ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 953, 25 April 1889, Page 28

ANGLING.

By Jock Scott.

To be & perfect fisherman you require moro excellences th»n are usually to be found in suoh a small space as it allotted to a man's carcass.— Pabxsb Gilmou*.

Readers are. Invited to contribute items of local fiihing nowi for insertion In this column. For Insertion In the earning isro« they should reach Dunedin by Monday night's mail.

BANKNOTES.

Canterbury Mur.LET.~The mullet preserving industry in Kaipara is becoming a greatsuccess, and numerous local and foreign orders are to hand.

Nhw Zealand , Sardines.— The Fishing Gazette (London) of the 9th February, says :— "Mr Purvis, chief engineer of the 8.8. lonic, called on us the other day with a present .of frozen fish from New Zealand. They were about the size of sardines and very delicious eating. We sent two or three to T)t Gunfcher, who says: — 'Dear Sir,— The fish from New Zealand which you sent me on Saturday last are -the Pacific sardine or Pacific pilchard (Clupea sagax). It is found in abundance along the west coast of North and South America, and is a well-known New Zeiuand fish. Economically, it may be utilised like the European pilohard or sardine.— Yours truly, A. Gtjntheb.' Mr Purvis also brought us a fine specimen of the flying fish, also frozen." It will be remembered (says the Wellington Post) that some months ago we announced the presence in Wellington harbour of shoals of fish, which Mr Fernandos pronounced to be the true sardine. Large quantities were • then caught, and Mr Fernandos, from whom Mr Purvis obtained the sample taken home, tinned a considerable number in the ordinary Italian manner.

Lake County Acclimatisation Societt. — The netting privileges last year netted £107 155. At a meeting of the society held last week Mr White (who had been allowed the right of netting in Hayes Lake section for £2) stated, that he had done very well, and sold a lot of trout at the Wanaka and Cromwell. He was glad to say that poaching was pretty well stopped, and that it would be a good plan to place a net aoross the mouth of Hayes creek to keep the fish from going up. The lake was capable of holding and keeping 20 to 30 tons of fish, but they had of late years dwindled down very considerably in number. It would be useless, however, t6 place fry in Hayes creek, but it was very necessary to do something to replenish the supply, and the only way, in his opinion, to do that would be by placing a lot of young fish in the lower creek running between the lake and Kawarau river.— Mr Frith stated that the cura-

tor (Mr R. Davidson) placed 15,000 fry in the lake last season. — Mr White thought the fish were easily taken of late ; and he said that he knew a person who got with the line 4Q fish in

two hours. If there were any means whereby spawn could come to maturity there would be no great difficulty in stocking the lake, as he caught two 201b fish, each one of which contained ora weighing 2Jlb. The large fish, however, were very destructive, and he had often found from five to 20 young fish inside them. There was one troub about 3ft long and over 201b in weight which was as cunning as a fox, and had defied all attempts made to catch him ; he, also drove young fish away from the net. Mr White suggested that the lakes should have a rest for a season. He handed in £10 to the society on account of his success in netting this season. Mr White further said his idea of one of the most important duties of the society was to keep Uj&the stock of fish. He also thought instead or the county taking the funds— as was likely to be attempted— that the money saved should be spent in ' keeping down poaching. After further • conversation it was resolved, on the motion of Messrs Hofcop and Wing—" That Mr White's deposit of £10 be devoted to the first bid at the upset price' at the next annual sale of fishing areas in Hayes creek." Working Men Anglers at Home.— Sheffield working men are noted for their love of angling. Recently, 3000 rodsters were counted on the river banks at Ancholm, and on Saturdays and Mondays the railway, platforms are crowded with anglers with their rods and their cans waiting to be conveyed to Lincoln and South Yorkshire stations. In some districts of Lancashire dog-racing is a favourite form of recreation ; in others, pigeon-flying, or clog-dancing, have charms for working mep.

Spawning at Clinton.— : All arrangements for the incoming 'ova season were completed on the 17th at the Clinton hatohery, and on the 18th the first fish ran up,to spawn,-, They turned out tojbe four B<dmo fontindis which the manager, Mr Burt< caught and striped, obtaining 1100 ova-— the first of the season. It is expected that the stock fish on land will alone yield 250,000 ova this season.

New Zealand Fish Fob Melbourne.— The first shipment of fish consigned to the Melbourne Fish and Produce Importing Company leaves in the Mararoa. It consists of 13 tons, collected, at Auckland, Napier, and Wellington.

The Stickleback.

The '• Popular Science Monthly " for October has the following: — * The common,, 1 English stickleback is a fresh water fish, much discovered in ponds and small rivers, and abundant everywhere in the neighbourhood Of London. M&jny famous anglers, as Fwrak Buckland qsecl to

observe, were v< entered.for the "sport >y fishing for stickleback in the Regent's canal. The fishing ?is' most' frequently 'pursued in the following fashion": You take a stick with a piece of thread tied to it, and a short bit of worm fastened to the string by the middle without any hook or even a bent pin to represent one. When the stickleback, who is naturally a greedy feeder, approaches the worm, he quickly "swallows,, it, and yon pull him up with a jerk before he has had time effectually to disgorge his gulped down mouthful. Expert anglers at this particular task have' even been known to jerk up two sticklebacks at a time each intent upon one end of the worm ; but this is a fine point of science not to be imitated by the uninstructed tyro. The fish, when landed, are consigned to pickle bottles filled with water, and are commonly sold to the proprietors of domestic aquariums for the small charge of a penny a dozen. In this way a working acquaintance with the habits and manners and peculiarities of. the stickleback has been generally disused throughout a large portion of the unscientific British population."

The' editor cares not for tariff reform ' : When the bait for the day, ls dug. He hears not the din of political storm, Bufche lures the peroh with the wriggling worm And he drinks from the lemonade jug. 'Tis joy when equipped with a rod and a line, - From the care of the paper away, He sits near the shade of the larch or pine '■ Where the stream runs clear and the fishing la fine, On a sizzling August day I • ■ ■ —Boston Courier. >, This is all very poetic and it my be true enough of editors of political papers, but the editors of an angling paper have to stay at home and head off fish-lines, sizzle or no sizzle.