BANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2397, 8 February 1900, Page 47

BANK NOTES.

Waikouaiti. — Messrs Crust and Crow had a good time on the Waikouaiti River on Saturday, securing 21 fish, weighing 51ilb. The heaviest fish weighed Blb. They were all caught from the railway bridge up to the Rookery, the artificial minnow being the lure used. The Shag River. — I have to report that the river is very dirty, and is unfishable. During the past two weeks several fishers have been on the river. The Pomahaka.— " W. D." writes on February s:— "Messrs P. T. and H. Murray and W. M'Callum spent a few days last week camped on the Pomahaka, and although the weather was not very settled they secured a good many fish, the heaviest going nearly 61b, _ and most of the rest from 3£lb to 4|lb. They' report fish very plentiful in the Pomahaka. These fish were mostly taken with the cricket and some with fly." The Molyneux (Stirling). — Mr Farquhar was out on Monday, the 29th ult., and landed two fish, weighing 51b and 41b. On Wednesday, 31st, Mr Farquhar and ranger Morris liberated 500 18-month-old Loch Leven trout at the lower end of Inch-Clutha. This is the third loc liberated by Messrs Farquhar and Moms this season, and ought to materially help the fishing iv this river, if the young fish have any luck in escaping their enemies. The river is in fairly good trim. — Eldrin. Winchester, February s.— The weather and temperature have varied during the past week, the thermometer showing in the Wolseley Hall at 7 p.m. on January3l 79 deg, while at noon on' the 2nd in?t. only 58deg were registered. Anglers have been busy among the big fish, the following being the principal takes: — Mr T. Twigg. Opihi. two trips, 22 fish, 1531b, the largest 161b; Mr A. Sugden, Opihi, three trips, 12 fish, 12641b (1 13£lb) ; three local anglers, 3rd to 4th inst., Rangitata, 32 trout, 148^1b, the ringer 13^1b. This water is rather thick, but is clearing. A few nice baskets are recorded from local streams with the fly. Langdon's register for the week shows a total take of 130 trout, weighing 532g1b ! Rangitata. — I take the following items from Canterbury exchanges: — Some splendid sport has lately been secured on the banks of the Rakaia. On Tuesday, 30th ult.-, Mr William' Huston landed several beauties, including 1 one, 141b ; two, 101b : two, 71b ; one, 61b ; and one 41b ; a total weight of 641b ; and on the same day A a pirty of anglers returned to Ashburton after a fortnight's picnic at the mouth of the Rangitata. The party included the veteran angler Mr A. H. Shury, Miss Shury, Misses M'Owen (2), Mrs J. • Snodgrass, Miss Upton, Miss R. W. Hart, Miss Alma Hart, Master R. Hart. Miss Symes (Chrislchurch), Mr George Cromie, Mr R. Hayward, and Mr E. F. Harris. Mr Shury caught 12 fish, which aggregated 621b. the heaviest scaling ll^lb, 111b, 7£lb, 641b, 6ilb, and 61b. Mr Cromie. however, put up the record with 13 fish, totalling 781b, the heaviest scaling 161b, two others 81b each, another 61b, and the rest averaging from 31b to 51b each. During the outing, which was- an exceedingly pleasant one, the parly met with many little acts of kindly hospitality from Mr and Mrs J. Studholme, of Coldstream. — Mr Morris Williams on Thtirs day night, Ist inst., landed a trout weighing 41b 9oz from the Avon, close to the bathing place in the North Park. This makes a total of 200 fish which Mr Williams has landed with hi; rod during the season. The Tapanui Courier states that a few nice baskets of fish have been taken in the various streams of late. It is reported that the Black Gully Creek is poached clean of edible fish. The Timaru Herald, of January 29. says that Mr F. Palliser was once more among the big trout on Saturday night. _He had a throw in at the clay hole among nine other rods, and secured five beautiful fish — 2 14's, 1 13~4, 1 12, and 1 9-pounder. Other rods were not so successful. — Timaru Herald, Januwere not so successful. The Cromwell Argus says : One of our local anglers made a nice haul of fish in the upper waters of the Nevis last week. The fish are in fine condition and very hard to lure in any portion of the river. Below the dredging it is all that you can do to catch them by hook or by crook, and even the wily gudulers are at fault there, and any stray fish that may fall a prey to the arts of the angler are in poor condition. "H. J.," writing from Lowburn Ferry on January 29, says : Of fishing there lias been nothing worth recording since Christmas. Mr J. Jameson is the only fisherman I have heard of procuring a few small baskets. The weather has been changeable; with a good deal of the thundery element, which may have something to do with the present coyness of the finny ones. "D. M.," writing from Mandeville on January 30. says : Very little fishing is being done up this way of late, as the rivers are rather low. The Otamete is of very little use for fishing in during the day, but is fairly good after sunset, the fly chiefly used being the governor and partridge spider. The Waimea is in good order for fishing just now, and one or two good baskets were made about th© latter end of last week. Messrs Thomson

and Clementson had a good day's fishing in the upper part of the Waimea, the basket totalling close on 40 speckled beauties, averaging about 21b a-piece. I .also saw another basket taken from the same stream, totalling in all 39 fish, weighing slightly over 621b. These were taken by Mr W. N. Joneb, of Gore, with a fly made specially to the order of Mr JD. Mill, jun., which he has used very successfully on the Waiwera, Waipahi, and Pomahaka. Perch are very plentiful in the Waimea, and some fine ones have been taken lately. The Mataura about here is in poor order for fishing, owm? to the discoloured state of the water from the dredging business. — [Ad any thanks for contribution. Glad to learn you received postcards. — J. S."| "Waitaki Angler" in reply to "N.," writing on February 1 says: — ''I am pleased to see ihat our fricad 'N. has now altered his opinion of Waitaki trout after seeing them, and I think he ha^ now shown a more sport— n-.anlike spirit than he did when writing hinoles. 'N. now says: 'After seeing their. (Waitaki trout) I withdraw my statement that they are half cockabully, half cod, but will withdraw nothing further.' Pardon-me, 'N.,' but you do you know. In the latter part of your letter to me are your own words, ' they are perfect models,' and their flesh is a yellowish pink (and that is not while, ' N.). And then you get so enthusiastic that you take a photograph of a ' model 15-pounder.' Verily I think you are a good sport ofter all, ' N.,' notwithstanding your first lapse. To give 'N. his due he still swears by the Waiwera trout's superior flavour, but still you know if he leaves the matter at that I think he will be wise, as I am certain that if we sent our respective trout as 'N. says, to London, he would have to alter his opinion again, and it would just be a little rough on you, ' N,' As to colour, ' N. prefers the spotted trout. Very well, we shall agree to differ there, 'N. I. and most anglers here, prefer the clean-run silver fish, and we get both sort= — the former from Kakanui, the latter from the Waitaki. I am very sorry, indeed, that .' N. was'imsuccessful when on his Waitaki trip. I should sincerely have liked to have been, his pilot, and notwithstanding his warlike spirit I would have granted him an armistice for the time being and put him on to some fi<=h. They are there, 'N.,' but, like most strangers coming tfio our river, you were unlucky. Come up next season, ' N.,' and I shall provide a hut for you and we will catch some more ' models.' My last four trips I got 32 trout, and they averaged ajjibut 81b each, so even allowing your 22|lb fish, 'N.,' I don't think when you come to the average weight you can beat it much. I simply mention this to show you that the fish" are in the river, and are to be caught. In conclusion I regret much that I cannot accept ' N.s ' invitation to fish his claim on the Waiwera. It is quite impossible for me to do anything like that at this time of year, but remember, ' N.,' I never spoke harshly of your Waiwera trom — my sole object was to correct the wrong idea you had re Waitaki trout, and your last letter has done this, so I am .satisfied." If "N." and "Waitaki Angler " come to an arrangement to fish the Waitaki together next season, "Jock Scott" hoj)es to have an invitation to accompany them.

Anglers report that good fishing is obtainable in Southland ctreams. Mr J. Friend landed a basket of 10 trout, totalling 26£lb, from the Oreti River, below the ferry. The largest scaled 101b. Several fishermen who visited the north bank of the Waitaki last week saw a strange sight for this land of small birds. As they were returning from the river they passed through a large area of a clover paddock covered with caterpillars. The caterpillars .had settled down on the clover, which they were consuming. To estimate their numbers would be like calculating the grains of sand on the sea shore, but had they been evenly distributed over the ground they would have covered an area of abotit 10 acres. Before the introduction of small birds caterpillars were one of the most destructive pestF the farmer had to contend against, an. their numbers on the north bank of tie Waitaki is probably due to the fact that there are very few, if any, small birds there. The place is hedgeless and treeless, and offers no shelter for the birds. The wheels of the trap as they passed over the ground left a black line of crushed caterpillars behind them to mark their course. — North Otago Times. Two very large eels were caught "in the Waipoua River, Wairarapa, recently, one weighing 241b and the other 191b. The following from the London Field cer- , tainly calls for some explanation from Mr Gorrick: — In the Field of August 12 an ang- j ling note appeared under the heading " Monster Brown Trout," It was. a categorical description summarised from the Sydney Mail of July 1, attributing the capture of two very_ large New Zealand brown trout to Mr C. H. Gorrick. In the Australian article it was also said that 30-pounder rainbow trout were taken in the North Island by minnow. The writer of our note evidently suspected that there was something wrong, and pointed out , that very little seemed to be said about the monsters and their manner of capture. The photographs appeared with the statement underneath, " Caught by Mr C. H. Gorrick, on the Mangahau River. The largest trout ever | caught in New Zealand with artificial fly." | The writer of our angling note thereupon ob- ; served that one would like to have a little more information about the capture of these fish. The Field in which this note appeared has apparently met the eye of a New Zealand j reader, who makes the following exposure : Sir,— ln your issue of August 12 there appears an article on monster brown tiout in New Zealand, caught with artificial fly by Mr C. H. Gorrick, and, thinking you would like to know further particulars, I append the same. Firstly, these two large trout (of which I send you a photo) were not caught at all by Mr Gorrick, but were netted by Maoris at the mouth of the Wairau River, Blenheim, Marlborough (South Island), and photographed by Mr Fred Redwood, of that town, who gave Mr Gorrick a copy of tlio photo, and Mr G., for reasons of his own, published the statement that he caught these grand fish with artificial fly, an assertion which is utterly without even a fringe of truth. Then Mr Gorrick remarks that thirty-pounder rainbow trout) are often secured on the minnow, to which I reply that, so far as I am aware, Bilb is the largest rainbow trout ever caught in New Zealand, and that fish was taken in this district. So far from thirty-pounders often being secured, not a single rainbow trout of 151b has ever been caught or seen in New Zealand yet. The whole article published by Mr G., or, at any rate, the greater part of it, is well calculated to mislead anglers coming out here, and it is to remedy this that I send you these lines. P. WHIT-LEY. Wellington, New Zealand, October 20. The Use of the Gaff by Netsmen. — A very interesting, and by no means unimportant, question was raised at the end of last week in the Perth Sheriff Court. In the Tay certain fishermen are in the habit of using what are termed " hang-nets," and as soon as possible after a fish strikes the- net it is gaffed

into a boat. The use of the gaff for catching salmon is, of coursa, illegal, but there is an, exception made in favour of anglers using it, as an auxiliary to angling with rod and line. A salmon fisher of Newburgh, named Aitken, was charged before the Shenff for using a gaff to catch salmon, it not being auxiliary to angling with rod and line. The case resolved itself into a question of law, and the Sheriff remarked that what he really had to decide v, as whether or no the salmon was legally captured as soon as it was in the net, and before it was gaffed. If it was not caught until it was gaffed, then it was being caught with the gaff, and the act was an illegal one. He eventually came to the conclusion that as the fish, might get away unless the gaff were used, it was not caught until gaffed, and therefore the gaff w as being used for catching it, which was contrary to the act of Parliament. A penalty of 10s with £2 8s 6d costs was imposed, the Sheriff agreeing to state a case for an ap■>ea'.

The following item on the management of fish ponds is taken from the Field of December 2 last : — The management of fishponds, though a really simple matter, seems to be seldom properly understood. Reference to back numbers of> the Field, for example, will show that, although directions are published to-day, not many weeks will elapse before inquiry is again made as to what is to be done. It seems, indeed, to be a peiennial difficulty. It may be, therefore, of service once more to explain. The following facts are set forth in connection with rearing ponds by Mr Walter Baily, of the Fishery, Malvern Wells, proprietor of the hatchery started by Mr Burgess 36 years ago ; but the general principles apply to all manner of ponds and lakes. A paragraph in the Malvern pamphlet runs : — "' Rearing ponds should remain empty for a few weeks, and, after filling, a week or two should elapse before the fish are put into them. This allows time for the various forms of insect life to increase, and thus supply natural foou, which is of great benefit to the young- fish. In the case of lakes which have not been cleaned for may years, the mud should be removed, and the bottom left dry for a considerable time. Grass seed may ba sown, and a crop taken off it, and, before refilling, suitable aquatic plants should be plantod. Water plants are necessary for fish for two reasons. The insect life with which they abound provides food ; they also consume the carbon given off by fish, and in turn supply oxygen, requisite for the health of fish. The water celery is common, and insects generally are very fond of it. The water crowfoot will hold a large quantity of insect life, but should not be allowed to become too thick. The watercress is very useful for small iVeams. The marsh marigold will grow freely at tha sides of streams or ponds. The waterlilies will be found admirable coverts for trout, and many of them, especially the white variety, are very handsome. Among the smaller kinds the Aponageton distachyon, or Cape waterlily, is not so well known as it" deserves to be, the curiously shaped flowers being sweetscented." From the angler's point of view, however, there is something more to be said about waterlilies. No doubt they are very beautiful, and the broad, glopsy leaves maka perfect canopies for the fish, but it is a precarious time for the fly-fisher when there_ is an artful trout at one end and an angler with his delicate rod at the other. I know of nothing more dangerous than the tough, upstanding stems of this charming aquatio bloomer. I once had an experience with a. heavy fish, which, on being hooked, made directly for a neighbouring lily preserve ; by the disturbance of the leaves on the top you could see that he was rushing fiercely in and. out of the stems, as if he were working out some lahryinthian puzzle. I need not say that the trout escaped, with additional loss of gut, cast, and fly.