ANGLING. BANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2358, 4 May 1899, Page 46

ANGLING.

BANK NOTES.

By Jock Scott.

To be a perfect Baliermnn you require more exceilwicles than «t«uiu»Ur.to be fouud fn inch a upaoe as it allotted to » Tsn'scarcais.— PißkHß Oiluoux. / Headers arc inrited to contribute items of locul fishing neffs (■it l'uiortion in thtj column. For inserliou in the ensuing mil. ihoj iliould retch Dimediu bj Monday uigliCa mall.

The time has again come round for m© to say adieu to my readers and correspondents, but before doing so I must not neglect to place on record my hearty appreciation of the assistance I have received from contributor?. A few of them have fallen off towards the ,end of the season, but that is probably due to the fact that the season proper was extended considerably. I can readily conceive that' a feeling comes over anglers that the season is practically defunct when it reaches the original limit, and that chey feel that further fishing information is scarcely worth sending. I am pleased to be able to say that I have made a number of new friends this year, and they have all lent me a helping hand, and I hope to sco the number increased in the season coming. As far as the sport of the past season is concerned, I do not, from reports, think it has baen so good as in some of the preceding years, but of course that is largely due to bad weather — in fact during the hist month fishing has been, -generally speaking, out of the question owing to the severity of tho weather. As far as our local stream in Dunedin is concerned, I think, with about two or three exceptions, anglers have " given it best," and have come to the conclusion that, unless forced to do so through total inability to get out of town, they will on no account trouble with it. That is the general opinion expressed by anglers I have come across. I sometimes ask myself " Is it possible to get the Leith back to anything like its original stats as a fishing river?- If it is, why is the attempt not made?" Si it indifference,, want of energy, want of foresight, want of consideration -for the just claims of anglers, or has a conclusion been come to that it is impossible to better the condition of-the rivp.r? There nrast be a reason for the extraordinary apathy shown. During the close seat-on I should like to sea the matter taken up by the proper body. Let them try to arrive nt some definite conclusion as to whether anything feasible can be done to effect improvement, and if they find in the affirmative, let it be done; in common justice to those who spend theii pound every year for a license, 10l it be done. The Waitati is another stream that requires looking: after, and it is only a matter of time when it will be reduced to the same condition a.s the Loith. unless more attention is paid to it. I simply Bay this by way of warning, aiid not in a fault-finding spirit. And now, brother anglers, don't go and throw your rods and tackle aside anyhow. Put the lot away carefully, and don't forget to rub a little oil over your rods if 'you want to preserve them. Having said so much I will say good-bye till tho Ist October, or, rather, to be correct, the issue before that date. — J. S.

N.Z. Index Annual. — " M." — Published by Wise and Co. at 5s per copy. The Molyneux (Stirling). — As this in all probability is my last report for the season I had hoped to chronicle a catch or two, but I am disappointed. The fishing competition that was held on Thursday last was almost an entire failure. Five fishers wero out. but only one trout was caught. The successful one was Mr Geo. Anderson, who landed a trout weighing 21b 6oz. This fish was caught at the mouth of the Waiwera, and so far as I have heard only one other trout was seen. This winds up the season of I?9S-99, and hi regards the number of trout caught, it_ lias been the poorest season here since fishing started on this part of the Molyneux. — "Eldrin." — [Accept thanks for reports. — J. S.]

Eels. — Stirling. — A couple of weeks ago Mr R. Hawker set an eel-basket in the Molyneux opposite his house, and on taking it up in the morning found it contained 32 eels, two of which weighed 81b each ; tho others from that downwards. The water was so shallow where the basket was set that little more that the half of it was submerged. — " Eldrin."

liumsden. — The Oreti. — "Angler" reports that the fish are now full of spawn, and informs me that Mr D. Kirkland has made several nice baskets. Mr D. M'Kenzie took 6 nice trout on April 23, ,Mr D. Grieve was successful in making some good catches, and Mr T. M'Math killed -7 small fish. On tho 25th and 30th the last named angler took 5 fish and 2 fish, the last catch representing fish weighing 10£lb and 61b. Mr Kirkland and Mr M'Kenzie used the worm, and the others tho fly.

Winchester, May 1. — Tho closing week of the season has not been marked by any takes of moment, if we may except 7 fis!> weighing 36£lb taken by Mr C. Opie with a large fly in the Opihi on the night of the 29th. Langdon's register for the week shows a total take of 30 fish weighing 1101b. nearly all being taken from the Opihi, and a grand total of 2361 fish weighing 29421b for the season. — Correspondent. — [Thanks for the regularity of reports. — J. S.J

The Waimakariri. — Seven trout were recently caught in the Waimakariri by Mr Prentice. The totol weight of the fish was 1911b.

Trout Fishing in Nelson During the Past Season. — The season opened on September 15 and closed on April 3. It may be paid thai the Maitai, the nearest felream to Nelson, has been fished out. In the months of October and.JS7ovember enormous baskets were daily made with the fly, catches of 15 to 30 and even greater, averaging |lb, being common. The Acclimatisation Society will require to seriously confide! the best means of maintaining the use of this river, whose lower reaches run through the town, as one suitable foi fishing. From being an excellent fly stream some 10 years ago, containing fish running up to 51b and over, it has gradually

d»clined until now few fish of over lib are caught. — (The Water of Leith over again.— J. S.) Two courses remain open, one, the closing of the river for two seasons, the other to increase the license from 10s to £1. In either alternative the society to thoroughly restock the river in the meantime. When it was reopened, fishing should be allowed only on alternate weeks, or some other arrangement might be made to save rapid depletion, of the stock. Fishing in the next nearest rrvet to Nelson, the Wairoa, was "better this season than it has ever been. One angler in about 10 visits took, chiefly with the whitebait phantom, 45 fish weighing 821b. The largest fish caught went about 61b and 31b to 41b ones were common. One or two keen anglers crossed over the Wangamoa saddle and fished the Wangamoa River, some 25 miles from Nelson, and on the fly got a few trout weighing up to 51b. The Motueka, one of the best rivers in New Zealand, was fished more this year than ever, and with good success. One angler with the whitebait phantom got over 20 fish in two days, averaging under 31b, and hardly a visit was paid to it without fach angler meeting with good sport. This river is without doubt splendidly stocked with trout i of excellent edible qualities, the flesh being I ■very pink and salmon-like. It could stand fishing by 20 anglers for every one who fishes it now without seriously, affecting, its stock. It -is such a distance from Nelson, hpwevei*.that few Nelson people trouble visiting it without they have two or three days to spare. It contains many trout of 101b and over, although none, to the best of my belief, were i lucky—enough to get such big ones this year, j I forgot to mention that the Happy Valley stream, some 10 miles from Nelson, gave very pool sport this year. — "M.," Nelson. April 22. — [I am obliged to my correspondent (or his interesting digest of the s«°.sor,'s sport. — J. S."|

Sea Fishing In New Zealand. — A Scoteli sportsman in New Zealand writes : — I had n. holiday, and a fine trip to the West Coast Sounds. I left Dunedin on the Saturday afternoon by steamer, and arrived about noon on Sunday at Preservation Inlet on the Wpst Coast. Tt is an unexplored region, and the scenery is magnificent. The bush is growing down to the water's edge, and you can see nothing but green tops of trees for miles inland. The bush is so dense that, unless you cut a track through it with an axe. you cannot get very far. In the background you see the Southern Alps with their tops covered with perpetual snow ; in the lowlandn there are hundreds of ferns and plants that vould grow only in. hothoubes <xt home, yefc a few thousand feet above them there is nothing but snow, ire, and glaciers. The fishing is grand. If I caught one fish I caught si hundred — blue cod, trumpeter, moke, trevalli, butter fish, and I do not know how many other kinds. At one time or anothei the place must have been a whale cemetery ; the beach for miles is covered with the skeletons of whales. Jawbones 18ft and 20ft long were quite common, while some of the backbones, even with the ribs broken off, measured 6ft across. — Whita, in thu Meld.

Curious Fish. — "Plomb" writes: — A fish is known to scientists in a different way from th nJ in which it is known to the ordinary observer. Not its gills, scales, bladder, spiral intestine, its fins, eyos. or cars, enable it to be classed as a fish ; but its nose. For the organ of smell in every fish is o b1»uI sp.c communicating only -nith the exiernal surface When we find fish which climb trees, and have both lungs_ and gills, we stand in wonderment, but in Australia we have one of the most curious paradoxes which is called a fish, and endowed with the name rei-alo'3'is. Tt possesses two pair of fins, venlrals and pectorals, and a tail, which enable it to move in water or on land. During droughty seasons it lives in the mud at the bottom of the watercourses-, having previously laid in a stock of leaves in its stomach for nutriment. It is said to grow to the length of 6ft (Dv Gunther). and to come out of the water at night and climb rocks. It is probably this creature whioh has given rise to the name of the "yahoo," the fabulous! denizen of swamrjs. Mr E. C. Andrews, 8.A.. gc-ologist, who recently undertook some important cor.ilboring experiments and measurements in tho less-known Fiji Islands, was fortunate during his recent visit in seeing many specimens of the curious little mud-hopper fish (periaphthalmas) in their quaint peregrinations. All modern natural histories have plight referer.ee to these fi&h. They have gills nnrl lungs, and climb out of the water on to the doping roots of the mangrove trees with a peculiar little hopping motion to a height of about 6ft. They are regarded as edible fish. The Greek name bestowed upon them by the scientists signifies "large-eyed." They attain a length of 6in or Sin

Fishing Exploits. — Mr E. B. Kennedy, writing to the Field, says: — "The yarn of ' G.H.N.' recalls to my mind a little adventure which I experienced in Queensland in the c-arly days, but in this case I was not 'charged* in the general acceptation of the word. Being intent 'on drawing out whiting from a tidal river in the north of the colony. I' did not in time observe the stealthy approach of a big gaunt bullock ; but, hearing* the blady grasß crackle, I looked round, and suddenly saw the beast, with horns lowered, within a few feet of me, walking quickly, with that air of determination in his eye which moant giving me a lift. Pretending to take the matter in an unconcerned sort of way, I stepped to the right to gain the strand. He at once turned and blocked me. I tried the same manoeuvre on the left ; he was round like a j)ivot, and .1 found that my only means of retreat was into deepet water. How simple to have dived into the tideway, the waters of which were running up like a mill sluice ; yet I did not. U.ere were plenty of sharks about, young ones, ri is true; bo I slowly retired, with my back to the flood and face to the beast, which as steadily came after me. How far he would have proceeded I know not, but before the waters rose to my belt, which contained matches, watch, 'baccy, cartridges, in its several pockets, I put a revolver ball through the brute's eye, and was nearly washed off my legs "by the ponderous mass almost falling on top of me. Emptying the resb of the chambers into his head I walked ashore to cut up a pipeful of Barrett's twist. A blackfellow told us subsequently that this same bullock had once rushed him. when the blackfellow had knocked him silly with a great rook and then dived away for a hundred yards. We could only surmise that this beast had gone cranky. As soon as his struggles were over some baby sharks appeared in the shallows, attracted by the blood. Several of these I hid 'and made 'em lave it,' as the Irishman said. The above adventure inaugurated another form of sport. One of our dogs had been seized and terribly torn by a shark about 3ft long. This was some days after the bullock episode. I fastened a Avhiting on to a powerful hook and line, and cast it out. Presently the line began to move away. Giving the fish time to gorge, and taking a round turn on my wrist, I struck, and was immediately nearly lifted off my feet. There was no split cane or dry fly about this business. Luckily I hod a bug coil of ware lin%

for the shark tore across 'the river, and literally all over it; luckily be did not face the ebb, for- 1 could not have followed.him. After much give and take, he suddenly came sailing along in shoal water, and I put two revolver balls into him. This livened him up, and he lashed round and round; whilst others of his kin waited upon him. These I dosed likewise, as the .opporhinity/presented itself : eventually I 'got- him stranded, and finished him with the knife.. What he weighed I know not, but he measured 2ft lOin, This new form of angling lasted -for some weeks, -but I was often broken. -However, our dogs suffered no more casualties at this spot, and having further cleared the river of alligators iri the course of some years' shooting, we were left in peace."