BANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2240, 4 February 1897, Page 21

BANK NOTES.

The Waipahi. — Dr Moorhouse, a noted angler from Canterbury, and Mr Stoddart, of South Africa, are at present on a visit to the Upper Waipahi. I hope they will have a good time, though the latest reports state the. river j to bo exceptionally low and clear. ; . Mimihau.— "W. T. 5.," writing from \ Mimihau on the 27th ult., says Professor and Mrs Haswell, from Sydney, araj oamped on the ; Upper Mimibau, and are having good sport, j the principal lure used being the cricket. On i January 28 they grassed 29 fish. Mrs Has well / is said to be a real expert with the rod, and it is ' considered doubtful whether any of the leoal anglers are as skilful with the rod. The stream at the date of writing was low and clear. , j Thk Southern Streams.— Mr A. Matthews j has just returned from a fishing trip in some of the large streams in Southland. He reports ' the rivers all low and clear, and sadly in need of good heavy freshes to clear them of weeds, &o. Amongst others the Oreti was tried, and although a -great number of fish were caught, the largest would only scale about 21b. Good spott was obtained in the Fairfax with the bare fly. The Waipahi and Pomahaka.— Mr W. Aitken has returned from his holiday, and informs me that he has had a grand time. Fishing with the cricket in the waters of the Upper Waip&hi in two days he landed 26 fish, weighing 661b. These were sent on to Danedin, and they were a splendid show. I bad the pleasure of J seeing and also of testing them. In company j with Messrs J. and R. Spiers he fished the j Pomahaka for a couple of days, and between ' them they managed to capture 84 fi?h, averaging nearly 31b each. There were also forwarded to town, and were on ihow on Monday, the Ist. It took a good-sized case to hold them all, • snd I doubt very much whether x better or bigger lot has ever been on view here. The I cricket was the principal lure used. Mr Aitken's i best {basket was 25 nth averaging 2|lb each. ! Mr R. Spiers gaffed and brought to bank from ! the Pomahaka an eel weighing 201b, and a day 1 later he gaffed another which broke away with I the gaff in it, only to be recovered Uter on with the missing implement firmly embedded in its fiide. This lattar one weighed 14lb. * . ' Fishing in tbe Wairikiki one day last week Mr Shepherd (Matiura) caught 21 tronfc weighing 271b. Tho tallies to hand for the J week from the Mimihau, Wyndham, and Matanra are not worth recording, generally speaking being far below the reputation of these well-known streams. Tbe waters are too shallow and too clenr at pwent for suoceseful luring. But " there are as good fish in tbe flea," &c., and it is just at such a time as this, when nobody else can catch fish, that tha old 'warrior, Mr Matthew Lawrie, bobs up serenely with something worth talking about. He whipped the Mataura one evening just below the mouth of the Mimihau, acd before long hooked and lauded a bonny fellow 30in long, 18in in girth, and 9Jlb weight. * . * The Timaru Herald of January 25 says : "Big fith are still being freely taken "frnm the <i<»ep pools in the Lower Opihi. Mr N. Muller, fishing what is commonly known as the big clay hole above the old Milford ford, grassed a 10-pounder on Friday night, and on Saturday night Mr F. Palliser, whipping the same water, landed a 13-pounder. The Utter was & female i fish almost in perfect condition, and measured 29in over all, with a girth of 18£ in. Though fish are taking freely, the river it badly in need of -a thorough flood out to get rid of weed, &c." Eels.— On Thursday Messrs J. Bell and C. Leech caught 170 eels iv tho Cam mill dam, near Rangiora. The dry weather had reduced the quantity of water and the supply of food for the fish, which took the baits as quickly as they were thrown to them. The eels were of £ood size and in capital condition. . Upper Seiavyn.— Major Richards says that the result of his fishing in the Upper Selwyn was 102, trout, weight 85£lb, not 85 trout, weight 1021b. He used only the fly. Perch Fishing. — Mr D. H. Hastings tried the creek in the neighbourhood of Outram recently for perch, and found ib to contain plenty of small ones, though there were doubtless large ones there also. He also got permission from Mr Buchanan to fish tbe lagoon on his property, and had no difficulty in taking a large number of peroh, though the majority of them had to be returned to the water on account of their small size. In the evening he had & •• shot " at the Taieri River, and fishing in tha quiet back waters got some fair-sized perch. Xhi Taieri. — It appears that Mr James Buchanan, one of the earliest settlers in the Taieri, having come oat to the colony in the :

Philip Lang and takon up his abode on the plains, is a pretty regular fisher of the Taieri River, which, as far as I have ever noticod, it> but seldom cast over by tho angler. lam informed that Mr Buchanan has taken 30 or 40 fair-sized trout this season, in some instances the fish soaliffg heavily. Thb Molyneux. — A rise of sft in this river about a week ago has improved the fishing. The river is now in better trim than it has been since the commencement of the season. The following are the takes for the week, so far as 1 have heard :— Monday, 25th: J.Wright, 5 fish, 131b; G. Byers, 4- fish, 91b. Tueiday : J. Wright, 6 fish, 201b; G. Anderson, 2 fish, 11 Jib. Wednesday : A. big trout. This evening I saw a, grand specimen of a trout, caught by that enthusiastic disciple of old Izaak, the genial secretary of the Stirling and Inchclutha Anglers' Association, Mr J. Henderson. It measured 32in in length, 21in in girth, and weighed 181b. It was a male fish, in splendid conditio i. and almost as clear as a newrun salmon. Mr Henderson was justly proud of his capture— as what angler would not be. The struggle between fish and fi«her had been short I and decisive, as Mr Henderson said he hid the fish landed three minutes after it was hooked. The fish was on view in Mr Henderson's shop on Thursday, when a good many called to Eec it. This is by long odds the biggest trout that h»s been caught here this season. Mr •'Henderson hooked anothtr big fish near the (tamo place on the same day, which unfortunately broke the tip of his rod and got away. On Thursday Mr A. Duckworth got 2 fish, 91b, and Mr Farquhar 1. Friday t Mr A. Duckworth, 2 fish, 51b; G. Anderson, 4 fish ; J. Wright, 2* fish ; A. H. Anderson, 2 fish. I did not hear the weights of the last three gentlemen's takes. — Stirling Correspondent. Thb Waiau. — Many parties .have been up lately, and all met with a good amount of success. The last which came down — Messrs D. and C. Henderson, M. M'Kenzie, and A. Proven —caught 41 fish in two days, averaging 51b, | the heaviest weighing 101b. The weather has ' been and still is splendid. The long-negleoted | Waiau will soon become a favourite resort for visitors, as now there are picnic parties, fishing and prospecting parties aloog the banks ; while on a Sunday more are to be found there, I regret to say, than in many a church. Perch.— Last Wednesday Mr J. Bell and his sons 'went over to the Tuakitoto Lake, where ! they caught 20 perch, none of them big ones, i but nice plnmp fish.— Stirling Correspondent. Bulking Sai-mon. — "Silver Grey," writing in the Field on sulking salmon, says: — "I 1 have read the oorre»pondence on this subject with much interest, and you will perhaps allow me space for a few words. Mr Fraser Sandej man is to be congratulated on never haviag in his long experience allowed a salmon to sulk ; for more than a few seoonds ; but to conclude therefore that salmon never do, under certain ciroumitanoes, succeed in miking for a considerable time, or bore against the bottom iv order to rid themselves of the tackle, is another matter. I am sure your correspondent will pardon me for saying that I think he has taken the remark of ' B. H. S. just a little too much au pied de la lettre. Let me give an instance or two of salmon using their noses against the bottom. On one occasion I had hooked a spring 12-pouuder on a trout rod, and so clear was the water that I never lost sight of him from the moment he tnok the fly till he was landed. The bottom of the river was composed entirely of large boulders, and between these, after the first violent ruihes were over, the fish bored head downwards — in fact, he might be s&id to be standing on his head. Tho fish was worked from one plaoe to another, and he tried the same game repeatedly. I saw his nose in actual ccntaot with the stones, and Mr Sandenian may rest assured that I was not deceived by any optical delusion. Another time the fish was heavier, the taokle the same, the bottom gravel, and the water clear as before. The fish had been pelted till he would take no more notice of stones, and he lay on the bottom, bnt Rawing slowiy from side to side. He was hooked under the lower jaw, and eventually the gut; was chafed through against the gravel. Of course neither of these flub, would have given the same trouble on salmon tackle ; but their performance* go to show that salmon are not always afraid of scrubbing their noses when their lives are in danger, or indeed when necessary. Surely Mr Fraser Sandcman must have noticed how much they injure their noses on the redds P I agree with him that in the majority o; cases good salmon tackle will shift i a sulky fish — that is, provided you can get at \ him co as to apply a punishing pressure. But there are circumstances under which this cannot bfl done, and then, the pelting process i having been exhausted, tbe only thing to do is j to h»Dg on Mil tbe fl»h comes away like a log. Cock fish in lato autumn are notoriously ! sluggish and sulky. Let us suppoie that a ! heavy one, having been hooked in a strong . stream, makes straight cway down into a long, ! deep pool bedded with boulders and bushed iv so that the angler cannot follow. Sixty to 80 yards of line are out when the fl>>h begins to sulk, probably under 'the cover of a boulder, and the only possible pull at him is directly (igainit vC powerful current. Darkn«ss and a ruing water add to the difficulties. There are i only two ways out of such a dilemma — either to smash the tackle and go home or haag on. I preferred the latter oourse, and an ugly, red, long-snouted brute the fish was." Mauobmed Gills. — One day recently an angler iv the Kelso district landed from one stream on the Teviot four " yellow-fins," or sea-trout smelts, each of which had the gill covers on both sides shortened so much as to expose to view a considerable portion of the gills. As this peculiarity did not appear to have been caused by any injury, and as it was unlikely that all had suffered the same mishap, the probability is that they were all of one brood, the whole or a considerable portion of which was similarly malformed. Tho trout with shortened upper jaws recently caught in I the Tweed probably owed their peculiarity to a j similar cause. — "Tweedside." ■ Growth of Trout in Cexxon. — It io quite evideuG that whatever difficulties may bo experienced in acclimatising trout in our hill streams sufficiently to allow them to breed, there is no doubt conditions are sufficiently suitable to them to allow of their attaining considerable size. Fish of two, three, and four pounds i have, we believe, before this been landed by various fishermen, but it has remained for Mr ! i J. M. Purdon to secure the biggest trout that I has yet teen landed in Ceylon, for we' hear I that, fishing a few days ago in the Nuwara | Eliya Stream, he secured one weighing B|lb. ; The fish was 28in long, and a very fine speci- | men — a real speckled beauty, which he immei diately presented to H.E. the Governor. — Times of Ceylon, March 30. • . * The following relates to a new class of automatic spinning bait : — " Mr J. H. Pierce, 534 Tooley street, London, 5.8., has patented an artificial minnow under this- name. In appearance it is like one of the silver Devons, but instead of three there are four hooks protruding from the tail of the tube. There is the usual opea slot on either side, and the novelty j of the invention is that the two double hooks, i by the compression of a SDrinsr, are brought

back to back, and are kept temporarily fixed in the tube by a bolt, whioh releases the hook when I the fish seizes the bait. Tbe double hooki, whioh are on wire, then suddenly expand, and the fish is claimed to be autoni*tic*.liy hooked. It would, however, require a pretty strong fish I to release the hooks of the specimen sent us by the patentee, and there would bo a much greater I chance of booking if thn stand-out fans at the ! head could ba dispensed with." BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL. The ordinary meeting of the Bruce County Council, held at Milton on Tuesday last, was attended by Crs Clark (chairman), Smith, Maopherson, Hewitson, Noble, Crane, Murray, Haggart, and Rutherford. inspector's report. The' Inspector reported that all the roads were in a fair state for traffic. All the works in hand have made good progress since last meeting, including the metalling contract on Hiilend road. The gravelling contract at Loveß's Flat was abojit half finished. Fair progress Was being made with the formation contract on the rond leading to Mr Mtxtthewa's and on the formation contract ou the road leading past .Mr H. B. Fletfc's. The road grader had been at work in the Balnjoral Riding and on boundary roads, and several miles of road had been re-formed and over five miles of uew formation done in that district. Tbe lock has been put down at the mouth of the Matau drain, but the cutting of a storm channel through Fullnn's Creek had been delayed, owing to Mr Lawrence refusing to allow it to be out on the line suggested. The weeds bad been dragged out of the lakes' drainage oaunl and Morrison's Creek, and the lavel of the water had fallen over a foot in Morrison's Creek sinoe the work was finished. Pare of tbe new bank near Mrs Monag*n's had given way, and had again been protected. A wood culvert on the road pant Mr T. Diokson's had alto been repaired, and some slight repairs had been made to several of the bridges. He had examined the ford ou the Waipori River, complained of by Mr Robert Robinson. The original road on the river bank (Taieri side) had been washed away, and the settlers cross and reorots tbe river on a bend to get over it. No permanent work oould be done at the crossing places, &s they were continually shifting, and he was in doubt if the works required were within the juris liction of the Bruce County Counoil. The Taieri Council were, he understood, negotiating with Mr Robinson for a new road in place of the one washed away, which would wsttle all the difficulty, and the ford N would not be required. With reference to the complaint made by Mr J. M 'Knight the inspector reported that the officer had be removed from the boundary fence to a more central place on the station, and the nuisance was abated. It would be necessary to got a supply of 150 cubic yards of metal for the various district roads withiu the Tokomairiro Biding before the winter »ets iv. The statement of accounts for the two months past showed the receipts to have been £4-55 17s lid, and the expenditure £696 8s 3d. The report was adopted. The complaint regarding the ford on the Waipori River was referred to the chairman to confer with the Taieri Connty Counoil, whilst consideration of tho question of metal for the Tokomairiro Biding was deferred. CORBKBPONHHNCE. The Railway department wrote requesting permission to shift a fence at Clarkesvillo station baok 20ft, to provide more extended accommodation for loading drays. — Permission was granted on condition that the department metal the extra width and the ro&d that they enclose for railway purposes. The Chaihjian stated that the council had applied to Wellington for £100 towards tht work of road-making through the village settlement at the Taieri Beach, and the reply had been received, that only £14 16s was available for village settlement in Otago. The counoil were welcome to that amount if it would be of use to them. — It was resolved to accept the jam, and to express regret that rt was not more. A circular from Wellington requesting that interest on loans to looal bodies be paid ' punctually was received. A petition was reoeived from ratepayers and others requesting the counoil to open and make fit^ foe traffic the road leadirg to section 8, bTock V, and sections 44- *nd 45, block IV, Akatore. — Consideration deferred. Mr James Lawrence wrote objeoting to tho couooil opening up Pillan'e Creek as a water course to relieve the pressure of water iv Matau drain when in flood. — The matter was referred to Crs Haggart and Maopherson to report. Mr J. E. Palmer complained of Chinamen mining on the road near his gate. Referred to tbe inspector. Mr George Graham wrote asking that some improvement* be m*de on the road leading to tho creamery at Berwick. — rtepairs to be effected. Mr F. G. Dalziell wrote stating that he was authorised to sue the council unless culverts were placed over the CUrksville drain on Mr Rennie's property.— The Chairman reported th«.t Mr Rentiie had been written to, and had i since replied that he had not directly authorised Mr Dalziell to act. — Received. Mr David Scott wrote asking the council to pay the half cost with the Mount Stuart Road Board of a culvert on the road opposite his property. — Received. A letter was read from the Kaitangata Borough Council in reply to an account sent for one-fourth of tbe costs incurred in the ca«e i George Aitcheson v. Bruce County Council, and stating that the Borough Council did not recognise any liability in the case. — The letter was received, a motion by Cr Hewitgon that the cotf;s in the case ba borne by the whole county being lost. Mr J. F. M. Fraser (on behalf of Mr A. Lee Smith) wrote disputing the claim of the council for £20 on the ground that the conditions under which the grant was made had not boen fulfilled. — Crs Macpherson and Rutherford ware appointed to interview Mr Fraser on the matter. GEKEBAI.. Cr Haggaht moved, in terms of notice— " That;in future the Kaitangata Riding be relieved from any contribution to the working expenses of the K*itangata pant." Cr Smith seconded the motion, which was lost on the voioes. The committee appointed to deal with the lands on the margin of Kaitangata Lake reported that they had accepted the following leases for one year : — Lot 6, Morrison and Bltck, 2s per acre ; lot 7, J. Lawrence, £5 per annum ; lot 8, G. Aitcheson, £3 per annum ; lot 9, £1 53 per t»nnum. — Committee's action confirmed. • The tender of Mr B. Brady of £21 2a 10£ d for metalling ab Marshall's at Akatore was accepted. On the motion of Cr Smith, it was resolved that the punt at Taieri Mouth be closed in accordance with the provisions of the Public ( Works Act, as the punt in its present state is ' dane«rous to the travelling publio*

On the motion of Cr Macpiihrson, it was resolved thatji committee be appointed consisting of Crs Haggart, Hewitson, and Rutherford to confer with the ratepayers to form the lakes and Matau drainage districts into a drainage board. Mr H. Walters was granted a mouth's extension of time to finish the contract. It was resolved, on the motion of Cr Macfherson — "That tenders be called for the works to be carried out on the road to Flett's with deferred payment moneys, and for metalling portion of the road leading to C. Matthews's." On the motion of Cr Rutherford, it was resolved — " That tenders be called for the clearing out of the Matau and Inchclatha drains." THE DOG TAX A deputation consisting of Messrs R.«Ferguason and T. H. Russell, representing the Tokomairiro Farmers' Club, waited upon the council drawing attention to the damage sustained by farmers in the destruction to sheep by useless dogs wandering about the country. As a remedy they suggested an increased tax ou dogs. Mr Russell stated that it was computed 150 sheep had been destroyed in his dittriob, and he himself had lost some valuable stud sheep, besides ewes with lambs. He suggested the tax be fixed at 10*. If farmers agitated against that tax they would be agitating against their own interests.— Mr Fergusson stated that the aot made provision for a moditied ta-x for farmers' dogs. — A special committee, consisting of Crs Murray, Noble, and Hewitson, was appointed to confer with the Borough Council and the Farmers' Club oft the matter.