BANK XOTBS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 64

BANK XOTBS.

The Waitati. — An angler, is. reported to have got 30 fish in the Wartati, but- all w-ero small with the exception of two or three. The Tokomairiro River.— The Tokomairiro River eeeme to . have fceen yielding very 'fair baskets. Fqv two dajs a.' couple of Milton anglers grossed 43 fish weighing *s high as 51b. One Saturday afternoon an angler got 9 fish weighing 251b. Six of the catch were between 31b and, 4lb. Mr V. H. Bremner took out 9 fish totalling 211b. nnd another angler was Ivcky enough in one <!ay to get 15 fish, averaging 21b, the heaviest turning the ecalo at 4£lb. Thia ie the largest number, so far is is known, yet taken this season for a day'n fishing by one rod. . Other anglers got 3 fieh of 21b each, 6. fish about 21b weight) each, and 12 fish running from 21b to 41b each. Fieh are reported to be plentiful in the Toko River, this season. The Waikouaiti.— Mr T. Maclay is reported to have taken on© of two fieh weighing 131b each from the Waikouaiti. Mr P. Reid was successful in catching the other. These fish were on exhibition in the window of Messr* J. Wilkie and Co. during the week". The fish were in poor condition, and should hare gone 201b each. The Slug— Mpssm R. Forrest, J. Roberteon, ft. M. Marshall, Lamond, Fraser, and Reid were on the Shag River recently, and the party secured 113 fish. Tiw catch wa« made between Russell's and M'Cormick'a Creek, a variety of lures being used. Tho heaviest fish caught weighed 21b. Mr A. B. Jenkins and party were on the Shag from Saturday week to Monday, and report that the fish are plentiful, but very small. They ■were taking fairly well^ and some decent baskets were made, but nothing phenomenal. Th« hea\iest fieh captured would be about ljlb. Th.c creeper, worm, and fly were used with varying success. "Tihe Waipahi.— Mr J. Matheweon fished the Waipahi Uet Thursday, and while ho took a very large number . of fish, only got four that he considered worthy a place in his creel. The remainder were returned to the water. He confined 1 his attention to the water in the neighbourhood of the township. On the Saturday h<3 went up tho gorge, and; got 32 very "nice fish hi four daya' time. Mr W. Clark, w\ho accompanied him, was also successful in taking come nire trout. The fteh ran from lib to 21b in wight, and were in excellent condition. Mr Matheweon reports that the iWaipahi was low at the time he vieited it. ■ Mr R. T. Wheeler opened tho seaton at tho ; Lower W«upa.hi, and met wit-.i medium 1 success, getting 18 fish averaging f!b. On Saturday week he went to Mr Purvis's, but unfortunately an easterly wind was blowing, .which meant fishing down fitream, and only «, few fish were bagged. On Wednesday, 'however, a strong wind was blowing up •tream, and consequently much better euooess was met with, a fine basket of 11 fish weighing 321b resulting. This catch included two 51b flsh» one 41b, and four 31b. The river was a little on the low eide. With another foot of water itwould have been in perfect order. The (rasket mentioned was got entirly with the red quill and. the red epinner. The Pomahaka.— Mr J. Mathewson tried the Pomahaka last*- week, and found the stream, high. H& was successful in taking four very nice fish. The Fraser River.— The Dunstan Times •ays:— "The. Fraeer River is in high flood and local anglers have not met with a great deal of success since the openin? of tho fishing season. Some fair'baskete have been secured, however, the Rfiv. Mr Fitchett fretting 19 fish, and Messrs H. Stevens and J. J. O'Elano securing 12 and 11 r-espc-iivoly on the opening day. Messrs J SheeJiy and J. Sanders got 40 fish for the finst two days' fiehing, one or two 6t these rwnning to between 4ib and 51b in weight. jflMter Freddy Waddell was also successful te Unding^a four-pounder. A Gftod FfsJx fence th* Wafcmra.— A &J*

which weighed 131b was caught by Mr A. Robinson, of Kapuka, in the Mataura River, the Jure used being an artificial minnow. — Southland News. Roxburgh, October 10.— The weather for fishing during the past week was hot so favourable as it was at the first of the season. Every angler who has been out during 'the week "got some fish, but I did not hear of any big baskets having been made. The veteran Mr Tough continues to get good baskets out of Miller's Creek and Benger Burn. The most of the boy anglers here were out on Thursday last, and all of them got fish. The brothers Morrins were the most successful, getting six nice fish each. R. George got a nice 31b fish in an old sluicing paddock. I think that if anglers were to give more attention to the Clutha River it would be to their advantage. There is no doubt but that the river is teeming with iarge trout, but the trouble so far has been to fin-1 a minnow that the fish would take. — i "Angler." "Hold Hard" writes from Benmore, Southland:— The Oreti was in capital trim for bbc opening day ol the season, and a nuntber of 1 enthusiastic anglers were out early in the morning. A fairly strong nor'wester was blowing, asd th^ trout came at the fly with a rush at times, therefore it was no wonder some good bags were recorded, the largest beinsr that of a local * angler, who grassed 58 fish for the day. The fish were small; of course— l£lb to 211) — but capital sport was obtained. The majority, of -the fishermen used the worm, which Was" eagerly taken by the trout. On the 4th quite a larce number were on the river, and another* ideal day for fiy-fishing was experienced. Several Winton anglers put in an appearance, and most of thtem made good bags, Mr Kennedy, I believe, having * large number of fish to hia credit. Mr Stalker (Dipton) p-ja6sed 52, while others in that quarter were also very successful. Two youths from the same place came home with a united total of 60. Fishing in the afternoon Messrs Milne (311, Go ugh (28), and Donnigani (27) had great sport with the fly. and ha<) a capital four hours' fishing. Mr Harrison (Dipton) was very successful with the worm, landing 91. So you 6ee our river «till keeps up it« reputation as one of the bast in the Dominion. There are some splendid reaches of water between Lumsden and Winton, which will well repay a visit. Seeing tha,t you had such poor sport yourself, Mr Jock Scott, at , Waiau last year, it would not 'be a tad idea to pay the Oreti a visit during, your annual vacation this year. Many anglers would give you a real hearty welcome, as you are quite an old friend to most of them, through ths? columns of that foe, journal, "the Otago Witivees. There atp plenty of excllent froatelries situated, wWat might be termi&d, within a stone's throw of the river. Jttdging by the foregoing 1 it will be "seen that the fish are plentiful, and. for so early in the season, ar* rising well to the fly. , More anon. The Catch Limit. — As there etill seems to be somo misunderstanding with regard 1 to tßei number of- trout that may be taken in one day in the Southland Acclimatisation district, it may interest anglers to know that the. limt is 30 fish— the same as . last, season. — Southland exchange. \ Canterbury Angling.— So far the fishing season has not come up to thie expecta- i .tions of anglers*'" The meteorological con- ' diticna have been favourable, but the live bait has apparently not yet been making uj stream to any extent, which accounts .for most of the baskets being filled from the mouths of the various ' rivers. The ■estuary of the S-elwyn has ajfor*3<n& e-orue ■' good sport, and the Selwyn No.' 2 has opened out better during the laat day' or two. In the Rakaia the trout are in poor condition co far, while the Walmakariri j amd Halswell promise good jport in the • near future. — Exchange. Liberation of Trout Fry.— Mr L. M. Barr, curator 6f the Southland Acclimatisation Society, en Wednesday last placed ! 20,000 trout fry in the Otamete Stream, i and also liberated 100 lively yearlings in the same locality. The young 'ujie arrived fiom. Wallacetown in good order, the per- j eentage of losses being very small. Phe ! society will have altogether some 550,000 trout fry for distribution in Southland this year, and the lot^ placed in the Ofcamete on Wednesday is a first instalment. — Exchange. Acclimatisation Matters.— At the meeting of the council ot the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society a letter was read from Mr Sinclair (Waimate stating that < the old Acclimatisation Society at WaiKiate had been turned out, he among the rest/ The new members were doing as they liked. He knew a number of I anglers who were going to take out their | licenses at Oamaru, and if the South Can- ' terbury Society was agreeable he would be willing to cell Jicenses for them. Mr , Sinclair ha<l been authorised to soil licenses in Waimate. The Waimate Society having hteard of thie, wrote that it was un- i usual for one society to appoint agents in another society^ district, and they 1 would liko to know why it had been done in this instance. The Secretary said that the Waimate Society had never extended any courtesy to this soWety, and he did not I see why any explanation^ should be made, i The Waimate Society would not even agree > to P^. talf the cost of ranging the Pare- j ora River, though they gold licenses in "aimate, and the South Canterbury ! Society did not object. It was decided to reply to Waimate stating that this society was i'suing licenses in Waimate because th-sy had been requested to appoint an agent down there. An Unsportsmanlike Dodge.— The following, the author of which, I "believe, is f 'Iron Blue,"' was put into my hands the other day:—^'A cu.siom--give me leave t o speak my min<T, a rank peaching dodge — of tying triangles on the lead of the spinning trace is coming into fashion at thei Rangitata Mouth and elsewhere. The fish try to 6avage the unprotected lead, cay the exponents of this 'curious' style of fishing, and if the triangles take hold of a fish by tb? back, why, so much the I worse f o r the fish. This is all very well, j but «ny magistrate with sporting instincts ! would < ler a man who fished in this way i to pact with tho coin of the realm, or 'do i a month.' This i 3i 3 a question on which legislation may bo required. I told a man he ought not to put triangles on a bare lead, and ie said : 'You fish with three flies'— as a matter of fact I use one— ! why should not I use three minnows?"' ' VVny not,' I replied, 'and a triangle-d lead between each. That is ju^t the sort of tackle you would like.' Speaking c er j. ously. is there anything hut the unwritten Jaw of sport and fairness to prevent a vroujj-mmde*:' maa from, using three or '

. T more minnows? We can allow this, w« \. can allow triangled leads, but we require I a 'test case' on worm-fishing. Let us put dwn stroke-hauling, and then consider worming, remembering at the same time 'Red Spinner's (Mr Senior's) axiom, ac- , cepted by the Field, that when the fish are rising there is nothing so deadly as the fly" Caroline Bay. — At the meeting of the Acclimatisation Society at Temuka Mr Foster said that some fine hauls of trout had been obtained at Caroline Bay this season— fish of 51b to 101b having been taken. Some of these had been taken to his house, among others, for sale, the sellers having to add 6ome other fish and "give the trout in with them." Fishing Regulations.— The following is taken from an exchange: — At the request of Mr A. H. Shury (hon. secretary of the Ashburton Acclimatisation Society) Sir W. J. Steward has asked the Minister for Marine whether it is proposed to bring into operation in time for the approaching fishing season the regulations relating to the deposit of fish in freezing works. — The Minister replied as follows : — "Some of the acclimatisation societies to which the draft regulations were submitted have not yet replied to the communication sent to them ; but the suggested recommendations from those which have answered have been, considered, and such of them as it is deemed advisable to adopt have been incorporated in the regulations which it is expected will be made by tho Governor-in-council in the course of a few days." — Theee regulations are very necessary, as some of the fish put in the Islington freezing works last season are not yet released. With- a view to showing the difficulty and formality that was experienced under old regulations, the following list of instructions was submitted recently to an angler by tho secretary of the Canterbury Society to ensure the release of his fish : "As the trout can only be taken out of a freezing workg for the purposes of consumption, I shall be pleased to receive a formal application from you giving particulars as to when tho trout were lodged in the freezing works, and a declaration that it is only intended to remove same for the purposes of consumption, and .some . information wherby the society can be assured that tlic trout are removed for .that purpose. Upon the receipt of your application I shall be pleased to place same before the council as its next meeting." These regulations are very necessary — 'for what'ofcher purpose would an angler put a trout into a freezing chamber but for consumption? It is hoped, therefore, that the new regulations may prove to be more workable.