ANGLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23054, 3 December 1936, Page 5

ANGLING

By Dry Fly

COMPETITIONS The following is a list of the competitions to be held this season under the auspices of the Otago Anglers’ Association:— December s.—Tomahawk Lagoon; any legal bait: hours. 3 p.m. to midnight. January 30 ana 31.—Week-end excursion (dates subject to alteration). Pomahaka River, January 30, Any legal bait; hours, 5 p.m to midnight January 31: Dry fly only; hours, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aggregate competition for best basket for week-end for cup oresented by Mr W. Griffiths. March 6.—Shag River; bare fly competition: hours. 5 p.m. to midnight. WATER RESERVES There was a lengthy discussion at the meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation Society on Monday night regarding the decision of the City Council to prevent fishing and shooting on the water reserves. It was stated that the members of the City Council were not aware of the facts of the case, the regulation having been suggested bv corporation officials. It was agreed to send a deputation tn the City Council, and Messrs Turner, Williams, and Maconie were appointed. NORTH OTAGO RIVERS The Waitaki River during last weekend was in flood and out of order for fishing. The Kakanui was in excellent fishing trim, and a few anglers were to be seen on the river, but no reports of catches have come to hand A fishing competition held at the Hakataramea River attracted good support, but the river was out of condition, and on this account the competition which was scheduled as a fly competition was altered to any bait. At the weigh-in only two competitors had fish, all being caught on the Devon at the mouth of the Hakataramea. A. Bastings, with three good fish weighing over 71b, won the competition, and I. Swinard secured the second award with one good-sized trout. Other anglers who continued fishing on the following day also met with good sport. LANDLOCKED SALMON Several landlocked quinnat salmon recently caught by South Canterbury anglers in Lake Heron, were the subject of an interesting comment from the ranger to the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, Mr P W. Pellett, in an nterview with the Christchurch Times. Mr Pellett said that the fish caught \ ere undoubtedly quinnat salmon, but they were much smaller than the usual species. These fish had been bred in the tributaries to Lake Heron and had then found their way to the lake, but they had not, in the usual way of the fish, gone down the rivers to the sea. Fish of this species went to sea when they were a year old, and did not return until two or three years afterwards, when they spawned in the rivers and then died. Landlocked quinnat salmon of this type were to be found in Lake Wanaka, said Mr Pellett. ROXBURGH COMPETITION A Roxburgh correspondent advises that the fifth competition of the local Anglers’ Club was held over last weekend on the Manorburn Dam, when competitors obtained a total of 27 fish of a dressed weight of 461 b. The heaviest basket was obtained by Mr T. Gilchrist, six fish weighing 13alb. the next heaviest by Mrs Proctor, seven fish weighing 121 b. Mrs Proctor won the prize for the heaviest fish with a 3i-pounder.

AMERICAN PLEASED Great pleasure at the fine fishing to be found in New Zealand was expressed by an American visitor, Mr R. Emmett, of Chicago, who is now on a tour through the Dominion. Having left America in April and since visited the greater part of the English-speak-ing world, Mr Emmett said he felt qualified to say that New Zealand was the best place for a holiday that anyone could wish for. As fishing was his hobby, he had been particularly attracted to the sport that was offered in that direction. In the North Island the trout fishing had impressed him as altogether easy, but he had found the fishing in the streams near Temuka more to his liking. For such a small stream he thought the Waihi River was absolutely unbeatable in the quantity of fish and the sport that it afforded. He intended on his way south to make another call there. CHANGES IN TACKLE Since our fathers’ time there have been many changes in tackle. The dry fly has been popularised and with the dry fly has come the dry-fly rod — shorter, faster and more powerful than the earlier fly rod. With the adoption of tonkin cane, we find that lancewood greenheart, hickory and kindred materials have practically disappeared from our streams. Lines have been tremendously improved as to dressing, specific gravity and taper. Reels are no longer merely small windlasses on which to carry spare line —the modern reel plays a vital and important part in rounding out one’s equipment. Then, too, with the changes in tackle have come changes in methods. Thirty years ago fly-fishing consisted of casting three wet flies and a heavy leader To-day the same term may be used to describe any number of methods. Dry fly, wet fly, streamer and nymph—all these and combinations of these arc used to-day and each method requires special rigging - and equipment to be done properly. Here •'■gain the beginner is handicapped, as the proper handling of each of these various styles of fly-fishing requires not only knowledge but experience; and experience takes time.—From The Modern Angler, by J. A. Knight.