ALONG TEWAEWAE BAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2691, 11 October 1905, Page 77

ALONG TEWAEWAE BAY.

By E. M. M.

Tlie shooting season has come and gone, and now the sportsman's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of ns.h.

The Waiau, where tho big trout are caught, and the bigger ot.es so nearly meet their futc, claims its share of anticipation »r.d reinembianre. Many angleis are now furbishing up their gear, pondering the while over tilio mysteries of fly and minnow. Memories <ire rife of fish that were caught) and iish that escaped, of shallows, currents, and .snags — the brief term of freemasonry rvith. other craftsmen, and the tales that Avere tola 1 .

At Waiau Mouth, filling is taken very seriously. For the convenience of anglers tents aud uhelters are orecte<d and tracks are cut. During the teason aJuiost every day brings its quota of holiday-makers, who speedily line the banks, «md cast -«ith varying success.

Sometimes m the evening they go floundering. This serves as a relaxation from tbe more, classic fly-fishing. As the tide turns inwaids they feny over to the shallows. With a thin, sharpened iron bar for a spear and a bundle of dry flax-leaves for a torch tha fisher wanders to and fro, peering into the murky depths. Now and then a roller comas up the river with a suggestive "whish." When a flounder is sighted the fisher digs, and impales it if lie can. He usually gets something — the fish, or a. snag, or his boot. So he meanders, round amid uho glimmer of distant torches, the triumphant shout announcing a successful shot, and the mournful swish of the deepening waters. Sometimes there comes a whisper of wina from the bush and the recurring b&omi of the ocean beyond the bar. On the bank are the lights of the camp. Above +he stare are glimmering, and their reflex is in the still lagooaii. Memories of verse begin to rustle in the "dusty chambers (*i memory," when suddenly the fish«r treads on a flounder. At the unexpected a wholesouled creepine&s wriggles up liis spine : Jie drops his torch into the water, and if h? happens to be fresh from the drapcay counter, he gasps, "I beg your pardon !" Then, conscious he is wasting his sweetness, he strikes a match, and grasps his spear, determined to teach the fish, a lesson in politeness. But the flounder rarely waits. Ever afterwards that flounder is flat, and its progeny inherit the peculiarity. The spots on the fresh-water fish may be the hereditary traces of sea-boob imprints. Who can tell?

The average man goes netting. When the fresh meat is done and the corned beef is salt and dry the desire for fish is born. The fever is infectious, and mates are quickly found. The net being leaded and corked, it is unanimously agreed, that the tears "don't matter," and that self-respecting noiuidea*s would scorn to take advantage of them. So with light hearts we saddle up, and soon are comterirg along the beach toward the favouiite ground— Rowallen. There the bsach shelves with a scarcely perceptible slope, and fishing team 1 * can go a long way out and yet be walking in comparatively shallow water. To our left is Tewaewae; on. the other side are sandstone cliffs, mirrored in lajjoons, and the old river-bed iies between. Logs and driftwood of every shape and size are scattered about, cattle bones and whale bones lie in peace together, fragments of lifebelts, ainld bottles without number

Traces of the late storm are seen in the long, irregular line of seaweed washed up the shingle Bank — huge bundles of kelp rolled and matted, in which sand fleas are frolicking. Intermittent showers are falling, and the pebbles glisten in the evening light.

Soon the- old' gold workings come into sight. The lead runs off at a slight angle fiom the coast-line, and its course is marked at intervals with l-ailraces and gigantic heaps of gravel that were sluiced ouv. Lagoons that formerly marked the coarse of the Waiau are fillecl with tailings, which afford a transitory pleasure to the fossicker, who can usually get two or threecolours to the shovel. Not that they would pay to work, but the sight of gold is always cheering. A grain of gold, worth about twopence will Beat out 10 cover 50 squaru inches, &•> no wonder the heart of the miner is elate at a two-colour prospect.

Ruby sand is showing on the shingle bays, «nd beacboombeis are toiling- while the tido is out. Their appliance seems primitive, but they show us silvery specks on tho coppsrjjfcite, and guarantee it to boil out to 25s per ounce of amalgam. At our request one translates:

"Tho amalgam when retorted will yield gold to that value, and, besides, nearly all the mercury is saved."

"Thanks ; now we understand. We must go; kindly call off your sandflies." "No, if they wander, it's their loss, not mine." -

So w© ride on, and the sandflies follow us. Further on a tall young miner is leaning on his shovel while his flock feed upon 1-im. To our inquiries, h,e states that there is no> gold on his claim that day. It sometimes — in fact, usually — was so. It came when he was away .on. the wallaby. To our, inquiries why he iingeied on the beach, "The fandfiies wero hungry," ha replies, "and I couldn't disappoint them."

We ride on in silence, pondering over the miner's self-sacrifice. Bub his legions mass with ours, and the full strength, of the conscript is on muster.

Tlie sandfly is unohtrupive. He says nothing, and you may never notice when he starts operations, but you rub and scratch after lie is dead. The mosquito, on tlrg contrary, after the manner of Mr Wrnlclo, sings, "IWng, I am going to begin," aud then pings, and the pangs recur in unceasing rotation.

From the last -tailrace the 6hingle bank becomes gradually neurower, until a/fc

length it forms a shelf at the base of t>3ie wo-oded clift, Arfoere mutton-bird shrub a.nd flax grow intertwined.

Passing the Groyeburn, we canter on to the- Rowallen. The tide is turning ii.wards, so we tie up the horses and run out the net. We leave our matches and tobacco with the man on shore. His duty is to bag the fish and to encourage the fisher?. One man, taking an end rope, walks into the water ; another catches the met by the centre; while the third, with thy other end. becomes the axis of the vhoe], the net being worked in large, irregular circles. So they wjide out amongst thp uollers. The most enthusiastic usually becomes the circumference: he gets the biggest waves, and the c^heis can judge f'"om him whether to jump or prop. Wet fiom head to foot, they struggle a.bout in J . he rollers. Sometimes their eyes are filled with spray, sometimes their mouths, but that's all in the trade — the heavier the puil Ui3 happ'er the fishermen. At length they work out to the edge, and pantingly achnire the dozens of flapping beauties wlic-h reward their labours.

Fishing done, a big fire is lit on the beach, clothes are changed, and pipes are filled. Then we mount, homeward bound', A weary ride in the darkness: we hear a belated kaka scream in the bush, and wild cattle calling in the gullies, but tine insistent thunder of Tewaewae permeates it all.