ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 54

ANGLING.

By Jeos Scott. -»■

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BASK NOTE?.

"With this issue of the Witness comer the end of the angling ceason, and the rr r <r:«>i closes for the next five month?. ""'.'ore bidding my piscatorial friends j,or.. - ;•.-«. l must thank them for the ready s-upp-jirt u;fv have given me during the past seven Tmu.r'.y-. .There are one or two rivers I have had very [little news from this season, and a notaMo instance- of this is the Kakanui. I at one ]tim» congratulated myself in having fouxd a local man who would go t<£ the trouble of (assisting me, and for a time my expectations were fully realised, but, alas, he tired, ■nd since then I have never eucceeded in getting another. Now if there is any enterprising angler who fishes the Kakanui, I am going to ask him to step right forward, as the Americans say, when next season comes on, and earn my blessing. The came experience applies to the Waiwera, the fishang record of which is practically unknown &to £cuzae as fax 1 as fcli& jsasfc ceason 23 concerned. One gentleman, whose name I do pot care to mention without permission, ha 9 , felled a long-felt want as far as the Waitaki i 3 concerned, and I am much indebted to pirn for so doing. My other correspondents are, for the most part, of long standing, and timing a number of yeara nave kept me splendidly informed with jegard to the doings in their localities. 1 am proud to fchink *hat their interest in the angling teolumn has endured, and that their efforts C) aesist in making it readable have been bo well sustained. The season 'has been a ifairly cucoessful one, bnt tie weather has been much against angling. All the same, when there was a- fair and fav«nrab'« opportunity for doing a bib of whipping, the jstreame generally yielded iiandsomely to jthe anglers' skill. My last advice to ianglers ib not to put rods and tackle away Kust as they were" last used, or for almost A certainty they will find something give When they start next season. 1 'Arthurton, Aprii 28.— My good old friend " J. R. S. " sends me the- closing report concerning -the VVaipafci. and it mtis as follows: "It is some time since I sent you a note £or your column. The only excuse I can 'make is that tharo was actually nothing to JBrrite about. Although there were floods all •over the country, the Waipahi Rver until ifttt week has been remarkably low. the reason being that In this locality only Scotch mist? prevailed, not <nifneif«t rain falling to raioe the stream. The most of the local sports were all busy harvesting, etc. — in fact, ia3 far as I can learn, the trout have had a tepell for the la3t month. Now that the beason is just closing it might be worth jwviile mentioning that during the pant sea- ) Boa the Waipahi worthily upheld it 3 refpite as a trout stream, and although the fish do not run so heavy as they did some years ago, there are still large numbers o£ trout up to 41b and 51b in the gorge waters. {Below, towards the mouth, the weight is less, but the fish are still numerous. Oae of our most enthusiastic fishermen, Mr IL. HarVisson, of Pukerau, ha 6 loft the district lately, and started business at Coiac Bay, .Southland. I have no doubt he carrie-> with him many pleasant recollectiond of days spent on the Waipahi, when tie soft westerly Vrind was blowing and tho big fellows were keen on the fly. In conclusion, I may cay that this is my last note to you from this locality, as I am leaving here in a few days. It i& not without regret that I leave the banks of the Waipahi, near which I have Tesided for close on 27 yeara, and caught trout in its waters for U or 15 years. I will now thank you for your courtesy in publishing the notes I have sent you from time to time, and present^ g them to the numerous readers of your column in a readable condition. Any number of people read "Jock Scott's" notes that never threw a line »cross the water in their lives. I heard a, gentleman remark that he read the fishing tiotee l>ecause it gave a good idea of the prevailing weather in the various localities in a condensed form. If, when another season comes round, I find anything interns^ wg for your column in the district in wmen I am going to reeide, I will still be pleased to send you a note occasionally. — [I thank my Did friend very much indeed for his kindness in the past, aod shaH be only too glad to avail myself of his offer to still contribute. I wish him every happiness in his new home. — J. S.] The Mimihau.— " W. P. 5.," writing from Mimihau on the 25th inst., says that air Allißon (Mataura) had a few days on the iMimiihau recently, and caught some real beauties, aud would likely get more, as tho fish were on the feed. Mr A. Grieve also grassed five nice trout. During the remainder of the week the streams were in ilood. The weather is so bad, ray correspondent says, that it is doubtful if any more -fishing will be done this season, and you may not hear from me till another season. J would thank all anglers, he continues, who kindly nlaced me in possession of a record of their floings. so as to supply yoti with a few notes during the season. — [Y es ' r - Q " I would thank "W. P S." for ha\ing forwarded iha&e reenx-ds.— J. &•*

1 Worms, a Means of Livelihood. — A Home paper begins a paragraph with the rather ' startling statement that around Nottingham i some 300 people live on worms, but the remainder of the paragraph explains the ! horrid suggestion away. The soil, it say?, ■ is particularly suitable for these creatures (that is, the worms), which are sent all over i the country for fishing purposes. The i yearly income from Nottingham worms is j about £12,000. The work is not difficult, I but entails very early rising- during the pum- ] mer months, in order to gather the worms when they come to the surface at early dawn. They must also be protected from • hungry birds. A Sea Monster. — " Tap joint," writing in the Australasian on the 22nd inst., says: — " The * sea monster ' captured by some fishermen at Geelong last week ha 9 been identified by Mr J. A. Kersham, curator of the National Muse-urn, and turns out to be an adult specimen of the luth or leathery J turtle, ' Sphargis coriaeea.' Though rarely } found in Victorian waters, it occurs in the i tropical and sub-trop:cal seas of both hcmisj pheres, and at least four specimens have j been recorded from the British coasts. Two ! very fine example? are to be seen in the , National Museum, Melbourne, both of ' which were captured in Victorian waters, One of these is quite as large as the specimen just secured. A Silk-producing FisL.— There are many queer fish in the sea, a-nd it may not be generally known that there is a species of filk-prodwcmg fish, found cihiefly along th© shores Qf the Mediterranean. The pinna, as the fisb is called, belongs to the shellfish family. It ,var:es in length (says American Field), the largest beiag about 2ft long. The '■ fish if supplied with an organ which it uses for different purposes. When it wants j to change its position it attaches this organ | to some solid object, and contracting its \ extemporised leg drags iteelf along, repeating the operation until the objective point j is reached. This organ is also used as a tongue, and with this the pinna spins delicately fine threads. There is a slit in the J middle of the tongue, which serves as a c^nal or cluct for the viscid substances formed from the gland secretions, i A great number of threads can be j spun by a single pinna, but the , most valuable aro those of the larger members of the family. These pinnae are torn from the rocks, to which they have attached themselves, by the fishermen of Sicily, and thr> fibrous substance, being collected, is woven into a cloth, which iseaid to be light, durable, and warm. The 'term byseus is generally applied to the collected fibres, and frequent mention is made of it in classical writings. A robe of this byesus was generally given to the satraps of Armenia by the Roman emperors, as a mark of resoect. The Sicilians not only use the byfeus" for clothing, but they eat the pinna ; after they have robbed him of his spinning. Several stories are told about the pinna which, to most persons, will appear improbable. Some travellers affirm that ■x small crab is found within the shell of every pinna. This crab is a sort of watchman and attendant. When the pinna opens its shell to take in a supply of food, some greedy j plunderer makes its way into the shell and devours the poor fiah that has given it shelter. To guard against these invasions tiny crabs have established an alliance with the pinnse, and make their homes within the , shell. When the pinna lias taken in enough, j the little crab, by a few judicious pecks, ; gives warning, and^the shell is closed. The ' crab and the pinna then proceed to feaet on the spoils that have been captured. When a larger creature approaches the crab gives warning in the same manner. The pinna immediately "' shuts up," and after a temporary suspension of activity opens again, j Whether the crab is so faithful an atten- ; dant may be -a question, but it is certain I that several pinna? captured by the Sicilian fishermen have had little crabs within their shells. The silk-producing power of these fishes is, ht'vever, easily demonstrated by a j visit to the shores of the Mediterranean. i Southland Acclimatisation Society.— A meeting of the council wai held on the 22nd inst. The secretary reported the gift b/ Mr R. Mackinnon of £5 as a special i donation to the funds of the society, and a hearty \ote of thanks was accorded for I the same. — The secretary stated that the financial year had been a very successful one. notwithstanding some unusual expenditure, leaving a balance now in the bank of £229 126 Bd. the fishing licenses sold (776) realising £516 10s — the largest Eum hitherto obtained. — It was resolved that, in consid»raj tion of the contemplated retirement of the ; secretary, he be voted a special bonus of £50 (in lieu of the £30 usually accorded) for his past year'e services. — The sub-com-mittee of iiupection made the following sug- ' gestions, which were accepted by the council, namely, that 100.000 rainbow ova bo obtained from rhe Clinton or Masterton ponds, j or elsewhere, end laid flown during tlie ensuing sca-oi: Tliat the annual troutstripping operations bo carried out in the Oreti River, as .nertoforc. so as to utilise th© full capacity of the eociety'b hatchery, and that the Government be rcquo=ted a-, follows:— (1) To liberate at an early date at least 10.000 salmon yearling fry in the Waiau Ri\<?r. South'and : (2) that they hr iccommeiid-<(l to et-tabh'-li a salmon hatchery and real ing- i..onds at the mouth or pUewhere in the same river: (3) that it is desirable they should procure from the United States ova of the ba«* and white fish for eventual liberation ir. the Southland lakes. — A donation of two guineah was voted to Constable Emerson for his services in procuring conviotion-3, and thp like cum was voted to George. Young, Thorubury, for paFt services as ranger of this society Deputation to Sir Joseph Ward — A deputation consisting of Messrs W. Russell, E. Tanner, R. M'Kinnon, J. Turnbull, A. Handyside. and Hon. H. Feldwick, M.L.C., representing the Southland Acclimatisation Society, waited on th*> Acting-Premier on Wednesday afternoon, with the request that the Government liberate, at an early date, at > least 10,000 salmon yearling fry in the Waiau River. Southland. They also urged that the Government should establish a salmon , hatchery and rearing ponds at the mouth or elsewhere in the same river, and that they should procure from the United States ova , j of the bass and white fish for eventual libera- , tion in the Southland lakes.— Mr Ruesell, ' during the course of his remarks, said that 1 the bass was the best of all fish for table 1 purposes, and thafc the society were willing . I to undertake or co-operate in the distribution of the fish. — Mr Handyside said the society had experimented with the Aparima. i without the desned success, and he thought they should concentrate their attention on the Waiau. which was the coldest river in ; Southland.— Mr Gilfedder, M.H.R., stated j that, from what he had been tokl by anglers, t ho wa£ of npiiiirtn th»* ♦■V"» Wiua.ii was well

adapted for the purpose of acclimatising fish. — Mr Tanner also spoke, suggesting that the Government should send Mr Ayson into the district to report on the matter. — Sir Joseph said lie would b-e glad to ask his -colleague to instruct Mr Ayson to visit the Waiau and report, and h& agreed with Mr Russell that a consolidating ■mil in connection with the fisheries of the .colony was desirable. The Government wanted to assist the societies, and his sympathy was with the requests of the deputation.

Waitaldi Acclimatisation Society. — The following are clauses :n the report of the council of the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society, to be submitted at the annual meeting: — At the local hatcheries large numbers of lRk» trout have been hatched out and liberated into the various rivers, but owing to fitulty packing and transmission, our success in the lake trout was not so good as anticipated. Rainbow trout : The society has been very successful, stripping and hatching thousands, which have been turned into the Kakanui and Waitaki Rivers. Rivers : Our fishing season has not been so good, especially in the Waitaki, which on account of floods and discolouration has been rather faulty this season, although some good baskets have been got and large fish taken. Good sport has been got in rhe Ka':anui river, and fish have been fairly plentiful in all the other rivers. Hafaataramea hatchery : Large consignments of Canadian and Scotch salmon ova have come to hand, and are being hatched, and great numbers are turned out into the rivers and large numbers into the pond at the hatchery. The balance sheet discloses ft large number of licensed anglers, and in consequence a good revenue, although our expenses have been in excess of last year. The revenue for the year was £139 and the expenditure £122 lls 4d, against revenue last year of £134- 12s 6d, and expenditure of £74 7s lid. The licenses this year brought in £117 2s 6d, and last year the total was £118 10s 6d. United Council of the Waitaki anil Waimate Acclimatisation Societies. — The United Council of the Waitaki and Waiinate Ac climatisation Societies met on Thursday last. Mr Sinclair, tho secretary, reported tint the Waimate branch had a balance in. hand of £112 0s 3d at the 31st March b?t. Mr T. Smith, an old and respected member of the Waimate branch, having' recently died, a vote of condolence with the relatives was unanimously passed. The most of tho business had reference to the shooting Feajon. Ashburton Acclimatisation Society. — The annual meeting of the Ashburton A^-lima-tisation Society was held on the 22nd inst.. at which csome discussion took place on the action of the last annual meeting in. granting a free license to a person, and on the motion of Mr J. \t Cambridge the wording of the minute was altered. Thf committee, in presenting the annual report, congratulated the society on the suc^e-s financially of the past season, the revenue from the. sale of licenses being £132 10s. The report, which was adopted, also dealt, among other things, with the prevalence of poaching. The balance sheet, showing a credit balance of £124- 4e 2d, was read and adopted. The Timaru Herald states that anglera have been having some good snort at the Opihi during the lest few days, and several fine fish have been landed. The pick of the lot, for weight at any rate, was caught by Mr P. Sealey on Saturday night, when he landed a male fish weighing 21£lb. This fish, which is 35in long, was in fair condition and nicely marked. The bait used was a, 2£in Devon. The Canterbury Acclimatisation Society issued 668 fishing licenses this year, as against 490 the previous year. The most pronounced and satisfactory increase was on adults' licenses, of which 462 were issued this year, as against 346 last year. A trout weighing 211b was caught in the Opihi River, Canterbury, last week. During the past season the Southland Acclimatisation Society have issued 776 fishing licen&es — a record. A resolution has been adopted recommending the Government to establish a salmon hatchery and rearing ponds at the mouth of the Waiau River.