ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1935, 26 March 1891, Page 27

ANGLING.

By Jock Scott.

To bo a perfsot fliherm&n you require more excellence* than in uiatlly to be found In inch • iu»U ipu« m i» allotted t« s man'> c&rcMi.— Pajucx> Qiluodk.

Beaden are invited to contribute Itemioflooal fliblng nrw» for insertion in thli oolnmn. Tor iniertion In the enuring tin* they inonld r«aob Danedln by Monday nlght'i maM.

An Angling Yarn. — There has been quite a little stir in angling circles during the past week over two large photographs entitled a " Fishing Story Without Words," taken by Mr Frost, the well-known George street photographer, and which are now on view in bis window. Picture No. 1 represents Jock Scott and Mr R. Chisholm sitting, the one on a large cock and the other on a log. Behind the anglers a river is seen meandering through a bushy glade, while the foreground is made up of rushes and tussocks, with the anglers, rods, baskets, and other paraphernalia lying in full view, and on the top of one of the baskets some nice trout are displayed. In picture No. IMr C. is holding a nice 2£lb fish on the weighing balance, while his companion is telling him about a vary large fish he has had on but, with usual fisherman's luck, lost. This story Mr C— from the expression of his face in picture No. 2—2 — seems to doubt, while his companion, to clinch the matter, has his haads outstretched showing him the exact sizt of the lost fish. Anglers, directly they see the pictures, can understand them, the artist has caught the expressions on the faces so well. Mr Frost has done quite a trade in copies of them, nearly all the Dunedin anglers having purchased a pair. Cantebbuet. — There have been quite a number of visitors to the Rangitata lately, and some capital sport has been enjoyed. One or two camps have been established, and one of the most successful anglers has been Mrs J. T. M. Hayhurst, who has landed an 11-pounder. Messrs Nicholas, Hope, West, and M'Guire have aho done well. At the Milford lagoon capital sport has been had with the mullet, a party of three catching about 22 dozen, some of which were very fine. Whitoombhs. — What I believe to be a trout was found in the Wbitcombe creek a few days ago. If the fish was a trout it must have bad a rough road to travel, coming up from the Waikaia river. lam informed that there are trout in the Waikaia river, about seven miles below the affluence of the Whitcombe creek with it. So the welcome stranger may be a trout, though, as I intimated above, there are some rather high falls — 6ft or 8ft — to encounter on the way to the Wbitcombe. The fish was* found opposite Vernon's Hotel. It was heading up stream, but apparently taking a rest, as it was quite still in dead water at the side of the stream. It was about 9in long, and 3in or | 4in round, speckled greyish, two fins on eaob side (so I think), and one fin on back close to its tail, the belly was white Will you kindly inform me if the fish was a trout. — Own Correspondent. It is quite possible that it was a trout. During the spawning time trout could easily go over an 8!t fall. If it had red spots on the side you may ba quite certain that it was a trout, if these were wanting ; it would be hard to say from your description what it was — probably a native fish. — J.S. Stbangb Fish at Wemington.— The Wellington Press says :— " The fishermen at Porirua have had some excitement daring the past week chasing a number of large fish that | suddenly made tb,eir appearance in that harbour. They succeeded in harpooning five of them, each measuring olose on 6ft in length. The fish are of a dark brown colonr on top, and a light drab colour underneath. The bead is. very peculiarly formed, and baa a projection something like a bird's bill. The tail also w^ quite unlike that of other fish, moves up and down instead of from Bide to side as is usually the case. None of the fishermen or natives about Porirua know really what the name of this uncommon fish is, but the natives regard its appearance with a feeling of superstition, and assert that its visit is an omen that a great Maori 1 chief is about to die. One of the fishermen, who is an old whaler, states that many years ago the same kind of fish were frequently harpooned in the Sounds. Fishermen also assert that these fish only appear in the harbours when chased there by enormous shoals of the warebou, and in support of this it may be mentioned that the first warehou of the season was caught at Porirua just at the time the larger fish were seen. The Maoris have skinned those they have caught, and will make good use of the blubber by boiling it dawn, There are still half|agdozen or so of the 'strangers ' disporting themselves in (be Porirua Harbour, and Beveral fishing enthußiasta mean to try their luck with] the harpoon. Probably they are black-fish." ' An Eel Yabn. — A correspondent, "Pisoator," sends the New Zealand Herald the following respecting the ferocity of eels "in our creeks," a subject referred to by a correspondent a week ago. He says : — " The following inoident may be of interest: A near neighbour of mine, on whose property is a fine waterfall some 60ft or 70ft high, was washing his hands in the basin formed at its base, Home six or seven weeks ago, when a large eel made a rush at bis hand, and took the whole of bis finger into its mouth. Naturally he jumped back pretty smartly, and the eel let go bis bold, but my friend's finger was scored by bis teeth pretty seveie'.y. A few days afterwards we went on a fishing expedition, by way of revenge, and in the same basin caught two large eels, the heaviest of j them weighing 13^1b — a nasty chap to take a bite atone."

I Native Fishing Rights.— Mr Greenfield, 8.M., at Ohristohurch on Friday, the 20fch, delivered judgment in the oases brought by the Acclimatisation Sosiety against two Natives for taking trout contrary to the fishing regulations in the Waimakariri, Eaiapoi. He held that the charges were proved, and that on the legal points raised there was nothing in the Fisheries Conservation Act limiting the right of laying informations to officers appointed by the- Collector of Customs, or preventing police officers or other persons laying informations against persons committing a breaoh of the law, which was an offence against the public. He was of opinion that the regulations gazetted met the requirements of " The Interpetration Act 1888," section 17 ; and was also of opinion that the claim or right of the Natives under the Treaty of WaitaDgi and Major Kemp's deed to all rivers and fisheries within the area they sold and conveyed by that deed was a mere pretence, and not bona fide, as the Natives must have known they had no legal claim under the treaty, and that all fishery rights reserved by the deed under the phrase "Mahinga kai" were extinguished by the Native Lands Court. A fine of £1 and costs in each case was inflicted. On the application of counsel for the defence, the fines were increased to £5 5s eacb, in order to give an opportunity of appeal. Another case against a Native for a similar breach of tho regulations is to be taken.

—Teacher : " Can you tell me what a i ecret is 1 " Little Girl : " Yes, I can. It is something somebody te'ls everybody else in a whisper,"

Mr Geary

Mr Hardy