ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 64

ANGLING.

By Jock Scott.

To be. a perfect fisherman you require mora excellencies than are usually to be found in such a small space as is allotted-to" a man's carcase.— PARKER GILMOUR. Readers are invited to contribute Items of local fishing. news for Insertion in this column. For insertion in the ensuing issue they Ehould zjaca Dunedin by Monday night's mail. -''•..

The following are the competitions fixed by the Otago Anglers' Association during the forthcoming season:— [ October 14. —Tomahawk Lagoon, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. ' ■ •' October 21.—Shag River. October 27.-r-Lake Ix)gan, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. November 11.— Waipahi River (bare fly competition). • November 13.—Waipahi RiveT. It is probable |hat a competition will also be held on the Mimihau River some time about Christmas. RANK TVOtlS*. _'Q '\ Angling ' news "on Monday" morning..'was scarce, and but meagre , iafprniation- could be obtained even a*, to doings on. .gtroams near at hand. The chief reason for this was that most local anglers had , not returned to town, and only slight indications of what success had bean met "with ware obtainable. Tho morning of the Ist broke fine, and, with an absence of wind and a fairly mild temperature for. this time of year, conditions for fishing were favourable. There was a good turn-out of anglers as far as the Water of. Leith was concerned, and from the somewhat indefinite information I was able- to gather I take it that fair sport was met "with, though every angler was not as successful as might have been, desired; The best fish have, as usual, been taken from the lower reaches of the Leith, where there is more water, and it is stated that on© lucky angler landed a fish turning the scale at s£lb, and that three or four others of 21b weight were caught. In the upper reaches, where, generally speaking, the fish run smaller, the baskets have probably contained a greater number of fish, and a few have got something over the regulation jib. Among the catches made have been some rainbows, and the baskets have been moro varied 1 than in past seasons. The success met with at Lake Logan has not so far Been great. Most of the men devoting their attention to that water on the Ist returned with empty oreels, but I am given to understand that fish of about l£lb have been taken. One reason for nonsuccess on the lake may have been the absence of wind, every angler knowing how difficult it is to take the fish from water of the kind while it is in a placid condition. Only those prepared to submit to strenuous exertion have made much impression upon the finny denizens of the Waikouaiti River from all accounts. Some good fish have, however, been captured from this water. I am informed that Captain Beaumont and his son were about as lucky as anyone, and they are reported to have taken 20 _ trout between them. Mr Stanley Lawson is also reported to have got "among them" to the tune of about a dozen, among his catch being three fourpounders. Mr P. Aitkcn, however, according to an informant, beat this by catching a couple of six-pounders. . Tho Shag seems to be panning out pretty well, Mr A. Jenkins and party, consisting of five all told, having taken about 60 fish., the largest about ljlb. Tho party seems to have eonfined its operations to the upper part of the river, in the vicinity of Glenpark and Mur.iro's Pool. A basket of five fish were forwarded "to town by Mr Jenkins on Motir day. Some fish were oaught at Tomahawk from tho lagoon there on -the Ist, but details were not obtainable on Monday. I

hope to be able to add to this before next issue. '■■•• -•

Mr A. Hi Shury, of Ashburton fame, sends the following communication: —" I have read with pleasure your article on angling, and I agree with Jock Scott that the quantity of snow in the back country promises well for a successful season. As regards sea run trout, I differ from Mr Deans as to what make sea run trout possible in the small streams he mentions that have not enough water to satisfy a 9in fish. Me also speaks of the supply of food giving out. As I have never fished either of the streams he mentions, I cannot give an opinion on them, as I . left Dunedin and Otago in. but in Ashburton, North and South Canterbury districts we arc not .troubled in the same way. In most of our streams'there is plenty: of water, notwithstanding so much is taken for the water races, and in a dry season such as last, though the fish were there and quite visible, as you could see them,' they were just as able to see you. Anyone keeping well back from the water would. see the fish, going up stream, usually about 30' yards ahead of the angler. " As to feed, the silveries and other feed came in from the sea, and the trout follow them. The silveries (really smelts—they have the regular, cucumber smell) go right up to the lakes, where they appear to spawn, as Lakes Heron and Coleridge swarm, with them from gin to liin in length,'and' 4 the trout have enly to swim with their mouths open and swallow them wholesale. It must. feel to the trout like swimming in soup. So, as far as Canterbiiry rivers are concerned, there is no want of.feed. Then there are plenty of bumble bees, which, seem to be very fond of flying over the river and the lagoons, and a'lso crickets. There arc no grasshoppers near here, but there are up in' the hills. This may account tor our big fish taking flies so readily as they didi last year/" I think I may safely ©ay that out of five fish three- were taken on the fly (Pollock's flies). I generally tie my. own, but not the ordinary trout rliea Miae Buohan, at A. and W. ties for me. To return to "sea run trout,'' generally about tlie end of March the big trout /commence to ; come into the lagoons at the mouths of our rivers to spawn, but the bulk of them come in towards the end of April and during May, and „ the season should be extended at least for three weeks to the end of the month (May) to give angler* a chance to take these big fellows, but only at the lagoons at the mouths of our rivers. Long before the" season is opened they have finished spawning and .gone back to salt water. A few are' taken up the stream, but most of the fish' soon retire to the sea, where they seem to live. When the silveries and whitebait are coming in the big trout follow, and last season 10 to 15 trout was an ordinary take for a rod for an evening's sport, though the evening was generally extended to 10 or 11 o'clock, aud sometimes, to daylight if the fish were on the move." The Aparima,—An exchange says the fishing season, which opens on the Ist of October, promises to be a successful one. Fish are reported a being plentiful in the Aparima River. . I have since heard that in addition to those mentioned as having met with success on the Waikouaiti River, Mr ° T. Ross got a nice basket, among his catch being a four-pounder. . Mr Pithey, . of Sawyers' Bay, secured seven or eight fish, and Mr Morgan's basket weighed 161 b. Messrs M'Kenzie, S. Smith, and J. Richardson were also successful, though, I understand, to a less degree. Most of the fish caught were taken from the traffic bridge down to the sea, and were obtained on a rising tide. At the ebb the fish went off the take, and it would seem from this that they are hovering about the tidal waters, and come in with the tide and go out with the ebb. The line generally in use has been the worm, as far as I can hear. j A Dunedin angler of many years standing writes as follows: — Dear Jock, —I promised to let you know how I got on at the'Kakanui. Well, the river was in perfect condition; olenty of water and plenty of fish in it. The 'weather was rather cold, and the fish did not rise freely to the fly. # A friend who was with me used a variety of flies, and got about half as many fish as I did. I caught 22, all with artificial minnow. There is a fair amount of snow" on the mountains at the back of the river, and as it comes away it w ; ll keep the river up for a few weeks at any rate. As the weather gets warmer the Kakanui should give some first-class sport. I send you a couple of my fish, which are "a fair sample of my whole catch. My heavies fish was just under [I thank my friend for his thoughtfulpess.—J.. S.] A--Strike of Worm Gatherers.—A curious item in the deluge of strike news is the intelligence that there has recently been a strike among worm gatherers at Nottingham, which is the chief source of supply for, lobworms. The long spell of hot weather, which has possibly exacerbated other labour troubles, seems to have been directly responsible for this one. The difficulty of getting worms during the drought caused the men to raise their prices to the buyers who retail to the public. It is reported 1 that the dispute has been settled, but it is very difficult to buy lobworms in London at present. —The Field. Extraordinary Longevity of a Line Whilst fishing on the Stjernberg, or lower water of the Falland beat of the Vefsen, during -the last week in June, a lady booked a large fish. The old boatman, who had assisted in the capture of many big salmon, thought at first it was a sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) of about 70 kilos. After careful" and skilful, handling on the part of the angler, he succeeded in raffing it. when it turned' out to be a large salmon. This was taken down to b neighbouring town to be weighed, as no balance registered more than 401 b had been left in the lodge. Twenty-four hours after its capture it turned the scale at over 21£ kilos, or, say, 481 b. The extraordinary feature of the case, however, was the fact that neither rod nor line 'had been used for more than 25 years. I take it that this is a record for the life of even an unused line, while the killing of so big a fish with sucht old tackle, in large and very rapid water, undoubtedly emphasises the skill of the captor.—"K," in the Field. A Record on. the Nidelv.—Mr J. R. Fraser contributes a rather interesting article to the English Field under the abovo heading. Leaving out the preliminary paragraph of the article, Mr Fraser says: —"My first evening's fishing took me to the lowest beat, Vaudret and Holefos,

two fine pools, the latter being almost tidal. We embarked in the boat and tried the head of the pool, where the backwash from the foss runs beside the rooky wa.ll, with a good-sized Dusty Miller. I saw a grilse come and pull at the fly, but it was no hooked, and as they were jumping at the tail of the pool, we dropped down there. At the vefy first cast I was fast to- a good grilse, who did his best to go down the foss to the next pool, and, failing this, spent several minutes in divided attention between the air and the water, being all the time led quietly towards a convenient landing place, where he was presently netted, knocked on the head, and laid in the boat, 4Alb, and' a picture of newrun loveliness. During the next hour two other grilse of about the same size' joined) the first, and the log shute having stopped working in. Helefos, we disembarked, walked down the road, and getting off in wj? i other boat, started casting the Dusty Miller again. Perhaps it was that this pool was.heavier than the other, or rougher, anyhow, there was some reason which put the fish off the fly they had all come to in V audret, so I changed to a Silver Doctor with a, heavy Indian crow tail. Result during the next hour, five grilse, just out of the sea, besides some losses. Then back again to Vaudret, where we got three other grilse, and others off.-the rocks, returning home with 11 grilse averaging 41b each, all just new out of the sch and the best of fighters, killed on a 14ft split cane and fine grilse oast. Next morning I was on the bridge beat at 6 o'clock. " Fish were sulky, tho river had dropped: 2ft in the night, and' the sun was breaking through woolly black clouds, such as the angler's'soul-ab-hors. The heat also, even at this early hour, was intense. On Middle pool- came the | first fish to take hold, and a nice job he gave me. On feeling- tiio hook be. bolted down the river -for Tsridge. pool,'. and was only, stopped at the very tip of the fall. He * then' went" up' into Upper' pool,' where there is a lot of • submerged timber, and the boat could not follow; but we cot ham out of that and back into Middle pool, where he was duly netted on a sand bank. 9flb. This was one of the hardest fights of the month. Tho river is 200 yards broad at Middle pool, and with, the grilse rod and fine tackle, it was a heavy strain. on the gut when he bad out all the line and half the backing. The river continued to drop steadily day by day (Chough it sometimes rose or fell more than a foot in an hour owing to the power stations above its), and as_ the salmon became- sulky, wo determined to see what a pilawn would, do for us, but found that none of the party, had brought any. However, we eventually unearthed a very old bottle containing.about half a dozen rirawns, left by a former tenant,.. but received .strict injunctions from the ladies of the party that on no account was the stopper to be removed in the " house. This was for, las one of the party expressed it, .-•-• When the cork was taken out the prawns b»*' gan to sing! .-■ < Oh, wasn't that a-dainty dish for salmon in .' the spring! ,>>.,,

Hoyyeve'r, there was one prawn which was capable of being baited, and. with him we proceeded to the head? of the Bridge Foss, where the fish rest after coming up. At the first throw there was a pull, and at the second the fish had it, a silvery 20-pounder. Then he went over the foss witih 200 yards of line out, and' nothing to be done. Fortunately the hook came away, and all .the line was recovered, and the angler retired with a bad word and tibree burnt fingers. Think .of it! During the whole month I never had a blank day, arid where all is so good it is bard to say which day was the best, but on July 20 I killed two salmon and 20 grilse, so that was one of the.good days, and it was the day of the fish going .oyer the foss as well. Otoe. of the party fishing Luntih pool was landing a grilse, and had the fish up to the boat and the net in the water, when a pike of 81b swam up to take the grilse, arid both wore landed together. At another spot a pike swam right to my feet when I was fishing off the rock, but he was so big that he fell 'out'of the salmon riet and got away. Unfortunately, I.had no gaff. We saw several large pike lying about at different places, but had no time to try for them. Some appeared to be between 301 b and 351 b. We also captured two salmon spears, one of which was sticking in our ibost salmon pool. They had handles 16ft long, and. 12 or 14 prongs of quarter-inoh barbed iron, and had evidently been in constant use somewh<*re. Everything was most enjoyable for >ur stay—a good house, fiiet-c'fjs sport, good weather (rather too good 1 ), pleaty of room, and lots of fish. . My own bag for 20 days was 13 salmon and 188 grilse, and the total bag of the three rods for the month: Salmon, 42; grilse, 551; &aa trout, 1 (s£lb); brown trout, 2; pike, 3; perch, 3 (took the salmon fly). For the month of July this is a record for salmon, and a double record for grilse on the river. The grilse averaged just ov9r 3£lb. Last year M. and I had the good fortune to break the record for a beat on the Shannon, and now beire is another gone. May next year bring us another merry party and equally good luck."