ANGLING NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17394, 3 February 1917, Page 12

ANGLING NOTES.

(By IRON BLUE.) IX HOT WEATHER. In real summer weather, like that which began this week when tho sun was hot, the wind hotter, and everything one touched seemed more or less "baked or parched, the angler's chances become .strictly limited, and the best sport will come to him during the darkest hours. With bright clear sunshine and'low bright water as the prevailing conditions, the daytime fishing is often of little use; for by mid-season the trout have generally- gained some knowledgo of angling wiles, and the flash,of a, rod or the glistening of a gut cast is quite sufficient to stnft them hurrying to a safer place. Usually a nuisance to everyboclv, the north-wester may now prove helpful to the fishing man, who, abandoning the ordinary flies in favour of a big red governor, is fairly suro of some rises in the deep, windswept pools; or, again, with "dry fly " and finest tackle, an expert may mark down and secure stray ieedmg trout. But these exceptions failing, it remains to trv the fastest ripples, and if unsuccessful there, it is a good plan to find other employment until flight. • After a hot January or February day, the "evening rise"" part can bo counted a far greater certainty than at the beginning of a season, and u camping for a brief holiday by some riverside, tho keen fisherman will adapt himself to circumstances, and reckon the hours following sundown as the busiest of the twenty-four. Then the big trout come out of_their daytime biding places, and in the cooling waters find appetites for the evening "fall"' of spinners, which probably will continue far into the night. It is no time to say "this night fishing is beastly work," eVen though the angler may reasonably hold that opinion, but if he means to catch trout, he must do so when ho can, and while they are feeding. Strong tackle is customary after dark—say, I.X. caste, at the lightest —and large flies are the most killing, among them, for choice, the Silver Doctor, Coachman and Silver Sedge; though for myself, at such moments I believe the size of a fly is a chief consideration. , THE TWINS.

Twin-like in size and kit, together they came in sight. Closely together they essayed an unceasing set of casts; still closer they waded abreast up a narrow shallow ripple, every action in unison, as if they had been drilled. Castor and Pollox we termed them instantly, and if in truth one of them was misnamed Pollox, why, very certainly they were both most persevering "castors." Straight up through the bright clear water they waded and cast in line, the trout rushing headlong from them to some lurking place ahead, but those twins were far too earnest to notice a little thing like that, for they had " Just come out to catch some trout," and fully intended to do it. They fished in line abreast, so they " might miss nothing," and though during a solid hour we saw they caught nothing, their answer to a question came quite patly, " Oh, very good sport indeed." James wagered at las.t that one would never do anything without the other, but the event proved him wrong.' One twin fell headlong in the river, and for a moment we almost thought the other would follow his example, but together again directly afterwards we saw them setting an equal pace for home.

THE RIVERS. Tho news from the Canterbury fly streams shows that tho majority are now in great need of a good fresh, and in some cases the waters are so low that the fish aro penned up in pools which aro only connected by the merest trickles. According to reports from the Geraldine district, the Upper Orari, Wnihi, Hae fe Moana and Kakahu are rapidly drying, and unJtss rain arrives quickly a serious loss of stock is expected. Until the last few days the fishing in this part of South Canterbury has been very satisfactory, especially in the Orari Lagoon, and though in tho fly streams tho average size of the trout is less, there is no doubt that better sport has been obtained than during last season. From the. Mackenzie Country it is reported that three rods caught nineteen trout in a. day's fishing on Lake Tekapo, while yet more recently a good catch of nearly a dozen, averaging over 41b each, was made in the Tekapo River below the bridge. Also, some fish have been taken in Lakes Macgregor and Alexandrina. Tho north-westers are keeping the snow rivers more or less in flood, but lately a considerable number of three or four-pound fish have been landed from the Rangitata. In the lower waters of the Opihi the big fish are boginning to come to hand at •" Burke's " a.nd O'Meara's, and it is said there are now plenty of them in tho river. Further upstream, above Pleasant Point, and in the vicinity of Hanging Rock and Raincliff, some very good baskets of trout, averaging three-quarters or a pound each, were made at the beginning of the present week.