ANGLING. BANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2286, 23 December 1897, Page 46

ANGLING.

BANK NOTES.

By Jock Scott.

To be a perfecu fisherman you require more excellencies than arc usually to be found in such a small space as is allotted to a man's carcass. — Pakkur Gii.mour.

loaders aio invited to contribute items of local fisliiug nens for insertion iv this column. For insertion in tlie ensuing issue they should icauh Duuedin by Monday night's mail.

COMPETITIONS. OTAGO ANGLERS' ASSOCIATION. Dec 27 Any streaming southern ac I Benevolent Institution cliinatisation j Day district ) Cup D'y 11 Hospital Day Hours for trout fishing competitions, from 8 a.m. to 5 p ru. ; for perch, 1 p.m. to C p.m. I shall he glad to receive particulars of competitions for insertion.

• . ' Mr A. Anderson is, through the kindness of Mr Purvis, of Waipahi, procuring some trout, which he intends to send Home in the Gothic.

The Waitati. — Me Anderson visited the Waitati the end of last week, and found the stream very low and clear. Mr M'Callum and Mr Richardson were also on the stream.

The Water of Leith — On Wedcesday week Mr Heury secured a nice basket of 25 fish froovthe Leith, one of wh'ch waa an unusually fine one for this river to yield.

The Tokomairiro River. — A correspondent writes : — '' This river is in a disgusting mess — juat like a clay pit — right down to the mouth. There have been a few fish taken in the tidal waters, bul>the ripples are quite spoiled."

The Shag — This river is still very low and clear. Very fair baskets have been made by. Mr T. Frown, sen., Miss Kay, Mr A. J. M. M'Kenzie, and Mr Brown, jun.

The Molyneux (Stirling). — This river is in good fishing fettle, and the weather during the past week has been fine— perhaps a little too hot on some days. On Tuesday, the 14tb, Mr G. Anderson made a capital basket of 7 fish which weighed 25^1b. His largest fish on that day was 7|lb. On Wednesday, 15tb, Mr Farquhar. landed 4 trout, 9£!b ; aho 6 perch. In* fishing thsse latter Mr Farquhar had rather a novel experience. Having hooked what he supposed was one perch, on hauling it in he found two on the same hook, which he successfully landed. They each weighed lib. Mr Farquhar supposed that one of the fish had seized the minnow with which he wa3 fishing, and that ita fellow, eager to get a shaje of the plunder, had also made a grab at it and got hooked. Both perch were on the tail hook of the minnow. On the same day Blr J. Henderson had 1 trout 21b weight. ' .. I

The Kakanui. — Some good sport was obtained^t the Kakanui recently by Messrs E. W. Fot and John Sinclair, whe returned home with 10 nice fish each. The bait used was a natural minnow.

The Waipahi.— Arfchurton, December 20— My correspondent writes under this date :—: — "The ktream is low and clear. I have not heard of any tmng sensational in the fishing line during the past week. I believe some of the local men were out, but I have not heard particulars. The past week has been very hot, and in the absence of wind in such weather the trout are very lazy, and a deal of skill is required to make a basket. My experience for years past is that the trout go a bit off the fly the last

week or two ,of Dscember and right to the middle of January. Of course, the above applies only to the Waipahi ; of other streams I have little experience.

The Mimihau. — Except an odd hoar in the evening, says my Mimihau correspondent, little angling is being dove. Messrs Simpson, Wilson, Wright, and D. Muuro are all doing fairly well on the Upper Mimihau when shearing happens to be stopped. The streams are in good order and the weather settled. An exchange states that on Wednesday week Mr D. F Bremner caught 13 trout in the Mimihau weighing 16j'b. A few small ones brought down the average, but the fish were a wellconditioned lot.

The Owaka. — A Milton angler, I am told, had a couple of days on the Ovvaka, and had graud sport, getting about 30 trout each day. He has! never before been so far up the Flat an 3he is quite delighted with the river.

The Waitaki.— Anglen who vitited the Waitaki about a week ago were rewarded for their outing by gettiug good baskets. Mr D. Ross topped the score with 11 fish. Mr J. Mitchell got five fieh, and Messrs B. Townsend and Swinard four apiece. Some of the fish taken were really good specimens, notably one secured by Mr J. Gibson, weighing 121b, while Messrs P. Townsend'a aud J. Mitchell's heaviest fish each turned the scale at 111b. Mr Mitchell's fish was a perfect one, and those who saw, it pronounced it to bs a true saltnon. Tie river was in perfect order, and fi\>h saemod to be plentiful at the month. Wyndham and MimihaU. — "March Brown " in the Wyndham Farmer of the 13fch inst. gays : "For some little time all the rivers have been high and the weather bad, consequently there has been nothing sensational to record in the line of big baskets ; in fact, the average bag for the week before la9t was nil with mosb Wyndham anglers. However, last week the Mtmihau was in fair trim, and a goodly number of fish were taken out. Mr Joe Tough minaged to get 3 with minnow one day last week. Mr Greenshields, fishing on Wednesday with fly, got 4 weighing about 7ib. Mr R Kidd, juu., on the same evening got 6 weighing 101b and Mr J. Kidd 3 weighing s!b, both with creeper. On Thursday evening the former got 2 weighing 51b, and on Friday evening 3 about lib each, with same lure ; also Mr Qreeushields same evening got 2 weighing 3lb. Some of our angl- rs tried the Wyndham River on Wednesday, but without success. So far there have been very few good bags made there, owing no doubt to bad weather and floods. All the streams are now in first-class order, and this week should chow a largely-augmented trout obituary and an enhanced. trade in tackle. Mr D. F. Bremner on Wednesday, in the lower waters of the Mimihau, got 10 fish averaging about lib each. There seem to be any amount of fish in all the streams, but in the Mimihau (at least in th* lower waters) they are becoming less in size, owing ho doubt to its being so much fished, as well as to the fact that it is one of the principal spawning places. It is no uncommon thing to have to return six or seven small ones in an evening's fishing. These confounded epratlings nibb'e anything that is going, and ate a great nuisance." The Obeti.— This river my correspondent reports as being in tip-top order just now and fish plentiful. They would take the fly readily, but the success of the worm induces most anglers to keep to it. Mr Small got a perfect beauty, 6 .Mb, with the worm, and also a Lech Leven, 2-^lb. Mr Pearce in a day took 36, the heaviest 41b ; Mr ISandford for a day, 15, averaging 2lb ; Mr M'Cubbin for a day, 4, averaging 2£lb ; Mr Stait for a day, 11, averaging 2^lb; Mr Small for a day, 16, and for the week 26, averaging 2£'b ; Mr Maloney for a day, 3, one over 41b ; Mr Arlidge 3, one a beauty, 4£lb ; Mr Kirkinnd for a week, 9. averaging 21b ; and Mr F. King for a week, 20, averaging 21b. These were all taken with the worm With the fly Mr Grieve secured 40, averaging I^-lb in a day, and Mr J. M'Math in a day 22, averaging l£lb.

Winchkstee, December 20. — Not much advautage has been taken of a favourable fishing week. Langdon'6 register shows a total of 148 fiib, weighing 1281b, taken vrith fly from the smaller streams, and 3 fluh weighing 461b taken by three local fishermen during a very short visit to the Rangitata. The largest was Bib, and all the fish were clean run and in fine condition. This river is now in grand fishing order. The Wolseley Hotel is filling up, and if accommodation is wanted for Christmas and New Year-tide, it would be well to eend Mr Langdon word ingood time. Wishing J.S. and all brother anglers the season's compliments. — Correspondent.

Athol — Thod|Jpper Mataura has again been stocked with young fry by the Southland society. The river is rather clear and low just now, and all that is wanted is a good shower. There are plenty of nice-sized fish to be caught before the present stock that is in the river will be low, so should any of your friends be visiting the lakes for the holidays they could break their \ journey and hare a good day's fishing if the' state of the river permits. Shculd any of your young friends like to camp at the riverside at any time, I will think it no trouble to do what I can for them during their stay. Wishing you the compliments of tho season. — Correspondent. —Thanks.

The Opihi.— Complaints reach the Timaru Herald from several Tima.ru and Temuka anglera of the way in which the Acclimatisation Society are treating them in not seeing that the mouth of the river Opibi is kept open to the cc». The lsgcnn is said to be banked up for miles, and opportunity should be taken without d'jlay to havo a channel opened.

Some of the North Rivers.— Sport in the Opihi and Rangitata is now very good, and some really nice baskets are recorded, says " Kalpie." On the 4bh inst., at the Opihi, with the minnow, Messrs Bowman and Havrkes landed 25 fish, scaliug 401b. On the same date, with the fly, Mr Geo. H. Rhodes (Meadowbank) took 13, scaling 161b ; on the day previous 13, gcaling 16^1 b ; and on the 7th 15, weighing 221b. At the Rangitata, on Wednesday night, Mr Frank Brown landed 10 fish, 541b ; M. and B. Thomson, 9 fish, 451b ; and Mr Drummond Sharp about 501b weight. On Thursday night fish were again tailing freely, and the river, discoloured the previous evening, had cleared a good deal. — Mr W. J. Alpe reports that on December 10 Mr T. A. King took 5 fish from the Avon, weighing respectively 41b, 31b, l£lb, and 2 at lib each. On December 11 a party of three took 12 fish from the Rakaia, the largest of which weighed 111b. Several other anglers did equally well, but omitted to furnish returns. Both the Rakaia and Waimakariri are at present in fine fishing order. — Mr A. H. Shury and party visited the mouth of the Rangitata a few days ago, and succeeded in landing 51 fish. A cumber of these were very large, and the average weight was 41b.— This is a big • haul— 2o4lb weight of fish — if the party were not numerous. — J. S. — Amongst the takes recorded at Temuka are the following : — From the Opihi, Mr B. Richardson, with the fly, took 15 fish' (13lb), 8 (61b), and 14 (191b). At the Rangitatt, Messrs Bowman and Mawkes 11 fish (62 1b). Mr George Rhodes, amongst a capital haul, brought in one 10£lb fisb, one 101b, and one 91b.— At the Rangitata on Friday, Messrs James Orr and Herzman tqok S3 fish, weigh/iDg Hslb ; Dr D.

Taylor and friend, 13 fish, weighing 80ib. Df D. Taylor's hfeaviesb fish was 12lb. ■ - * Perch Pishing. — The Wyndham Farmer says .-—"A number of perch licenses have been taken oat here, and our lagoon receives & nightly visit from anglers of this class, bub so far the water does nob seem to be much lower. It is rather early in the season for parch yet. They do nob take well until about Christmas. Mr James Kidd made a good haul among the perch laat week, catching in an hour or two 17 h->h weighing 241b, one of them being with half an ounce of 3ib. This is the biggest perch beard of as being caught in the district." — A. correspondent writes :— " Self and friend took a run to the Tuakitoto Lake last Wednesday and secured fairly good sport. I got 37 and he 36. The lake is very high owing to the floods in the Clutha River. We could not wado any distance, and got the fish among the rushes. Although the fish were nob large they were all a fair size, and there was not a sprat amongst them." — Mr Raffils recently caught 19 perch in a lagoon ab.Mimibau. '

A Splendid Catch.— .Recently Mr F. Lufaro, of Lytteltou, pujb oa. board, the direct liner Kaikoura some half-ton, of fi?U for consumption on the homeward trip. The. fish comprised . ill traders, kawai, moki, trevalli, garfish, whiting, &c. . The fish were 'caught by a couple of men between Friday night and Sunday evening, and •the catch- is .considered, ,^one of the -best &vt& most varied ever made by' Lyttelton fishermen;There were no less than 64 dozen flounders in the catch. The men will net;, between £8 and £10 for their two days' work. . ' I Lord Ranfuhly an Angler. — His Excellency the Governor (says the New Zealand Times) is a - devoted disciple of Izaak Walton. Lord Kan- . furiy <and his party camped in the train near Inglewood the other night for the purpose of having some fishing, and he was to camp in tho Manawnfcu Gorge, fishing there one afternoon and next morning before proceeding to Woodville to take part in the railway celebration. Whitebait Netting. — In the Ashley River and its confluents of the ( Tar*naki and Wai* kuku Creeks whitebait nets of not more than 3ft by lft may be used at set nets up to December 31 of next year." No person shall use more than one set net, and no person shall set or place his net within a distance of two chains from another set net. The penalty may be any sum not exceeding £20. , * . * The Otago Anglers' Association held their second perch-fishing competition at Tomahawk Lagoon on Saturday last. The weather was all that could be desired and tbe perch fairly numerous. Tho size of the fish this year, however, is uuaccountably small, the winner t having 78 fiUh for 14£-lb. The following are the i results of tho competition :— H. G. Williams 14£lb, R. Loug 13£lb, T. Long mtb, A. B. I Jenkins 111b, T. B. M'CMlum "lOJlb, R. Chisbolm 101b, R. Forrest 101b, J. Robertson 101b, C. N. Cooper 9ilb, R. Coghill 9£lb, J Murray 91b. J. Barnes 91b, H. BoydeU 7ib. Shark - catching Extraordinary. — Aberdeen trawl*rs on October 7 landed at Abeerdeen 200 young sharks caught in the North Sea about 30 miles off the east coast of Scotland. These sharks - are having a very detrimental effect on fishing. A Novel Way of Luring.— Dutch fishermen make astonishing catches by means of the following very simple plan : — They put a number of live worms and insects in a bottle partially filled with water, and .-then cork it securely. Tho,bottJe is dropped into the water, the fishermau sinking his lines alougside. It appears that the sight of the wriggling contents of the bottle so excites the appetite of the finny tribes that they fall easy victims to the baited hooks.