OTAGO ANGLERS' ASSOCIATION.

Evening Star, Issue 12927, 25 September 1906, Page 8

OTAGO ANGLERS' ASSOCIATION.

[ .The twenty- fourth annual report of the , OtagovAiiglers'r Association is /to ,be presented nty.the annual meeting to-night at the Masonic IJal];: The membership of the Association.did.pot increase to the,extent anticipated;; there are seventy-five 'members -this .year as against seventy-two last year. The balance-sheet, , with a credit of over £2O, shows the Association to be m a very healthy condition. The Committee arranged a series' of four competitions, which took place earlier in the seaj son than usually. This departure was i made in the hope that it would, mean | larger numbers entering, and the result I was as expected. , The fir,st competition was held on the Shag River on Labor bay, when twenty-five members entered. This competition always proves one of the most enjoyable outings of. the season. ;The prizes in the competition were the Association's gold medals and presentations 'by Messrs J. A. Park, J. F. Peake, and C. Speight. The first prize went to C. S. Jenkins, with forty fish (19lb); the I second, to A. E. Jenkins (35 fish, 181b), i and the third to J. Burt "(25 fish, 17£lb). Ihe second competition, for the Acclimatisation Society's gold medals, took place on the Waipahi River on November 9, and was open to all license-holders in the Otago district. Twenty-six entries were received, and the first prize was won by P. C. Murray, with seven fish, weighing 281b; the second bv R. H. Collins, with four fish (141b). The third competition, held on the same-river on November 10, was open to members only. Sixteen entries were received. The nrizes, which were presented by the president" (Mr A. Anderson) and. vice-presidents (Messrs R Forrest and C: P. M. Butterworth), were won by :—P. C. Murray 'ls fish, 391b), 1; R, Spiers (24 fish, 23£lb), 2; T. Murray (la fish, 121b), 3. The fourth competition washeld on the Shag River on November 9. Thirteen members entered. • The first prize (presented bv Messrs J. Wilkie and Co.) was won by J. Barnes, the second (presented by Mr R. T. Wheeler, vicepresident) by J. Burt, and the third (presented by Mr H. Isaacs) by L. De Beer. The Shag River, as usual, contributed n good amount of sport to Dunedin anglers, but the wead nuisance is still manifest, especially after November. Poaching on this river, though still existing, was considerablv curtailed last season. Some good

baskets were made on the Waikouaili River, especially in the latter part of the season. ; The "Waitati also provided its fair share of sport-. The tapping of the head waters of this stream for the City water supply, has curtailed the volume of water, artd'tiie Association say it .might be sugthe Acc&matJsatibn Society the advisSbility of endeavoring to erect some w^i^^on-;.tWs\.!^reanL...^- : The/^*a^er ; ';of Leith was, as usual, well' in the early part,of the,season. The thanks 'of anglers, are due to, the Acclimatisation So-, tiety for the weirs erected. The weirs proved •«.. great help in conserving > the) fish when the water was low, and with the additional werijs erected during • the last few weeks should enable anglers to obtain con6&de_rahly mpro sport than has been obitainable on-, for some years: During the last month of the- season some good baskets were taken from the Leith, some of the trout running as large as 81b. The phenomenal amount. of ,ova obtained from the Leith this ~eai" proves it to be one of the best spawning streams in Otago. The Dunedin anglers /had last season a riew scene of operations opened to them by the sport provided; in Lake Logan. The fishing in the'-.southern rivers gave very much the sahw'reshlts-as last-year. The Assodatibn -have;raised Mr R>Ghisholm, their president: for-many yea*s, to the wsition 'of .this - first, patron -of ;< the Association, by wav :of recognising his services. ' : Thanks are due to i the various donors of prizes, and: also : tb -Mr D.i Rnssell, secretary;of: the Acclimatisation 86-' cietv. for his -various services - pertaining to the welfare of the Association. ,■• ;.- :