ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1970, 22 August 1889, Page 28

ANGLING.

By Jock Scott.

To be a perfcot fisherman you require moro excellences than i. m usually to he found in such a small apaca as is allotted to a man's carcagb.— Pabkik Qilmou*. Renders are Invited to contribute items of local fishing tiew» Tor insertion in this column. For insertion in tho ensuing issue tbey Bhould reach buncdin by Moudu) uight's mail. BANK NOTES. American Brook Tkotjt. — Ten thousand American brook char fry have been placed in the Hutt river this season, and a like number in the branches of the Rnamahungain Wairarapa. The Endorsement of Licenses. — At the last meeting of the council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society the fishing season was fixed to commence on the Ist October 1889, and end on the 15th April 1890. It was also resolved to discontinue the endorsement of licenses, the rule being made that in future no license of any. other society shall be made available for fishing in Otago waters. TILTING AT A Water Wheeel.— For some time past (says the Bruce Herald), trout with their heads knocked off have been picked up by dozens near the Milton wheel. It appears ■ that following, their natural instincts they were trying to get up the river, and poßsibly mistaking the .turbine for a waterfall, which they could leap, they innocently made for it, and got their heads smashed. Mr M'Gill in- j intends to put in a wire netting to prevent the j fish from indulging in self -slaughter. COLLECTING OTA IN SOUTHLAND. Editor Witness,— Sir : In the Otago Witness of the Bth insfc. appears two letters under the heading of " Ova Collecting in Southland," and signed v American Brook Trout " and " Junius " respectively. The former impeaches me, as correspondent for the Southland Times, with being incorrect, and both of them seem very maliciously inclined towards Mr Mackay. I have always thought, and I don't think I am altogether mistaken, that all true anglers felt and exercised somewhat of a brotherly feeling towards each other. If I am right, I can only conclude that neither " American Brook Trout " nor "Junius" is a true angler. If not, what are they ? Certainly not truthful paper correspondents, and I wonder much at honest " Jock " allowing such malioious perverters of the truth space in his interesting column, But I suppose, under the circumstances explained by the editor, he is to be excused : I have been similarly placed. "American Brook Trout "says: — "Jock Scott, — Dear Sir : As your notts are read with interest, and taken to be correct by moßt anglers, I was rather surprised that you in no way contradicted tbe statement made by ths Dipfon correspondent of the Southland Times. I do nob blame fcbis gentleman for blowing the • rc&\ Mackay ' trumpet so loud, but I do certainly blame you for allowing tbe assertions made to pasß as correct." Thiß no doubt is in reference to a paragraph ' in my letter to the Southland Times of the 19th-! ult., as it is the only time I have referred to ova collecting, and is as follows :—: — I '• Mr Tf. Mackay, ranger fot the Acclimatisation Sooiety, has been busy for the psst month collecting ova. He has collected 90,000 ot brown trout ova up to the 18th inßt., all in a stretch of water not exceeding half a mile in length, and will no doubt make ft over 100,000 before he ceases operations. Had the weather been anything like favourable he could easily have got double thia amount, On the

night of the Isth he got 11,000, although it Bnowed pretty nearly all the time, and the moon being about full materially interfered with the buniness." Where then are the inaccuracies, or where the great "blow" about our local ranger? I have written nothing I cannot prove, which is certainly more than our Otago friends can say. If I had given such figures as they have, I might perhaps rightfully have laid myself open to the accusation of " blowing.^ I am not, however, given to the exercise of this colonial privilege, especially in the public prints. I state but the facts, one of which is that the season before last some Australian "lovers of the gentle art " came over to New Zealand for a little trout fishing, and after trying most of the Otago waters came down to Southland and tried several of our streams, and said before leaving that we had more fish and that our streams were far and away better than the Otago ones. It strikes me that both of these Otago correspondents and the next one, signing himself " Red Herring," all know that wo have better streams and more fish, and are jealous of the fact. I refer " Red Herring "to the notice of Mr D. M'Grregor, who will likely be able to dish him up. We have Fontinalis, or American brook trout, in our streams as well as brown trout ; and if any of our Otago friends feel inclined for a little wager (without any " blow ")» we will back our " real Mackay " for a day's pr even a week's fishing against the pick of their anglers (I was almost going to say any two, but this would be reckoned only " blow," and besides I trust they are more manly than even to wish to go two to one). — Yours, Sec, Dipton Correspondent fob the Southland Times. [The correspondents made a mistake in attributing the remarks complained of to the Times correspondent instead of to he of the News, as printed in this column. There was certainly nothing to take exception to in the Times correspondent's remarks, but it was only natural that the want of knowledge of the subject on which he was writing displaj'ed by the News correspondent should call forth some comment. I may say that both " American Brook Trout " and " Junius " are well known acd successful anglers, notwithstanding " Dipton Correspondent's " doubts on the point. — Jock Scott.] ■ n ill i ■■■ ■ himhwhi— m umiiiiii