ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 64

ANGLING.

By Jock Scott. To be a perfect fisherme.n you require more txoeUenciei than are usually to be fonnd in such A tmall space as is allotted to a man's carcase.— ?4»KEB GILMOUn. • fceaders are invited to contribute items of local oj£ing <new3 for insertion in this column. For in the ensuing issue they should reach termedin by Monday night's mail.

RANK SOTBfI. A Tribute to the Taupo.—A tribute to the excellence of the Taupo fishing grounds yras paid by an English visitor, Colonel Grove, C. 8., of London. He is the late brigadier-general commanding tbe Bth Brigade, and has been in the Dominion since. January on a fishing excursion. In conversation with a reporter he stated that. he thought the fishing grounds he had visited were unequalled. He had had the best of salmon fishing in Canada, and although one got a 6 much fun out of it, the great drawback was the flies, which were not encountered to nearly such an extent in the Taupo district, where he ■bad spent most of his time while in the Dominion.—Northern exchange. Ancient Disciples of the Art.—A few days ago there foregathered at the Waitaki Ittver six disciples -of the gentle craft who, through the r ; ver being uo and the water dirty, got no fish, and drew together in the friendly conversation of serene old age. The united ages of the six veteran fishermen aggregated 433 years, and this works out at 72 years apiece. It is not once in a lifetime that such a thing happens, and it is therefore worthy of record. They found in their friendly chat one of the consolations of a blank day.—North Otago .Times. Help Yourself.—The Mount Benger Mail of a recent date reports a case in which Harry Thomson and Robert B. Fraser were charged with doing £6 10s worth of damage to the hut, boat, and sail belonging to the Otago Acclimatisation Society at Lake Onslow. These two worthies are apparently license-holders, and paid a visit to Lake Onslow for the purpose of fishing. The report of the charges arising out of | their subsequent proceedings is given by the Mai.' in as laconic a form as it •well could be, as follows: —"Harry Thomson »nd Robert B. Fraser were charged with doing £6 10s worth of damage to the hut, .boat, and sail belonging to the Acclimatisation Society at Lake Onslow. Mr Fletcher appeared for the society and Mr M'Kean for the defendants, who pleaded 'Not guilty.' Evidence was given by Arthur /{Robertson, Cockburn. and Donald Elder. The magistrate dismissed the case against Thomson without calling urjon him to reply. 'Defendant Fraser gave evidence. The two men were license-holders. They went out to the lake to fish. Found hut locked. Saw hole underneath wall, and crept in. Took out bolt in door, opened it, and took out boat and used it. Did not use sail.- but put it on stretcher. At Robertson's request, left boat out that wight. Next day they ran the boat back into the Bhed. Saw no damage, did no damage, and left a little water in boat to keep it ifrom leaking. Case dismissed." After this I think the society had better not trouble •with boatsheds, locks, or bolts. On the two occasions I have been at the lake the door was padlocked—that was when. Mr Cockburn represented the society,—and one would be no better off if he did scramble in through "a hole underneath the wall." The only conclusion I can come to is that the regular mode of ingress and egress to and from the bcathouse nowadays is by ■means of this same "hole," because I do not quite see how, with a bolt inside the door, anyone is going to get inside or out unin by any other means. Ithis is the w in which the property of the "society-p ffl ndirectly the property of anglers-is ped after I do not think very much of Southland Acclimatisation Society.-^he

following are the principal parts relating to fishing appearing in the annual report of the Southland Acclimatisation Society. The statement of receipts and expenditure shows that the income from the sale of licenses amounted to £755 7s 6d, as, compared with 5775 17s fed last season. The decrease (£2O lCs) is accounted for by the drop as follows: —Seven licenses at 10s, seven licenses at ss, 26 half-season licenses at 12s 6d. Tho number of 20s licenses sold last season was 455. as against 456 this season. The amount of royalty on trout sold during the past two seasons has not been received from the Government. Application has been made for same, and when this comes to hand it will add considerably to the revenue. The total revenue has increased bv £741 12s, ard the expenditure by £1271 17s 4d. Included in the revenue is a Government grant of £985 12s for the new hatchery at Mataura. The statement of assets and liabilities shows assets amounting to £2293 4s, of which £340 19s 3d represents cash in bank and on hand, and the balance (£1952 4s 9d) represents- real estate, plant, and sundry small balances, while the liabilities amount to approximately £SO. The sum of £73 Is 3d shown as cash in hand in the balance sheet represents returns for licenses which came to hand after- 31st March. This amount has since been banked. The ova received from the Otago Society was estimated at 449.000. the eyed ova from Hakatararriea at 100,000, and the m>a taken from Mararoa fish at 14,000. With the exception of a small lot from the Otago Society, which was delayed on tiie railway for nearly three days, all ova hatched out well, the resultant young fish being strong and lively. Trout -fry was distributed as follows:—Oreti and tributaries. 75,000: Aparima and tributaries, 75.000: Makarewa. 50,000: Otapiri. 25,000: Dunsdals. 25.000: Hedeehope. 25.000: Titipua, 10.000; Duck Creek, 10 000; Mokotua. 10.000; Puni Creek, 10.000; Waimatu'ku. 25,000: Waikiwi. 25.000: Otamiti. 25,000; Waimea. 20.000; Waihooai, 20,000: fry ponds_ at hatcheries, 10,000. A number of yearlings were turned out from Wallaoptown. Owing to hot weather and d'ffipulties of railway iournev. the frv intended for the Orawia. Pourakino. and Lora could not be distributed, but equivalent value in yearlings will be turned out in these streams. The yearling ponds are at present overstocked, and it is proposed to carry out. a distribution of half the number of yearlings on hand as soon as the new sortinsr and spawnins: shed, now under construction is completed.' Aftc dealing with prosecutions under the Fisheries Act. of which there were lft„ representing £47 in fines, carrying costs £24 2s, and two where service of the summons could not be effected, the "report, continues:—"During the greater rart of the season the streams have been in good order, and many remarkable bags of fish have h-fen csntured, r-m-ticularlv in the Oreti River. In the Waiau. however, it is reported that the run of fish has not been upto the standard of former seasons, and in January and Februarv the Aparima ■River was unorecedentedly low. The new hatchery at Mataura was completed during the year, and the society is to be congratulated on the possession of a thorousrhlv UD-to-date nroperty, eminently well suited Mtfa for fish oulture and for bird rearing. The society have still a few eel pots on hand, and these may be obtained at cost price from the secretarv. The purchase monev will be refunded in full at any time on return of the eel pot in good order and condition."

An Amusing Encounter. —W. Quiliiam contributes an article to the English Field of a recent date, in which he recounts a blank day experienced by himself, and something that took place at its close. This something I leave him to veil in his own • quaint way: —Over the turf silently there came towards me a dim figure, which, as it approached resolved itself into the likeness of a lively old man, clothed in black, with an epron and gaiters upon his shapely legs, and a low-crow:ned, broad hat upon his head. His round cheeks were apples; his nose was coloured by nothing but the 'soundest port; yet his eyes were bright and youthful—a rotund, comfortable elder. Lace ruffles were at his wrists and a pair of bands depended below his two ample' chins. I assumed him to be some dignitary of the cathedral with an oldfashioned taste in dress. A huge creel was slung over his plump shoulders, and in his hand he bore a tremendous fishing rod. These things placed him among tho fraternity. He said, "Master, well met!" and I understood him to be a facetious old gentleman. Humour was out of harmony with my mood, but I strove to be civil. "Grammercy!" said I, "vastly well met!" Ha did .not smile, and I put him down as one of those humourists whom their own wit alone entertains, and went on fishing. Minutes were precious. I was aware that he remained beside me. Presently: "So ends anotbet merry Midsummer Day," he observed, and I heard a faint sigh followthe words'. "It has brought me right good sport, whose memory shall sweeten all my long year." Evidently be got a day on the water each season. I tried to be glad that he had done well—l said I was;. but my voice was not convincing. He detected its false ring instantly. "And yen, good master," he said, "have catched, 1 doubt not, an honest store of fishes?" I said, not too amiably or too truthfully—but who can blame me?—that I had risen several big trout, but had grassed nothing all day. This latter statement the condition of my creel made necessary. He was just the sort o fcomplaoe'nt old creature who would not be satisfied with verbal evidence. "Tush, tush!" he observed, "what make of angler is this?" I considered whether I might, without all loss of self-respect, , take this venomous ancient by his admirable middle and heave him into the river. 1 decided that at all cost I must keep my hands off him. I owed my fishing to a churchman, and the clergy hang together. I busied myself with casting above some particularly oily rings. "And yet," he remarked critically to the sunset, "he throweth deftly and far. But why kneeleth he?" I rose abruptly and went fifty yards ujp stream. I have never done a ruder thing, but I was not myself. And this was nothing to what I could have dcjne had I not been resolved to show him forbearance. I stared miserably at water which nothing broke. The first spectral wreaths of the river mist were lightening the darkness under the further bank. "Good master"—unheard he had joined me, —"prithee suffer a brother angler to make oloser acquaintance with that so farthrowing wand." I held out my splilt cane to him dumbly. He did not take it, but he bent over it, pieering' at it through the small square spectacles he wore. "Aye," he said, "a pretty tool and a valiant. But what de\ioei is this?" "That," said 1, in

scorn of him, "is the reel. You perceive, simple sir, that the line, passing through these excellently contrived rings upon the so-valiant wand, is retained upon a central drum, and may be drawn off" (1 drew some off) "or rolled up at will by the miraculous turning of this deft little pin." I wound up, as ironically as I might. Again my humour failed to touch, him. His eyes were round with amazement and delight. "Is it even so?" he breathed reverently. I perceived that I had to do with a lunatio or with a supreme artist, in either of which cases everything must be forgiven him. Humouring him or plaving up to him—l oarod not which, for the rise was over— I indicated the gut trace. "This," 1 said, "is the gut, made by extending the entrails of the silkworm. See how strong it is, and how transparent." I tugged on it. "And see, bare is the fly—j, sedge. There are five hundred other (patterns (sold at half a crown a dozen), all of which I have in these boxes." I opened my creel, and permitted him to peep within. "This, ' I went on, " is my bottle of paraffin oil, with which I anoint the fly to make it float more yarely, and so deceive and master these subtle fishes. There are the pincers with which I pick my flies out of their boxes. Here is a tube of dubbin—l smear it on my line, reverend sir, and this causes it to float most excel'ently. Thus, with but one little twitch I do hook the brutes. Here is a piece of blotting paper to drv my flies withal if haply they be wetted. Here " "Good gentleman, ' he said, interrupting, "no mere, I pray you! I am dazed. Tell me but one thing. How cometh it that with so many cunning aids thy skill, which sufficeth surely, as I have seen, hath brought nothing to land in a long day's angling?" I was silent. A question at once more pertinent and more impertinent had never been put to me, or one less easy to answer. "Behold," he said, "these my own unworthy weapons. My wand a single timber shoot of ash, my line tied to its tip; three twisted strandis 'from the' tail of my good grey mare, and l my two 'great bouncing bumbles fashioned by these fingers from the hackles of my old gamecock that died gloriously in Will Andrews's pit a sennight come Tuesday." As I looked at the dreadful tackle my heart swelled with pity for the man. But he had said something about good sport. Well, there were chub in this river; ha might conceivably have caught a brace of chub. " And yet,", he went on, "see what I have taken." As he sspoke he unslung his creel, inverted it, and upon the grass there poured a cascade of trout—fat, golden, pondeircus. Instinctively I removed my hat. Lunatic or fanatic, here was my master. "There be a dozen and three," he said in a satisfied voice. "The others are above, concealed beneath a bush. These since 7 of the clock." "The others?" I gasped; "how many, in Heaven's name?". "Threescore and two.'" he anounoed simply. "Look you!''— he moved the heap of fish with his hand, and disclosed a stupendous fish of a'bout 61b weight—"here is a shapely gentte.man. A gladsome time he gave me, forcing me to cast all twice to the river. But the floating wand bstrayed him. I rode my pony in to him, and now he is mine!" "You rode vour pony?" "Ay, marry! I'm not so young as I was, and old Tom has carried me since noon. He nas gone round to stable, for my turf is not for hooves to tread." "Your turf?" "Ay, marry!" said 1 the old gentleman carelessly, as he placed the fish back in the creel. "Hah!" he exclaimed, weighing the thing in his hand, "I have seen a worse evening's fishing. Trust me! There is tf,o stone in there, my master!" As he spoke the strap gave way beneath the inordinate weight of ohalk-sbream trout, and slipped through his fingers. . The creel fell to earth. I etooped—for this man was worthy of all reverence—and picked the thing up, bracing myself unconsciously to lift. My body flew upwards with a jerk which caused-me severe pain, and when I had recovered from the shock of surprise the creel was in his hands. In the gather ing darkness I must have failed to take hold of it. "Sir," he said. "1 thank you. And now I "will even wish you a good night's rest, and, an you angle on the morrow, a fair south wind and a dark water." So saying he began to move silently away. "But don't you fish tomorrow?" I cried. It would be an education to see this angler at work. The river mist was now thickening fast, and partly by the faint pallor in the west, which was all that remained of Midsummer Day, partly by the golden glow of the moon, now climbing among the branches of the elms in the close, I oould see his vague but comfortable shape ambling softly from me. "Let me see you fish to-morrow," I called. "Nay, nay!" he replied, his voice lessened by distance, "not to-morrow, gentle sir; I must wait my year—my long, long year." Again I heard the gentle sigh, and with it the dark shadow that was my acquaintance became one with the blackness that filled a space between two ageless yews. Angler's Guide. —We have received from Messrs Hardy Bros.. Alnwick, an advance copy of their Angler's Guide and Catalogue for the 1910 season. There is in the first instance much valuable information concerning sport in various countries, including New Zealand; hints for anglers, and a great deal of useful matter. As for tba catalogue portion, it is a model of what a catalogue should be. In addition to the ordinary index there is a " cut-in" index in the front of the volume, by which the seeker after information can find instantaneously the section he desires to consult. Many novelties are described, both for the dry fly and wet fly anglers, and some new rods and innumerable accessories are particularised. The catalogue is handsomely got up, and profusely illustrated, including beautifully-finished pictures of flies. Messrs Hardy Bros, are to be congratulated on their enterprise.