BANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2326, 29 September 1898, Page 38

BANK NOTES.

Another fishing season is close at hand, and as I write this doubtless anglers will be making extensive preparations to renew their combats with the trout. Before the first fly is cast I desire to wish all prosperity to brother anglers in their efforts to lure — may their baskets be full ones, and may their blank days be conspicuously few in •number. For my own part I promise to afford each and all every assistance that lies in my power, and will, with the greatest pleasure, supply any information asked for. One good turn deserves another, and in return for irtie avowal I have just made, I would reiterate my previous requesti to anglers, without necessarily Duttine

themselves to extreme trouble, to keep me posted with regard to the doings in their several districts. In the past I have succeeded fairly well in placing on record particulars concerning many of the streams in Otago and Canterbury, but there are a few that I have experienced much difficulty in getting authentio information about. Nothing would please me better than to enlist the interest of some of the anglers on the Waiwera, Kakanui, and Pomahaka, and also the Puerua, Glenomaru, and Owaka. Anyone willing to help Jock Scott to supply brother anglers with information concerning these streams will be conferring a favour on the brotherhood in general, and Jock in particular, and on intimation to that effect I will place them, in possession of the means of transmission. I have managed to kindle an interest in the column among a number of gentlemen on the Waipahi, Mimihau, Molyneux, Shag, and other rivers whose names I do not care to mention, as they might be averse to the publicity attending such a disclosure, and these have earned my sincerest gratitude by the unflagging interest they have displayed in furthering my efforts to make the angling column an authority on matters piscatorial. In due course I am very hopeful that anglers will only have to turn up the Witness to see what is being done on every river of consequence in Otago and, at least, South Canterbury. As it is, my sources of information are somewhat limited, and an issue or two may occur in which no mention at all is made of some well-known, river. " There's nothing in the Witness this week, Jock, about the Mataura," one sport said to me last season. " I thought of going to give it a try, but could find nothing about its promises and its condition. I explained my position— ;l could not mamifacture reports. " That's a jolly shame, some of the fellows might send you a line or two about it," said my sporting friend. He went down to the Mataura all right, but he never bothered his head to let me know whether the" luck he met with was good, bad, or indifferent, so you see he placed the next man in exactly the same position as he had occupied. I want to be in the proud position of being able to say, "There is no river of angling consequence about here but what there is some reference to it in the angling column," even though it is very short. Back me up anglers in this laudable attempt, and when you want to try a strange stream there is the information that you want ready at hand. At any rate, information or no information, I wish you all good luck, and a pleasant time of it. The following is a report I have to thank a gentleman with a considerable knowledge of trout and the rivers for, and some information may be gleaned from a perusal of it. He says: — I will begin with the Shag. For the last two years thi3 river has been said by anglers* to be teeming with fish. It is a splendid spawning river, and an angler reported having seen, early in the spawning last winter, large numbers of fair-sized fish in the ripples. In one part of the river, pretty well up, he counted 14- brace within a short distance of each other. This looks well for the river being well stocked. I suppose every angler has his own favourite fly, but I undersand the natural minnow, about dusk, is a very deadly bait there. In' the Waikouaiti River the best fishing is to be got in the lower waters. Large fish are often taken in the vicinity of the traffic bridge, the principal bait being the creeper and minnow. The Waitati and Leith are so well known that comment is unnecessary. They are well adapted for fiy fishing, but the creeper kills well, too. The streams being small, a heavy fish is rarely seen, but small ones are very plentiful and very game. The Lee and Deep Streams used to be splendid fly rivers. In the latter good baskets are made every season by the local anglers, and though the Lee has been subject to pollution by miners, it is not very bad. It is worth spending a day or two at the old haunt to give it a trial, as last year the writer saw ample evidence that fish were there, as they could be seen feeding freely on the surface, rising to the fly. The Tokomairiro and the Molyneux are principally minnow-fishing rivers, most of the angling being done near the mouths. In the former river good baskets were made last year, near the tidal waters. A minnow made from a sort of cocoon found hanging on bushes proved io be very deadly, and this wae reported to be what the large baskets were made with. The Pomahaka is a rather late but splendid angling stream. There are always plenty of fish there, but it is not much good going to fish this stream before the Ist of December, as the fish will not be in the pink of condition until about the middle of that month. On a clear calm day the fish can be seen basking in the sun, but it is of little use trying them, under such circumstances, unless in rough broken water with the cricket. _ With a good breeze, however, and a small minnow, a good basket may be calculated on. There is also the Pomahaka fly, a very good imitation of the natural insect; a fiy peculiar to this particular river. Then there is the never-failing Waipahi, something like the Pomahaka — clear banks, no obstacle in the way of tho angler. 4 There is always a good supply of fish in this stream, the fly being the principal lure, although the minnow is sometimes resorted to. There are such a variety of flies on this stream, and it is hard to say which is the best, but I think the Jessie and the Governor are both popular. On a warm day nothing can beat the natural cricket to be found chirping among the tussocks, but sometimes they are as hard to catch as th» trout. There is a system of fishing in the Mataura which I can recommend to lazy people, and I believe it is the most successful in that part of the river polluted by the diggers. The anglers collect the largest earthworms they can find, put one on their hook, throw it in, lay the rod down and patiently wait, sometimes enjoying their favourite weed, until a trout comes along, picks up the tempting bait, and the angler — who is intently watching — notices the rod yielding. Then by main force the spotted beauty is landed on the beach, and beautiful and handsome fish they are, but when the river is pretty clear the phantom minnow will tempt the large ones. I regret to say that the Waikaka, which, used to be such a beautiful clear stream, and which afforded such good sport near Gore, is now numbered with the dirty streams, as dredges are at work in the upper waters. The Mimihau still maintains its popularity as a fly stream, and the Wyndham Anglers' Association are clearing airay the scrub from tho banks, which will be a great boon to anglers. 'i'he Wyndham River, close to the town of that name, has some very deep pools, and I am told by some of the settlers living on the banks that there were some very large fish in tho deep holes. With regard to the flies used on the various slreams, it is difficult to name a fly that will kill all the season, as the flies change as the season advances. Anglers will bo glad to learn that the Kakanui River is in gplendid fishinat trim* and no.

doubt good sport will be afforded to fishermen paying a visit to that river on the Ist prox. I understand that the mauth ofthe river was open for about a fortnight at the beginning of the spawning season, and that the fish came in in large numbers. That they are fclill there is without doubt (always assuming our friend, the poacher, has not been at work) as the river mouth has remained closed ever since. Reading the annual report of the Wyndham Anglers' Society I notice that body seems to be in a healthy and thriving oondition. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, mentioned that fish gave every promise of being plentiful during the approaching season, so good sport might be relied on. He was glad to see steps were likely to be taken to clean away growths from the banks of the streams. — It was stated that £4- would be spent on cleaning the banks of Upper Mimihau and Wairikiki; Mr Smith to superintend the work, and it was resolved to spend 30s on. similar work on Lower Mimihau and Wyndham streams. It was decided to have a competition, any stream and bait, on Opening Day (Ist October), and Mr Bremner promised a fishing rod, value 255, as first prize. Mr Mitchell announced that he would present a silver cup, to be won by the best take of fish in two out of three competitions, any stream, but only fiy. The monthly meeting of the Oamaru Acclimatisation Society's Council was held recently, and it was resolved inter alia to recommend the Government to fix th© fishing season for tench and perch^ for certain streams and ponds in the district to begin on the Ist of February and extend to the 31st of August in each. year. It was pointed out by Dr De Latour that the proper season was as above, and not as it was proposed to make it by the bill now before Parliament " Ranger and Associate" in the Mount Ida Chronicle writes thus concerning the protection of trout in the inland waters of Ofcago : " Numerous complaints having reached me regarding the wholesale capture of trout from our streams last season, I have authority for stating that this season now approaching every effort will be made to secure a, conviction against those individuals who attempt to take trout out of Otago waters in an illegal way, and not in possession of a license. No one is at liberty to take trout in any way except in. his capacity as a licensed holder, and then only by legal methods. People generally, throughout OLago in fact, do not seem to be aware of this, and of the conssqxient risk they are running. The regulations on the back of the license, even by licensed holders, must not be infringed. Such regulations do not admit of spears, dynamite, and other appliances for capture, even omitting the unlicensed altogether. These should be beneath the uso of any angler. Last season a> very shady case was tried in Central Otago, and many more could have been brought forward against poachers; in fact last season the licenced legitimate angler except in a few cases was as the larrikin would say ' out of it,' and why? The poacher, owing to the drought principally, took possession of the stream. The true angler, like the miner in search for hidden treasures, ought to pray now for abundant rains and for easy convictions. During the past season many anglers I know well worked hard rather than make angling their avocation, and why was this, seeing they had paid the agent a license fee to cover their season's angling in good local waters in October? Simply because the poacher ran riot. He actually revelled in his own success, and the poor unfortunate anglers with expensive rods, tackle, and flies and licenses to boot returned after their hard day's tramp without one speckled beauty in their creels. This determined poaching of our streams must be put down, and with a strong hand too. Why should the unlicensed wayfarers on our streams be an interference to anglers? Let them buy licenses, use legal means for capture of their trout, and join us. I am quite willing to aid any efforb to securo a conviction anywhere in Central Otago, either by assisting the prosecution monetarily or by my knowledge of the law regarding it. When one considers the dire effects of last season's poaching it would not be surprising to hear of organised branches of the Otago Acclimatisation Society being established for the sole purpose of trout protection. I observe by the Clutha Free Press that the Stirling anglers have had an enjoyable trip to the Clinton fish ponds. Landowner (to party bobbing in the stream). — Hello, there! Don't you see that sign, "No fishing here" ? Angler.— Yes; ain't it ridiculous? Fine fishing here! Just look at that for a string (holding up a dozen or twenty big fellows) ; beauties, ain't they? The chap who stuck up that sign evidently didn't know what he was talking about. It is the intention of the Government shortly to prohibit the netting of fish in the upper harbour for a sufficient period to give the exhausted fishing grounds an opportunity of becoming replenished. It has become evident that something must be done if we are to have any more fish in these waters, and it is believed by experts that the prohibition of netting may have the desired effect.