ANGLING. BANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2666, 19 April 1905, Page 62

ANGLING.

BANK NOTES.

Bt Jock Scott

To be a perfect Sshercaan you require more excellencies tnao ue usually to be fouud in such a small space as is allotted to * ican s orcus. — Pincn Giluouk.

for insertion in thii column. For insertion in the ensums issue ttej ibsuld reach Duaedin by Monday night s mail.

The Oro^i.— From the Oreti, near Dipton, seme very large baskets of fish have been landed. One most successful angler, Mr A. S. Stalker, hooked 47 nice fish on Saturday, one of which turned the scale at lOjjlb. The Pomahaka.— The Kelso correspondent of the Mat aura Ensign writes: The Pomahaka River has been well patronised this season by fishermen from all quarters, and some very good baskets have been taken. The Opihi.— One of the finest catches of trout seen in Timaru were on view at Mr Cullmans's fishing tackle depot to-day (saysthe Timaru Post of the 10th inst.). The basket was secured by Mr P. Sealey on Saturday night from Burkes pond in th-e Opihi. There were 15 fish in the catch, and the weights ranged from 7lb to 12£lb, and totalled 139J1b. During the day a large number inspected the fish, which, being in fine condition and looking their best, were much admired.

Liberation of Rainbow.— Last Wednesday 500 young rainbow trout were placed in the Rogerson River at Hanmer Springs. Mr D. Douglas, for the Acclimatisation Society, took 500 for the Hanmer River. On Thursday next 500 will be sent for the Percival River. The young fish were active and well forward, and should soon stock the three rivers nearest to Hanmer. Mr Douglas conveyed the young fish in cans by train to Culverden, and thence thoy were taken on by a two-horse American waggon. Rainbow Trout. — Mr Douglas recently liberated 500 rainbow trout m the Rogerson Creek, and a similar number was put into the Percival.

Shooting Trout. — At the Magistrate's Court, Winton, on Wednesday, before Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., on the information of Ranger Biggar, of the Acclimatisation Society, William Stenton, of Centre Bush, flaxniill hand, was charged with having on the 9th inst. tmlawfully taken trout on the Oreti River by shooting them with a rifle ; and Joseph "Whet more, of the same place, was charged with assisting in so doing. Both accn-:ed pleaded " Guilty." At the request of the magistrate the ranger gave evidence to the effect that he had seen the accused together in the river. Stenton using the rifle, which beloniged to Whetmore, who was driving the fish tc him. The ranger had picked up three trout on the bank, where they had been thrown out as the result of three shots. Mr Russell (for the informant) pressed for a substantial penalty. The magistrate said that the minimum penalty was 40s and the maximum £50. but as the accused had pleaded guilty, and it was a first offence, each would; be fined £2, with costs £1 14s 6d.

The Ashburton and Trout Fishing. — That well-known English sporting paper the Field (says the Ashburton Guardian of the 6th inst.), in its issue dated January 21, publishes ?n article entitled "Trout Fishing and Stuffing in New Zealand," which reads as follows: — "In a letter I have just received fro-n that grand old man of New Zealand trout fishermen, Mr A. H. Shury, are some interesting details concerning the sport recently obtained in the Ashburton River. Mr Shury himself has been far from well lately, and says that on the only clay he was able to be out in December two anglers named Sinclair and Thomson ca tight 30 fish, including one of 121b, and several of from 51b to 71b. The rest varied from |lb to 2ib each. Mr Shury' s largest was 3^lb. There were over 200 fish landed that day. Sport has. not been so good' as usual in the Ashburton River owing to continual spates. At th& Antipodes many things connected with natural history are more or less upside down from our point of view, and this appears to extend even to the methods of the taxidermist. Mr Shury was very anxious that the splendid 191b 2oz trout taken by Mr Berry man last j-ear should be preserved by the Tourist Department at Christchurch, and at his suggestion this was done, but on going to see the fish the other day he saw it beautifully stuffed, but, strange to relate, hung up by its nose. On this subject there followed a somewhat amusing correspondence with the department, wh'ch wrote on one occasion that the department always hung their trout for exhibition in that manner, and that no angler had ever objected to the position, and nd taxidermist had e^er stuffed a trout to be exhibited in any other position. To this answer was made inquiring whether they v.ere in the habit of hanging up stuffed lions or t'g-ers by the nose, and 1 pointing out that sharks Pnd sea fish were not treated in that manner. Ultimately, thanks to Mr Shury, the fish was put in a natural petition, and is now much admired. — J. B."

Ashburton Acclimatisation Society. — At a committee meeting- of this society a ietter was received from the. Canterbury Acclimatisation Society re slocking the Rakaia, asking if the Ashburton Society would join them, and to what extent. It was suggested that the A' >urton Society should mako pends and supply the fry, or that the Aihburtoii Society should pay half-cost of pouds and fii.li, «o that the fry could grow into yearlings 1 'for© being' turned out. The secretary reported that he had replied, calling attention to the Canterbury Society's letter of May 27 and June 23, in which ifc stated that the juries of rainbow; fry tai.cn

fiom the boxes would Vie 30s this year and 40s next. As tlm price was roiisidr icd exorbitant, the sccr-otaiy stated that while la Wellington ho had airanged with tho Minister, through tho a->-i\taiioc of Sir W. J. Steward, for the Government to supply eyed ova of rainbow trout to the southern societies at fiom 4^ to 6s p-t-r 1000. The. secretary reported he had applied for information as to the co«t of a hatch-cry to held 25u,000 o\a. — Approved. The secretary reported further that ho had sc-cn. it sta'.o-d that a fpllmongery was to he erected on th-e north branch. Tho society's solicitor was instructed to writ 3to tho promoters of the fellmongery in terms of the Order-in. Council re pollution of streams.

Fishing, the Recreation for Brainworkers. — American doctors, who strongly advocate an annual vacation, especially to brain-workors in search of health, say, " Go fishing and get to bed early " ; and Sir Andrew Cla'-ke, Mr Gladstone's favourite pi ysician, us<?d to say, " I can do a year's we rk in 11 months, but I cannot do it in. I°. Od« month should be devoted to fish-

An Exciting Capture in Norway. — "Ho! Big Sam-mun ! Big Sam-mun ! yoomp I" I was easting with a ten foot six rod for a sea trout, a few yards below, when I was thus hailed by Johannes. He is the excellent fellow in whose house we live, a trusty comrade, and the witness of and sharer in many an exciting capture. I find him in a great stato of agitation, pointing" at a certain spot where he declares he has seen, tho " Sam-mun yoomp." " There ! there !" as, surely enough, a large fish turuns right over out of the water under my eyes. We are standing- oc a rocky platform, jus* below a small foss, where the river rushe-s through a narrow channel, and presently, about a hundred yards lower, breaks into a series of rapids and cascades for another hundred yards or more. Getting out a larger rod, which, luuckily, is not far off — only a 14ft greenheart and rather whippy — I try conclusions with the "big sum-mun," and before long have the satisfaction oB getting fast in him. After working about for a while under the foss he descends and tries his luck in the two or three streams which intervene between us and the dangerous water, and then "lies down" on the other side, where is is just too deep for wading across. His tail is now on the lip of the falls, any further descent must taka him into a perfect boil of tuumbling waters, and a catastrophe appears certain. The sueupense soon comes to an end, and over the edge goes the fish, down, down, rolling over a ledge here and round a boulder there, the reel shrieking aloud, and I, in breast-high waters, sprinting for all I am worth along the great rocks at the side, where on ordinary occasions I am wont to crawl very carefully. On my bank stands a little wooden mill, built out into the torrent on stones and piles. I can go no further, but make my way on to a flat rock, whera a slip would mean a Crowner's Quest, if they have such institutuions there, pnd contemplate a ifoaming pool about thirty yards below my feet, in a corner of which the fish is taking his rest. Johannes and I do not understand each other very well, but I make out that he is proposing; to scaie the roof of the mill, and hold the. rod while I climb round it. So up he goes, and I am juLt able to reach his hand with the tip of the rod. I soon find myself at the edge of the water the. other side of the mill, get the rod safely down, and real up. The fish has not moved. One does not often bless a salmon for skulking-, but I do now. Hullo, check again. Close by is a miniature cliff jutting right out, afc the foot of which swirls the stream. Once more the risk must be taken. Giving Johannes the rod, I swarm up the steep bank, get hold of the rod by the thin end, and haul it carefully up. Having successfully passed it over some young trees, I descend again to the river bed, some distance below the place where the fish is still lying, now several feet abqvs my level, so that the line is being drowned by a great weight of falling water. He yields, however, to pressure, and comes tumbling past me, and my acrobatic performance over the rocks recommence?. He seems to be "playing" me, and I have had about enough of it. We are clear of the dangerous falls now-, but the salmon discovers a large rock in. the middle of the river, round which it i 3 parted into two channels, forming an island. Against this rock he jams his tail and edges by degrees towards tho farther stream. Again to the rescue comes the resourceful Johannes. Wading across the near channel lower clown, he runs xip the other side, and with a long branch scares the fish out towards me, when another race ensues. He has hardly a kick in him now, and I have only hie weight and that of the water to contend with. Getting below him, and unslinging from my back my little 2ft bamboo gaff, I at last get my chance as he drifts past mo, and tho "big sam-mun" soon lies gasping on the bank. So do II And there recurs to my mind the observation made the other day by a young lady of my acquaintance at home: '"I always think fishing must be such a soothing, restful amusement." He, or rather she, for

it is a hen fish, turns the scale at 331b. By-and-bye my "pal" comes along, and is complimentary enough to say it is lucky I had Johann&s as a witness, or he would noF have believed my yarn. — "Gammel Man," in the Field.