HOOKING MULLET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14701, 19 June 1911, Page 5

HOOKING MULLET.

SPORT WITH ROD AND' LINE.

Some time ago (writes C.A.W.), I noticed fine mullet on the street barrows. "Capital sport those chaps give." I remarked to my companion, "a. one-pounder will pull like a three-pound trout," The Aucklander stated, and then promptly settled the matter for good and all—" Rubbish, those are mullet. No one ever caught mullet with rod and line." Yet in one place, at least, mullet ate caught by rod and line, the bait being anything from a piece of beef or aworm to a. red rag.

Down near the foot of. South Canterbury, the broad Waihao sweeps for miles cheek by jowl with the ocean. In the snow ranges it is born a tinkling little stream, which bye and bye cuts, deep ravines in the blue- clay of the hills, and so arrives within stone-throw of the sea. But the wall 'of shingle is 100 strong, and the homeless stream runs wearily on, seeking an outlet, until it reaches an expanse of water called Wainono Lagoon. Ten miles long and from one to two bioad, this shallow lake sends an advance guard to meet the Waihao 01 the hills. So they merge and wander together between the wiilowed banks, through toi-toi and niggerhead and flax, and the pleasantness of the emerald fields. Black swan and wild geese, teal and grey, the screaming gull and the vengeful hawk, wing their way over its miles of sluggish length, and the river arrives nowhere. It flows either way, as the spirit of the storm moves it, so truly level is its bed. To the resident* within several miles this water-trap was a real menace, and to see the low-lying basin (ill with water and whirl wildly round was a fearsome thing. Dead sheep and cattle, floated on its foaming breast, with here and there a stack, or the pitiful ruins of a settlers wha're. Most, of the landowners built. two-storied houses.

The sheer weight of water in time "broke out," but this was too uncertain, and to-day the Waihao lies tamed by the hand of man. There was driven through the shingle hank a. great box culvert, and at times of flood men who were daring in Ho ordinary course of the day's work, saw to it, that the mouth was clear, and that the roaring mass had the right-of-way.

While the flood was on, (he big brown trout came out of the river and purified themselves in the sea. and the flounder and the mullet, and other deep-sea inhabitants, worked themselves up through the box at high tide, and remained in the river. As there was a stretch of seven miles varying in depth from oft to 30ft, these visitors might, well . have imagined themselves in the deep blue sea.

Thus, when on Ashing expeditions, we could nob raise trout, wo would pull across the river, arid from the end of the. box fish for mullet with rod and —our ordinary fly rods, with a. worm, red meat, or red ray for bail. And we caught them in scores, .scores of times. There was no mistaking the mullet. The moment he was honked he, was off with a rush, prompt and fierce. The struggle was short as a rule, because we had no time to waste, but while it lasted a onepound fish could tax the skill of the fisher and the strength of his light rod. It' the mullet were not biting, there was no more use in continuing to fish than there was when the trout were not feeding. They seemed actually to have adopted Hie habits of the trout amongst whom they lived. When feeding time came again each fisherman might take four dozen, hauling them out as fast as he could bait and recast. To myself, accustomed for years to this sport, it; seemed a matter of course, but several piscatorial exports have doubled the possibility of such a. thing. To such, I have set down the local circumstances, leaving the experts to say why a. deep sea. fish changed its habits to accord with those of the lithe brown trout amongst whom their lot was so strangely cast. AUSTRALIAN MKAT EATERS. Australians are. such heavy meat, eaters that we are fast, becoming a nation of dyspeptics, and if is telling on the general health of tin* country. Constipation is the fore-runner of this complaint, and if you have any signs of it; you should not hesitate to got a box of Chamberlain's Tablets at once. They arc a positive cure for this complaint.