SPORTING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8387, 10 January 1889, Page 3

SPORTING.

Silence was scratched for the Dunedin Cup at 11.15 a.m. on Tuesday.

The fine sport lately enjoyed by anglers who visited the Waitaki rivor seems to be on the decline, judging from ths luck experienced by a party of Dunedin fishermeu who visited the Tiver last Saturday. Tho gentlemen in question, who numbered four, fished the north side of the river both above and below the bridge, but without success, although a large variety of lures were tried. The fact of the matter seems to be that the river is now full of whitebait, aud the fish simply open their mouths aud with scarcely any exertion gorge themselves, and will not therefore rise to anything. That there are still large fun in tha river was clearly demonstrated, as they could be seen in places; and another party of sportsmen had in their possession two or three fine fish, but what the " fetching" bait was with which they were taken was unknown. A stop was a\so made at Palmerston by two of the party, but the Shag river, once so famous for the fine baskets made out of it, was found to bo no better, or rather worse, than the more northern river. Report Bays in Palmerston that au infamous amount of netting and other illegal methods of taking fish »3 indulged in. It ceitainly looks like it; for where a dozen or two rises could be seen a couple of years ago, hardly one is to be seen bow. This applies to the lower waters of the river, but local fishermen state that the upper reaches until the Gorge is met with are equally bare of fish. A capital basket wes, however, made by one of the party who visited the Winchester river, and judging from the glowing account he gives of the fishing capabilities of that stream, anyone would not travel in vain who paid it a visit.

An Auckland telegram states that the yearling colt by St. Leger—Raupo, purchased at the recent Sylvia Park sale on behalf of Mr H. Haines, was shipped to Melbourne by tho Wairarapa.