RANK NOTES.

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 64

RANK NOTES.

The angling season opened on the Ist under unpleasant and unfavourable conditions The heavy rain that fell on Thursday night had the effect of converting the Water of Leith into a boiling torrent of highly-discoloured water, to fish which was ; an impossibility. The result was that practically no trout were obtained from the . Leith, though" a* good many anglers stood ready equipped for operations long before daylight. There were some 12 or 14 rods on Lake Logan, and most of the anglers managed to score a -$sh, but few got beyond the one. The largest fish taken turned the scale at 41b, and the biggest basket made consisted of six fish, one of which went a couple of pounds. Anglers state that tho Lake Logan trout are in extremely ooor condition, and affirm that the 41b and | che 21b trout referred to should have scaled i twice as much as they did. While a variety of lures were used, the worm was found to •be the most effective, and was generally resorted to. Though the season has opened ; so inauspiciously, the additional water in nhe river will be an immense advantage to anglers, and m> the water runs down and clears some good baskets should be got. 'Already the Leith has begun to fall, and if the rain beeps off should yield well. -Several Dunedin anglers left town on I Thursday_to try their luck on various rivers, j most, of them making for rivers compara- | tively close at hand, such as the Waikouaiti , and Shag. A few went further afield to the ■ Temuka, Kakanui, and Puerua. A party t intended to pay a visit to the Tomahawk ' Lagoon, where some big fish have been \ liberated, but whether they carried out ' their intention in the face of the weather experienced is not known. Those who did ■tart the season on Friday morning have had a decidedly unpleasant time of it in the j wet and cold, aud well deservsd the reward | of their efforts. A Feilding telegram states that the weather, was not at all pleasant for zhe opening of the fishing season. Heavy showers of rain fell all' the morning. The rivers and streams are running full, and are discoloured. Reports say that there should be good sport. A Christchurch message states that all the rivers aie reported to be in good fishing condition except, the ' Eakaia, which is rather dirty. | The Silverstream. — Mr W. J. Layburne returned to town last evening after having | spent a day on the Silveifctream, from j which he secured 14 fish, the largest being j about l£lb. Mr Layburne reports tho , Silverstream as being slightly discoloured ! and in good condition for angling. Hio-j caught his fish oh the artificial minnow. i Milton. — Th' 2 Milton Mirror says a good deal of interest is being taken in the forthcoming season^ and learns that 23 jmen's and boys' licenses had been issued 4ocallv up to time of going to press. Angling About Balclutha.— The Free Press reports an attempt to form an anglers' association for the district, and says: Reports reach us of good water and (plenty of fish in the 6urrounding streams. In the Molyneux the minnows nave been going up far the past four weekjj, while iast season they were not in evidence to any extent until about the end of October. .This early appearance of the bait should mean that the river trout will be in better condition than is usual at the opening of ithe season. W hethe * the fish are there, Siowever, remains to be seen, although we are informed some people have been already making practical investigation. It is said that four anglers were to be 6een operating on the South Molyneux bank ' towards the mouth on Sunday week tost, I rlso that boys and youths have been fishing J for perch on the quiet for some weeks J>ast in the Four-mile and the other oreek emptying' into the Koau brand). Such unsportsmanlike conduct is greatly to be •deprecated. The Shag. — Quite a number of visiting ajigJiers arrived in Palmerstot> the night kerare the opening of the season. Fish aie

eaid to be plentiful in the Shag, and as the stream is at present in splendid! order for fishing some good catches should be recorded during the next few days. North Otago. — The fishing season in, North Otago (says the Oamaru Mail) premises to be very successful, though until definite information is to hand regarding 1 the feed it is <sifncult to prophesy. However, on» angler caught 10 fish in the Wftitaki in three hours, and Mr H. Mackintosh reports that there is a rush fcr licenses. The returns of the Acclimatisation Society are not yet all complete, but ome agfent has forwarded £30 received, from licenses. Extensive stocking with salmon in the "Waitalri has been carried) out by the Government from the nurseries at Hakataramea, and the society placed 50,000 trout fry in the Waitaki, Kakanui, and Waianakarua, in anticipation of the season, so that fish should be plentiful. A iToTOcasfc Realised. — Disciples of Izaak Waiton who have been making preparations for the opening of the angjing seaeon should be rewarded with fairly good baskets on the opening djay (says the Gore Standard), as the late rains have put most of the local streams in excellent condition 1 . The Waipahi, Mimihau, and Otamete will be the streams receiving the attentions of Gore anglers, all of which are seidl to be at an ideal level for fishing either with artificial or natural bait. The Waikaia will probably be on the high side for fly-fishing on account of the large amount of snow water coming' down as a (result of this few Meant waim days.— A later issue of tfce txore Standard says: Fully 15 local anglers departed for favoured waiters on Thursday night and next morning, some of whom will not return for a day or two. The streams are said to be in good oro>r and me fish in good condition. Messre G Anderson and J. Sohultz, fishing on the Mataura River in the vicinity of Maudeville, secured 39 nice trout,, tho larg^fct being 21in m length, the smallest being i2in, end several being returned as they were not up to reguk'tion standard Fishing Jower down the river Mr C. W. Ca.rmody landed 24 beauties, all in spiemdid condition, the largest being 4ilb, while several turned the scale at 21b Angling in the North Island.— The following is a clipping from a North Island S2S F-~F -~ Th<aj> & $ Plentiful reins, all <h e streams nsar Wellington are carrying a good body of water, which without au ff - ™™£? g 1 ! < - e xP ected to la4fc w©U i«to November. At the present time the water is considered to be too full for the fly, but Thougn toe streams close to the town were not nearly exhausted last season, the Acohmatisation Society has done a good r^Sgs- &£?:£&£ favourable one. The council of the »«r JT"^ * " kase a « aiQ st the use .of worms and 'creepere on the Mungaroa and Wainui streams, but the Waikanae stream fish^iwTS 1 * WOrm «»d «W nstn?,r. Some fly-fishers regard this in/ul fpSfr AS *° me a little too fai% as the XSTt ' S a very clear *™*Z, Idb • T d }F 9 - ome th * <»* ideal fly wa'Jr aLlir* nft ICt W ? tB ? "»* of 4e city smajf fi£T t aver . that i* '^ overrun witn A JT 1 ? 11 , of Extraordinary Weie-ht — Tf :* Bruce Angling Society.-At the annual meetmg of the Bruce Angling Society Mr 2Slv"Tf tlmt / he r*** ° f a Sther SSds «f /h 7 a " • i Tea / lln^ be left in the {££« president and secretary.-Mr Nelaon remarked that the fry did no ff <iod ihafth SOlI ff h^ Bra^ h if? y€ar - " ieKd that the effect of dredging on fish was not favourable—Mr Hassett said they could do without fry this year if they could get j ear <I'F)V ! T^ h 6eemed to do better in 31 Gill s lead than any other placc.-Alotion agreed to.-Mr Hassett moved that the competition be held on Labour Day this month -Seconded by Mr Nefc on an d cai ? ried.— lt was agreed that previous prizewinners be handicapped.-Mr Grey said his prize donated last year would still be availably and he would promise another on behalf of the president. He moved that the entry money be divided among the boys as prizes.— Seconded by Mr Brvce and* carried. ' Waikaia Angles* Association.— At a meeting of the Waikaia Anglers' Association members protested strongly against the boundaries between the Otago and Southland acclimatisation districts being altered as proposed by the Southland Society. Last season the Waikaia Association bought a hut, but as it proved unsuitable it was cold, and the assooiatiion is now trying to procure another, which will be placed at Glenaray for the usfc of anglers visiting the district. Wyndham Anglers' Sooiety.— At the. annual meeting of this body a letter was received from the Otago Acclimatisation S>ociety asking the Wyndham Society to protest againsfc the alteration of boundaries proposed by the Southland Society. After discussion the following motion wae moved by Messrs Marsh and Robinson, and carried:—"That in the opinion of this meeting the proposed alteration of boundaries would be an. injustice to Otago Society, and that this meeting emphatically protest against the proposal; and, further, that this society places on record its appreciation of the services rendered to this district by the Otago Society, and its good work generally in the interests of acclimatisation." Hastings Anglers.— Hastings- anglers could increase- the interest takep in the sport and make their district a more enjoyable- one for sportsmen to visit by establishing an anglers' club. Such a club (says the Hastings Standard) is in existence in Dannevirke, and doing good work. At the annual meeting of that club it was decided to appoint five extra rangers to protect the interests of anglers in the district. Captain Hamilton reported on the hatoheries, 273,000 fry having been liberated in the Manawatu from ova obtained from the Hakataramea hatchery — all from sea-run trout. The Family Man out Fishing.— "lron Blue,"' in his initial note? to the Press, writes as follows:— "Once thcro was a man who t«x)k his family a-fishing on tho open-

] ing day. I saw them by the Aver, and there -were six children in the family, and the wife. They arrived about midday, and after succeeding in a desperate effort to prevent the children from spilling out of the cart in their eagerness to alight, he was put to boil the kettle instead of going , to the water, as he evidenly wished. Then I think they cooked eggs; ot at any rate, it was something he was told to come and eat while it was hot, and next a. child upeet t'bs kettle, so he had to boil it again. I sympathised with that man, and almost wished' the boy had scalded himself, for th© children were perfect terrors, and it would hare kept him out of mischief. The wife tnied to maintain order, but it was not a peaceful meal. Presently the man burnt has throat in trying to gulp some of the hot tea, so he threw the rest away and hurried off to the river, pursued by the derisive cries of his cherubs. Having rigged up the tackle with anxious care he approached the water and made ready ', for a cast over a rising trout, when — splash ! i In front of him fell a big stone:, thrown by the same boy who had overcast the kettle. It is natural for boys to throw stones, but not when their fathers are fishing, and that patient angler kid down his rod and went to catoh that boy. I heard! him do it, <too, and felt more satisfied , afterwards as I proceeded' to a less exciting ' scene." - | A large quantity of quinnat salmon ova ] taken from the Waifcaki River last season has been hatched out at the Government station at Lake Hakataramea, and the fry is now being liberated in the Hakataramea. Stream By Mr L. F. Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries.