FLOOD AND FIELD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8669, 19 December 1888, Page 6

FLOOD AND FIELD.

Out Ashburton correspondent writes : During the week not much fishing has been done in the Ashburton. Mr Kidd has taken about a dozen fish, Mr Fox five, Mr Pilbrow five, the weights ranging from 41b to 6lb; Mr Simpson two, Mr Moore two, Mr Shury one, all small, about 21b each. During the week excellent sport has been obtained in the Bangitata, but this river on Saturday morning came down very white, which stopped sport. Amongst the takes I heard of Mr Murdock getting seventeen fish, averaging about 31b each, in two days; Mr Simpson got on Friday and Saturday, until stopped by the fresh, eighteen fish weighing 701 b; and Mr Pilbrow, who was fishing with him, got ten fish weighing 401 b. The largest fish taken weighed Blb. Mr Shury tried some of the creeks, and got twelve fish averaging about 11b each. On Saturday, Mr Denshire tried the Eakaia a few miles above the bridge, and got two fish; but the river was too high from the Nor’wester. These large rivers will give excellent sport when they get low after Christmas, but owing to the rapidity with which they rise after a Nor’-wester, you can never depend at this season in getting a day’s sport. The chief lure employed was the loaded whitebait phantom. There will be no need of our Christchurch friends going to the Waimate, as just as good sport can be obtained in the Bangitata. One fish hooked by Simpson took out about seventy yards of line, and then got clear, taking the phantom .with him. This fish was estimated to weigh at least 101 b to 121 b. Some large fish have also been taken at the mouth of the Bakaia. The Timaru Herald is informed that Mr D. Hennessey caught a monster conger eel at Dashing Bocks on Dec 7. In length the eel measures 6ft 2in, its greatest girth is 20in, and it turns the scale at 201 b. The work of landing such a fine specimen was very exciting.

Very few fish have been caught in the upper reaches of the Clutha this year, although the river is reported to be swarming with fine large fish. A gentleman who is at present travelling in this district* writes as follows:—“When crossing the Clutha, at the Luggate, I asked the puntman how the shags and trout were getting on, and he told me this story: * Last week I was working on the bank, mending some of the gear, when I noticed a large shag coming down the river splashing his wings and making a great fuss in the water, evidently trying to rise; bis head was right under the water, but after a considerable struggle he got bis head up, and then I saw he had a large fish in his beak, but crosswise. A little lower down he managed to get ashore, and after seeming to batter the fish’s head on the rooks, he with a great effort swallowed it. i am certain that fish weighed over 21b; anyhow it increased the shag’s weight so much that he could not fly, and if I had not been so busy I should have gone for my gun and had both shag and fish, as he was completely at my mercy, and could not possibly

have got away from me. I can tell you that these cormorants are extremely numerous here, and I see them kill many a fine fish, as I am so much about the river/ ” The following is from“ Jack Scott’s” notes in the Witness. The competition for a gold and silver medal offered by the Otago Acclimatisation Society for thebest baskets taken with the artificial fly only, was fished off under most unfavourable conditions as to wind and weather on the Waipahi river on Thursday, November 29. Fourteen anglers entered, and up to Saturday the Hon Secretary (Mr Edgar) had received eight returns, showing a total of twentyone fish caught, weighting 34*lb. Mr D. Eeid takes the gold medal with a basket of four fish weighing Bslb, and Mr Melrose the silver medal, with four fish weighing 7Jlb. Below are the returns sent in by the other competitors:—Mr W. M’Cormick, Tapanui, three fish, sJlb; Mr Telford, Waiwera, two fish, 4^lb; Mr W. Fraser, Lovell’s Plat, four fish, 41b ; Mr ’VV. Carlton, Dunedin, two fish, 2 J lb; Mr J. Moen, Waitahuna, one fish, lllb. Mr C. Gillies, Dunedin, one fish -Jib. Six competitors returned with empty creels. In fact it is quite a wonder that such a good show was made, when we consider the bad state of the weather and the height of the stream, which was fully eighteen inches too high for successful angling. One competitor, who is reckoned to be one of the best fly fishers in Dunedin, said that he thought he would be quite safe in offering JSI a head for all the fish caught that day. It was only by taking advantage of the lulls in the storm, and when the sun shone out for a brief space, that the competitors were able to got any fishing at all, most of tho day being passed by taking shelter behind some friendly flax bush. To show how bad the wind was, one competitor states that he fished for fully half an hour for a trout that he saw rising before he could get his flies to go in the direction he wanted them to go; but his patience was rewarded in the end, for he got his fish, which weighed over 21b. The next day, the 30th, the John Anderson gold medal was fished for. This medal was fished for under the rules of the Otago Anglers’ Association, and they supplemented it with a silver medal for the second heaviest basket. The competitors were allowed to use any legal bait. Thirteen entered; Mr A. King taking tho trophy for this year with a basket of four fish, weighing 22£lb. The other official returns have not yet come to hand, but it is believed that Mr M'Cormick takes the second place with a basket of bib, odd, the next being Mr J. King with 71b, and Mr W. Fraser with 41b 14oz. It is stated that there were nine empty baskets. The weather was worse, if it could be worse, than on the previous kay. As this valuable prize has to be won twice, there is a chance for some of our cracks to wrest the coveted prize from the present holder next year, when it is to be hoped the competitors will be favoured with much better weather than they have been this season. To play a vigorous salmon is most pleasant sport; to be played by one hardly so. Yet it does sometimes happen that a salmon which has been foul-hooked drags the angler where he would not willingly go. A case in point is mentioned in the Field by a correspondent who appears to have been fishing in Norway:—“A fish came up as the fly swung into the stream —a bright flash through the clear water, a beautiful head and tail rise. Counting my usual one, two, I pulled. You are apt to be too quick in a clear water when you can see the fish coming; but this time I was too slow. Ido not think, the fish meant opening his mouth to take the fiy, but he must have turned it over; for both the little hooks stuck firmly in his neck, leaving every fin free, and not interfering with his respiration. Now, therefore, he began to play me, as I soon found out; I could not understand it. He did not play or feel like a very heavy fish (nor was he only 211bs); but be tore round and round the pool like a madman. The trouble I bad, even by running back, to keep a taut line boo n tcld upon my strength. The fish was killing me as fast as he could; and after an hour of this game I was fairly pumped. But for a favourite fly and a particularly good cast—with both of which 1 was loth to part—l think I should have broken him. The pool spreads - out into a broad rapid, dividing, as it neai-s tho ford, into several branches; so that, after crossing sundry small branches, you find yourself on an island. I told Hansen I was going to risk it and take the fish down. I killed a fish of 28 jib by doing so, and why not this one ? He shook his head, but unbuckled my belt and took my gaff. After all it was the fish that was going to take me down, not I him. How my old legs had to go, still keeping the rod up! Ido not know how I managed to get over a place where a part of the river breaks away over boulders that I would not face in cool blood, or how I managed the high alder-bushes, through the tops of which the line cut; or how, after fording another branch, I ran over a stretch of small rounded boulders, the river taking a sharp circle to the right and coming round again. I managed this by letting the fish have ninety yards of line, and, as he came round, winding up like steam; it was very hazardous. But my spirit was up! He had not killed me yet. I was on an island, and a deep creek separated me from the shore. Giving my watch to old Hansen, I waded in and prepared, if necessary, to swim over. But Hansen had sent for a boat, which two men were towing up to my aid. Inch by inch the fish dropped down, until my winch warned me that 100 yards were out. Then came the boat. Now it is no easy thing for a stout, middle-aged man to get into a Norwegian or any boat when he is standing in the water, and especially if he has a strong fish, pulling hard- at the end of a long line; but I did get in somehow. In sitting down I missed the seat, and really did turn up my toes, for I was down in the stern sheets and my legs in the air. Soon righting, the battle was renewed. And now it was only a question of time and endurance. We steered past a large sunken rock, on which the boat bumped and nearly overturned. Then I landed and played the fish for another two hours. I had a nice stone to sit on, and my friend W. sent me a sandwich and a glass of ale, for I had had no breakfast, and it was half-past twelve. The tide began to make, and the poor fish wanted to go up again. This I could not allow. Taking the boat again, we bad a smart tussle; but I got him down into the fjord, and landed on the other side, and, after a gallant resistance, at last Hansen got the gaff into him; but so full of running was he, even then, that he was off the gaff in a twinkling, and required two men to hold him for the blow with my loaded gaff-handle. Time hooked, 8.30 a.m.; killed, 1.25 p.m.; weight, 211bs—a freshrun fish.