irrels — that ho met with genuine sympathy when his last bird m the first nomination managed to get over Iho boundary with two .charges in it. J. Dobson, 11. Bennett, jun.. H. Earle. A. Ctom', and C. Tucker

also had hard luck in each losing one bird after good shooting. Of tho "double-nom." successful men L. Bayly was very quick and used his second barrel only twice, A. K. W. Smith— -a comparatively new shot — called on his reserve, timo times, and T. J. iStoioy, on tho 21yds mark, used his four times. R. M'N.ib gut an o\ha hearty round of applause ns he brought down tho last bird in his good nomination, as this waa bin first meeting of importance and ho had only fired in any mutch of Uhe kind once bofoie. Tucker's good nomination had only ono second barrel in it. Young Redwood Mas not scon at his best, and ho also had a fair sharo of hard luck. Ifo went out of tho i mining very early. A. Roro, who had tho shool-off with Fraser at the Hutt Valley Club's meeting for Mr. Hodg&on's trophy, was put out of tho Karori sweepstake very early sololy by over-contideneo in his first hhot, for ho brought it down with tho first, and as ho walked away tho bird did likewise and got over the boundary fence. His friend T. H. Partita did better right through. R. n. Johnson did not strike form at all, and S. Scott Mas only a littlo better. H. Richardson got in some good second-banvl kills, though ho was not in the divide, Ho missed one bird in each nomination. It is satisfactory <to learn that the meeting was a financial success. The duties of referee wore faithfully carried out by Mr. Chavanncs, while Mr. yon Stunner wns the referee, and Mr. 11. Earlo secretary. During tho day Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.H.R., President of tho Now Zealand Gun Clubs' Association, was an interested witness of tho shooting. THE WAIKANAE CLUB'S EVENT. Tho Waikanae Club's £100 match was an ambitious effort, but, thanks largely to the enthusiasm, and onergy of Secretary T. H. Paruta, it passed off with much success, most of tho leading shots of tho colony competing. J. T. Campbell Bhot all his birds on both nomina- , tions and drew £20, whilo dinners of £10 enfh were : D. Fraser, J. Dobson, W. Buck, A. Rore, A. Ciow, E. A. W. Smith, C. Burt, and J Storey. Details of tlio shooting are as foMow : — J. T. Campbell, 30yds, 2221111 ... 7 Second nomination, 1212111 ... 7 D. Fraser, 33yds, 1212121 7 Second nomination, 0221111 ... 6 J. Dobson, 28yds, 1121111 7 Second nomination, 101120, retired W. Buck, 27yds, 1112221 7 Second nomination, 1001, retired A. Rore, 24yds, 2111111 7 Second nomination, 2222021 ... 6 A. Crow, 24yds, 1121111 7 Second nomination, 1001, retired C. L. Cadell, 28yds. 22011H 6 Sicnnd nomination, J lOlO, rctiied E. A W. Smith. 26yds, 1211202 ... 6 Second nomination. 2211211 ... 7 ! H, Richardson, 26yds 2J21011 ... 6 ! Second nomination, 212010, retired G. Ropata, 24yds, 2111201 6 Second nomination, 1222201 ... 6 W. Hart, 22yds, 2111011 6 Second nomination, 1210111 ... 6 T. U. Parata, 22yds, 2 J 01121 ... 6 Second nomination, 210220, retired 1 J. Storey, 21yds, 1110211 6 Second nomination, -2112111 ... 7 "Defiance," 21yds, 1220211 6 Second nomination, 00, retired H. L. Johnston, 25yds, 1202211 ... 6 Second nomination, 110220, retired W. G. Brodcrick, 23yds, 1110110 ... 5 Second nomination, 3111011 ... 6 M. Roseingrave, 30yds, 1101120 ... 5 Second nomination, 201210, retired G. Cheesoimin, 26yds, 1111100 ... 5 Second nomination, 1010, retired T. Stewart, 24yd«, 1201110 ..." ... 6 Second nomination, 2001, retired R. L. Tipplor, 24yds, 101110, rotircd Second nomination, „2001, retired C. Burt, 20yd«, 112020, retired Second nomination, 1111122 ... 7 E. Cheeseman, 24yds, 20120. retired Second nomination, 1010, retired T. Signal, 2lyds, 10110, retiree? Second nomination, 2211110 ... 6 ,W. Vlckers, 22yds, 1010, retired Second nomination, 2221100 ... 5 H. Parata, 21yds, 1100, retired Second nomination, 1120120 ... 5 As a gold medal had been offered by Messrs.. Ilira Parata and R. Stansell for '''tho winner there was a shoot-off, one miss out, which resulted in. W. Buck winning as follows :—: — > D. Frasor, 22120 4 Campbell,' 10 "1 Second nomination, 10 1 Dpbson, 1221221210 9 Buck, 11122111212212122 17 Smith, 11112112122221210 16 j Rore, 10 1 Crow, 21220 4 Burt, 110 2 Storoy, 0 0 Ono Eketahuna angler claims to have taken over 400 trout from Kie Mnkakahi river since the opening of tho season. Tho continued hot, dry woather has had a disastrous effect on tho young trout in iho nursery-ponds in the Recreation Grounds at New Plymouth (sap the Herald). These ponds aro necessarily small and somewhat- shallow, and tho water has bocomo so heated that a largo number of the young fish has boen killed. One morning Mr. Edgeconibe, the custodian of the grounds, took over 100 dead young rainbow trout from tho ponds. Those fish, which looked fine and healthy, averaging about three to four inches, were put in t'ho ponds as fry last September. Mr. A. Franks, ranger to tho South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, is busy at present visiting the various outlying streams under his charge. Ho,reports abundant fish everywhere, and anticipates 'a good season for "stripping," should tho Inspector of Fisheries decide to repeat last year's operations in the Tenuika district. The lull streams and lakes of> Ceylon have been stocked with trout, and now afford excellent sport. Rainbow trout are fully acclimatised nnd breed freely. Tho earliest attempts to ncclimatiso trout wore made in 1880, but it Mas not till 1892 that operations Mero systematically carried on. A fishing club has now been formed and is well supported. Except in (the lakes, where any bait may be» used, only fly fishing is permitted, Tho trout tako fly freely, and run to v largo size, 141b being tho present record,' whilo threo and four pounders are common. AH fish taken under llin must bo returned to tho M-ater. The annual subscription is Rs.lo (about £1), and licenses are issued at the following rates : Ono day, members Rn.7.60, non-members R5.12.50; ono week, members Rs.lo 00, non-members R5.25.00; ono mpnth, menir bers Rs. 20.00, non-members R5. 75.00 ; tho season, members K5. 50.00, non-mem-bers R5.120.00. Ono of tlio most interesting' of our native birds, the pdradiso duck, i£ mo (Western Star) regivl to auy, not nearly so numerous as it used to bo, the dimimt>, tion being duo principally to M-hnlesalo (daughter by sportsmen — aavo tho mark ! Rats are also very rough on the ej^s, and are quite a pest in t'ho bush. To preserve this beautiful biidiu it« native flaunts should be tho aim of the AcclilnaUf.itiou Society, and to this end wo Mould miggcst that iiir.uigeineiits bo mado with residents in 'the back country to establish hicedinir-Mtntion.s it. work many of them Would only »bi> too triad w> undertake. At Lake Maimpoui'i there. i« a delightful np.il known an Stockyaid Cove. One would think it had wirucd its name oM'inj* lo some ldation it had in times past with stuck. Tins i« not so, however. It leccived its name- from the fact that all the flappers wcie rounded uo there and then ruthlessly deslroved.