Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 15 (Supplement)

THE BROWN TROUT OF TAUPO-MOANA.

-of fact they had a well-provisioned "pa" on Pohatu-roa, and ofton, when the rnciny appeared, they climbed the rocky proeipices and pulled up their ladders after them. There wero the sites of other "pa-," in the vicinity of the fishing-ground where I camped on a brief summer's holidax. -md only a mile or two awa\ was the place of the monumental stones which, to the number of 50, had boon stood on end to s^t r&^rL Nga O™'Ca iormer =ome 50 were slain and oaten, Their skulls were afterwards counted, and

The nio-i wonderful rise of trout 1 e\cr baw was on the longariro River, about a couple of miles abo\e where it t ntors the big lake. We walked across from the little Maori \illage of Tokaanu ami fished for an hour or two in the aft-erncon without success. We waited for the evening ri-e, and it was a sight worth seeing ; in fact, it was phenomenal. It was at it 6 heiglit hist after dusk. The river here, broad and not very rapid, was literalh alive with leaping fish, and some of them, judging by the great nplabh they made, must have been of uncommonly large size; nevorthele'*. we could not catch a single trout, though we tried with minnow ati<l \arious kind-, of fly. Mr Delatour. an expert fisherman, who lived on tlu> bank of the river pud knew all about the

hal'its of t. c fi-'i. al=o failed to catch any th.it night. (Jn other occasions, however, h" had been \ery successful, and had secured trout of o\er 201b. weight. Various other anglers xisited the river ml-«p. quently and were more or loss succe—ful. but it' was ie r t to Mr A. S. Campbell a visitor from England —to fully demonstrate the possibilities in regard to angling for brown trollt in the Tongariro River. Mr rnpboll is an angler of world-wide expenence, and he made a thorough study of the fishing in this river. Moreover, he

Capital it< principal water supph, and if

miles of Shannon, then turning sharp to the east, flows in a deep gorge right through the Tararua Kanges. emerging at the Kakariki clearing. From this point to it 6 junction with the Manawatu it tumbles over a shingle bed with the most lovely ripples, rapids, and trout pools imaginable. The water is clear, and the river rarely suffers from drought ; its small tributaries are considered to be the best stocked in the bush, some very large baskets having been taken in such streams as the Makeretu and the Matarua, in the neighbourhood of Ballanoe. The fish are reputed to be the most game in the district, and all its tributaries are good trout streams.

The Mangatainoka is a shingle river of considerable volume, with water of rather a dark hue. It is most easily accessible from Mangartainoka or Pahiatua, flowing as it does close past these townships There are plenty of rapids, and few places on the river where a cast can not be made without difficulty. The vipper waters are not inferior to any of the bush streams.

The Makuri is a limestone stream of ver\ clear and cold water. Below the Gorge it runs in a deep trench, and is wel) stocked. Above the Gorge it widens oui into a lovely fly stream, and flows throusrh magnificent landscape scenery. In it c upper reaches are rainbow trout.

The Mangaatara is a beautiful stroan and well stocked, but it is entirely on pri vate property. It is a shingle river witl an open bed.

The Mokakahi is well stocked, and iei c accessible from Eketahuna or Pahiatun The water ie very dark, almost black in the deep holes, but it seems to suit the fish, and it takes rank, amongst the firs* as a fly stream.

The Tiraumea is a sluggish and tnrb-'d river, fishable only from the banks except in a few places. There are some large fiVh in it

The Makairo is a beautiful little shingle stream situated about nine miles frorr Woodville and the same from Pahiatua The banks are low and the whole of th<' stream can be waded.

The Oruakaretake is a shingle stream, well stocked, but on private property, and situated 'between Dannevirke and Woodville.

The Mangaatua rises in the Ruahinw and flows past Woodville. After it leave? the ranges it first flows over a wide shingle bed, which gradually narrows down until at its junction with the Manawatu it is deep and slow running. There should be plenty of fish in this stream.

Totara Creek flows past Kumeroa and is well stocked. It is only a small stream, suitable for fly only.

Some years ago Mr Alister C. Grant published a register of his fishing between September 15 and January 29 in the Fortymile district. He was out on 64 occasions and fished 302 hours. He tried 12 6fcreams, and though he seldom fished in the evening or very early in the morning, he creeled 534 fish weighing 7441b. Of these 410 were caught on fly, 116 on locust, and eight on creeper.

One other portion of the Wellington province remains to be described — viz., the

Wairarapa district. Its rivers are brieCy described in Tisdall's Angler's Guide: —

The Wairarapa is a large plain, some 50 or more miles in length by from 12 to 20 miles in width, drained by the Ruamahanga River (with many tributaries), whioh, rising in the Tararuao. runs the whole length of the plain and empties into the

! Wairarapa Lake, and thence into the <-( , jat Palhser Bay. Ihe lake is quite an <_.\ tensive sheet of water, for the most par shallow, and there is ro doubt it holdan lm.nense numoer of magnificent troa running up to 2.01b. wngiit. It has beei \ery little fi-li d. and ought to \ield gran iport to a equipjej '.roller. Th lake would be accessible Irom Featherston norn 3 1 artinborough to Gladstone the Ri;a n-ahanga is an ideel river for minnow fish n:.. being a succession of beautiful rapids and deep, still pools. The fish run large (from 41b. to 121b.), and they are gen<ralU rca-.lj to take a. minnow. Above Gladstone th< Ruamahanga m&y he fished with either fl\ or minnow, but in this part of the river they are uncertain feeders.

From Fcather&ton or Fernside the Tan herenikau may l'c reached. 'I his strean r.ses among the hiiow- ol the larama* an<l runs for many iinl< s through deep moun lain gorges, but c)«~e to Featherston it leaves the mountain's and flows over a -hingle bed to the lake. It is full of good tiout and will well repa\ a \is-it, being a very fair fly stream.

A few miles along- the railway brings us fo Woodside and the Waiohine River running past Gre\fcown. This is a larger river than the Tauherenikau. With oithor minnow or fly a ekilful angler may generally reckon op heavy baskets of good trout from the Waio hine, but. like all large rivere. it is very uncertain. Tlic Mangaterera is a fii.e. heawlv stocked, clear water n\ streau, ri-ing in the Waiohine Range (a. branch of the Tar«in.a). From above Clare\illi> it is a beautiful -hinglc stream with a fairly v ide bed, and p"ok, ripples, and rapids of a nature to t<-mpt the most fastidi niis. From a short dis tanoe above th^ CTareville Road Bridge it is all free water, with a reserve and a good road along the western bank ; but from the biidge to the junction \\ ith the "Waiohine it flows mostly through private property, and is somewhat deeper and narrower. The next river is the Waingawa, some three miles from Masterton. from whence it is easilj reached. This is a mountain torrent, run ning with great rapiditj from the mountain gorges in nearly a straight line to the Ruamahanga. The trout are fairly numer-

ous, very game, and of superior quality, but very difficult to catch.

The Mangatariri is a bold and picturesque mountain stream of clear water flowing into the Waingawa, and contains some fairly large fish. The Waipoua, which runs through the town of Masterton, is a rain-fed stream that comes from the foothills of the

Tararua. Range. Early in the season it is an excellent fly dream, and in spawning time it is visited by large fish that come up from the Wairarapa Lake. Its tributaries in the mountain gorges are well stocked with small fish. HAWKE'S BAY. In the Hawke s Bay district there is now a. considerable extent of fairly well stoch.ee' water. The Rangitakai River in the Taupo district, which was stocked by the local society, is a magnificent stream lor the h\ fisher. The water is very clear in ti.< summer months, and is icy cold at all times, the result being that the fish are \ery game and excellent eating. The rhei can be fiahed to ec.nsidcra.Lle advantage from the Rangitakai Hotel by going five or six miles down stream from there, but the better water is still further down, ano the angler should be prepared to cam; out. The fsh run to a considerable size, and the average weight is a little over 3£lb., it not being at all unusual to get a six or seven-pounder. Last, but not least, in this district ithe beautiful la^e o Waikare-Moana. witl it- -.pk-ndid ranihou tro.it, the pioturesqu* Waikare-Taheke River. In the lake soim remar.cable baskots have been obtained b\ i trolling, and, alas! also wat.h the spear. In the liver, which is icy cold and yen clear, the fish are pretty and strong, ant ' can be lured with either the fly or th< minnow. The district, however, is some what difficult to reach, and, to enjoy th< fishing to the full, one should establish om or two camps. TARANAKI. The Taranaki district, which is one of the last to be well stocked with fish, will no doubt, in the near future attract many I anglers to its streams. Nearly all the rivers come down from the slopes of Mount I Egmont in a succession of rapids and deep j pools. Inglewood is about the best centre for the anglor at present. Mr lisdall has kindK placed at my disposal detailed infoimatioH supplied to him by a local resi dent, and from thi* I make extracts regard , ing the principal streams: — i

Wait.ara.--This i-- a deep, broad, niuddx river. Ntratoro-iti, or Second Nu.itoro. — Tins ithe best of the three Nuatoros, and is <i lavourite haunt of the Inglewood fishei i.cii. It can be reached from Inglcwcxx 0\ going about a mile along the Junction road. Ngatoro-nui, or Third Ngatoro. — This lalso a very good river, and i<s one of the favourites. Fi«h ri'n up to 'e\eral pound;-" weight and are very plentiful. It ie close to the last- mentioned ri\< r. Waiongona. — This river i^ well stockr< and the fish rarv from ill), up to 81b weight; easily reached from Inglewood. Waiongona-iti, which is a small j-treaii' flows into the Waiongona I*- is wel stocked, and fish up to 51b. have been taken here. It can also be reached from Inglewood by a good road. Kurapete. — A very small stream close to fnglewood. Contains fish up to 31b. Mangorei, which joins the Waiwakaiho at the meeting of the waters, has beci stocked recently, but no doubt trout have gone in from the Waiwakaiho. Waiwakaiho. — There are more rapids in this ri\cr than in most of them. It is a fine trout stream, especially in tho upper waiters near Inglewood. It can be casiK reached from Inglewood and from New Plymouth. Henui. — This Ls a pretty little stream rising in the rank's but, not being well known, it has not bren fished much. Tt has been well stocked. It i« about throe quarters of a mile from Xew Plymouth. Mangamii, near Inglewood. has been well stocked, but is not much fished, beintr rather difficult to s^t at. Tt is joined by the Tepopo, which has also been stocked Mangamawhete has been well stocked, and the fish appear to he doing very well. It can be reached from Inclowood, but has not been fished much owing to the difficulty in getting at it. Maketawa. — There are some very fine fish in this river, nut anglers do not often go to it. as the Piakii, which flows into it on the Irglewood side, is preferred. Patea. — This river rises in Mount Egmont and winds through many miles of country emptying itself into the sea at the boundary between Taranaki and Wellington districts. Trout are plentiful in this river, and some very fine ones have been taken. Waingongora, whioh means " snorincr waters," is a very fine trout stream. It has not been fished much. Oan be reached frcm Stratford. Stony, or Hangafcahau River. — Not muoh fished. It rises at the foot of Mount Ecrrnont. and after plunging over the cliffs and forming Bells Falls, it winds on to the sea.

Piakau. — This river flows into the Maketawa, and is considered by many of the fishermen to be the best trout mer in the district. It is preferred to many of the others on account of the easiness of following the river up. Trout up to nearly 101b. ha\e been taken in this stream.

Flowing out to the south of New Ph mouth are a number of small rivers, all of which have been stocked, but more recent h than the Inglewood ri\er-. The fish ap pear to be • doincr well. A few of these rivers are Tapuae, Oakura, Timaru. Waitotara. and others.