ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3004, 11 October 1911, Page 64

ANGLING.

By Jock Scott.

To be a perfect fisherman you require more excellencies • than are usually to be found in 3Uch a small space a« is allotted to a man's carcase.— PABKBR GUIiMQUB. Readers are Invited to contribute items of local fishing news for insertion in this column. For insertion in the ensuing issue they should rjach 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.—Lake Logan, 6 p,in. to' 9 p.m. November 11. —Wa-ipahi River (bare fly conipetition). - "■- '•■* -. November 13.—Waipahi River. >";. --^ It is probable that a competition .will also be held on the Mimihau River" some time about Christmas. •:■?"} i.>££ .

RAIK NOT1B*!. ; The. Water of Leith, with its depleted waters, is still yielding fieih, but not too abundantly. Mr G. M. Marshall, I understand, made a trip to its upper waters, recently, and secured seven fish, and returned an abundance of others a long way under size. Bad news comes to hand as to Tomahawk Lagoon, where the trout and even the opokabully are dying, but from what cause is not too certain. Had the .blue stone with which it was proposed to < kill the wegd in the lagcon been used the mortality among the fish'.would: have, at' once been put down to that; but the society has not experimented with it, so that cannot be the cause of the 'trouble. I understand the water in the lagoon has become very dirty and foul, largely owing to the sources of supply having lor a good portion of the last few years failed. Good fresh water is as essential to the well-being of fish as fresh air is to the human being, .and if the water of the lagoon "has-become Jfoul the fish in it certainly could hot be | expected to thrive, and would ultimately i die. I stil hold the opinion, which I i have before expressed, that the Tomahawk Lagcon is not suitable for trout, . and recent events would seem to indicate that there is some ground "for holding sush an . opinion. A downpour- might save the situation, but if the present gloriously fine weather . continues I venture to predict that" every fish at Tomahawk is doomed. Lake Logan, from what I hear, is not giving up too many of its spotted beauties. Fish are occasionally caught, but tbcsa fall mostly to the man who is prepared to sacrifice himself by stopping onehalf t/he night. It is, however, generally admitted that there are plenty of fish in the lake, and I expect that, under favourable conditions, those who persevere will get their reward. Some nice backets have been taken from the reservoir far up the Leith "Valley, on the. Leith-Waitati road. I am told that Mr Johnston on the Ist caught 33 fish there, and Mr H. Islip last Wednesday caught nine, Mr Moir accounting for a similar number. The fish are not big, the heaviest weighing about lib. The worm has been the lure most commonly in use, but the largest fish caught by Mr Islip was taken on the_ fly. , Looking through the Fishing Gazette of 26th August. I notice an article on the alarming increase of the cormorant and other fish-idiestroying bards in the Old) Country. In the course of the artiple it mentions that, although the birds average weight is 61b, it eats daily 361 b weight of fish, and holds in its stomach eight to 12 fish at once. The increase of this voracious bird at Home, reminded me of the frequent statements I have heard with regard to a similar state of affairs existing in Otago as to the shag, which is scarcely less destructive. If thorns is any truth in the statements made these birds are multiplying rapidly, and are pretty certain to continue doing so unless a sufficient inducement is offered for their destruction. I oannot verify what I have heard, but the Acclimatisation • Society officials should be in a position to say whether it is true or not, and, if it is, some immediate action seems necessary. The Waikouaiti. —"The Ancient One" sends the following:—"I have just read "Bank Notes" in this week's Witness, and congratulate you or; the amount of information re the opening of the season which you have energetically gathered.,l went to the Waikouaiti, and, for the benefit of those who have not yet sa<mpled that erratic stream, offer you some further details beyond those you were able to pick up for this week's' notes. Mr Aitken made a splendid) basket, but his five fish were practically all caught at night. Personally, I have given up catching trout at the cost of doing without sleep; biit for

those enthusiasts who.'pah..stand 48 hours with only a few 'forty winks' in the daytime the Waikouaiti offers a chanoe ot getting some grand sea-run fish. Captain and Mr Beaumont, Mr Lawson, Mr Pithie, Mr Ross, and one of two more did well the first day when the tide was running up, their backets • varying from nine downwards—fish from fib to 4lb, —all caught in the bridge pool. Some -of us got one, some got none> but we had a good outing. The next morning's tide some of us tried the corner where the good baskets had beet made the day before. We had the tide, wo had some light wind, and fished with the same bait. Also we had two of the' first day's lucky men with uee; but, alas! it was love's labour lost. Mr Ross got some lower down, where his mates also secured'a few between them., otherwise it was an incredible* frost, considering we occupied the same stations which had yielded well the first-day.; Night fishing* with is unquestionably the best"* game on the Waikouaiti for those who can stand it." Streams About the Taieri.— The Taieri Advocate states as follows:—i'The fishing season opened on the 'lst, and in common with other districts the streams in this locality were weiil whipped, a large number of angler© being, .out; The weather ' conditions were ..very suitable, and some good baskets.; were ..■obtained." Doings About. Milton.-—"lsaao Walton" contributes the following , to the Bruce Herald: —"Angling" is, being taken up this season with its usual -enthusiam, and anglers have been busy lately getting all their fishing gear out, putting same in order for the opening - to-day. Anglers who have been keeping their eyes on the river report there are plenty of fish in it, and the last rain should have improved the. river greatly. A number of* fishers have already gone down the river to be in readiness. A large number of licenses have been sold in, Milton during this last week, and the boys seem to be very keen on it also. The Bruce. Angling is holding a competition' jpn, Labour Day for members—men and : boys. The entry money for men is Is, and for bovs od, and the following are the conditions:—Time, 4 a.fd. to 6 p.m.; competition limited to Bruce County; no basket to in for first prize if under 61b in weight; weigh in at &.30 p.m.; baits are 1 limited to natural and artificial, minnow or fly; entries with the secretary four days before the competition. The values of the boys prizes are 12s 6d and 7s. 6d; the mens are to be arranged by the committee. It is to ,be honed anglers, will help the local society by becoming members: Members tickets, men 2s 6d, boys Is." Angling at the Ciutha:—The Free <( Press contains the following information -—"Local disciples of leaak Walton report that conditions were somewhat unfavourable on opening day, the weather being cold and bleak. The best bags reported were got by Mr J. Finn (24 in the Waiwera), Mr R. B; Lattimore (five nice: fish in the lower waters of the Puerua). -, Some Kaitangata aniglers did fairly well in *he Molyneux, bags of four and five fisli running to 31b, 4-lb,- and 51b each being fairly common, while others had catches of two and. one. The Molyneux fish were all in good condition. '' _ _■ Some Southland Streams.—The Gore Standard says:—"The fishing season was opened on Sunday under most favourable circumstances, although the weather was. at times bitterly cold. Several parties of Gore fishermen visited the Waipahi,. which was in first-class v order, and. ,some - good catches were the result. One s gentleman landed five fine fish ranging from 21b to.. "»b„ ln weight, and another secured a beautiful fash of llilb 32in in length. The weight of this fish would have been much greater, but it was in rather poor condition. The Otamita was not in such good order, and was rather full for nice fishing, but some fairly good baskets have been reported. A party landed 27 nice fish, and several Mandeville anglers secured half a dozen each. Fishing in the Otaraia a party of four gentlemen from Mataura secured a bag of 26, mostly small. Another party who visited the Mimihau did not commence operations 'at all on Sunday, but next day they tried their luck." '" ,'.

Rivers About Ashburton.— The Ashburton > Mail reports as follows:—"The trout-fishing season was opened on Sunday, when the conditions of the county river© wore fairly satisfactory, although the water was inclined to be rather too dirty. A large number of anglers took advantage of the fine weather, and the Ashburton, from the mouth to the upper reaches, was extensively 'whipped.' Several parties Visited the mouths of the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers, but it is understood .that those who fished nearer home wore the most successful.. A 'number of anglers were very successful in the upper reaches of the Ashburton, and some fine baskets were secured. Mi George Arthur, Hampsread, landed 14- fish, ranging from lib to 41b, while Mr John Davidson, Allentorf, secured a bag of a dozen fish, ranging in weight up to 51b. Taking everything into consideration, the fish are in fairly good condition, and the streams .appear to be well stocked. A party of five, fishing in the Ashburton about seven miles up from the bridge, landed a catch of about 40 fine fish, the largest weighing slb. A good number of heavier specimens were hooked, but escaped. For some reason the fish at the mouth of the Rangitata would not "take," and anglers were obliged to come away with empty bags."South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. —According to the Timaru Herald of last Friday the council of the South Canterbury Society has been engaged, in a wild "scrazqiirrg" match over the dismissal of the ranger, Mr Franks._ At a special meeting of the council Mr "Coira moved a motion, of which notice had been given, asking that 'the motion passed at the previous meetinsr, dismissing the ranger, be rescinded. He contended that it was unfair to dismiss the ranger without giving him an opportunity to speak in his defence. And this, he said, was the opinion of a large number of members of the society. If the ranger had done anything deserving of censure he should have been asked to explain, bu't what had been said and done was a gross, reflection on him, and was calculated to injure his future prospects. It had been stated that the ranger. had "cooked" his diary by making a wrong entry in it, but there were no grounds for such an assertion. A great injustice had been done to the ranger, who had been in the employ of the council for a good many years, and had been complimented oh his work at every annual meeting. He had. always done his work conscientiously. It was complained that he was unable to

stop poaching, but in this respect he was not singular. Other (societies had just the Bam© complaint to make, but they did not sack old and tried servants on that account. Mr Franks was well acquainted with the district, and more fitted to watch the interests of the society than a stranger. He should at least be given an opportunity of defending himself agaimst the charges (made. Mr Coira also presented a petition, containing about 100 signatures, which asked that the motion dismissing the ranger be rescinded. A rather acrimonious discussion followed, during which the ranger made an explanation as to his doings—Mr Allen said he made no specific charge against the ranger, but could eay that his experience was the experience of many other consistent anglers—namely, that they very seldom saw the ranger on the river. Since the previous meeting he had' put the question to 70 anglers, and 60 of them said that they had never seen the ranger on the river. There had been great dissatisfaction with the ranging for the past two years, and the motion to dismiss the ranger, had not been proposed hastily, but after long consideration. They were not getting what they should from the ranging. As to the petition presented by Mr Coira, some of those who had Bigned it said thai they did not know what they were signing, as there was no heading on the sheet presented' for their signatures. If a man. in private" employment did not give satisfaction he 'was dismissed by his employer, and the .council, as representing a large body of anglers, should act in the •same business ter' further discussion the motion was put and lost, the voting being 5 for and.'7, against.—There were 98 applications to fill the position rendered vacant, and after lengthy consideration Mr James Leckie, of Timaru, was selected.

TKOL'I Al KOIOKUA AM) : ;.;":: r i;Aj|ji*o. - ... Mr John writing from "Wendernoini," iiucKiand, on the proposal ;• to nei'- ana can trout at Kotorua, says':— '*lf '" those who advocate the proposal would taico the trouble to read up the Hstbry'o'i salmon and sea trout in JSngiand, Ireiand'/ and fcicotiand, together with' that oi Norway, they might considerably change.their opinion as to not fishing ana canning, trout in Kotoraa district. One peculiarity of the Taupo s fish'seems to be that the lake-water nay the sameeffect on" them that the bea has on salmon. They run up , the rivers to spawn, and return to the lake when spent, where, in a short time, they regain all their strength and. beauty, and largely increase in size, » Were .the,-fish netted lor sale, in a very few years £he result would be the same as in the countries mentioned, where fish is now., so scarce as to be fluite out;of reach of a poor, man ..In Hereford,; on Wye, fish about 60 or 70 years ;• go were so plentiful that apprentices stipulated in their indentures that salmon should not be given them "more: than twice a weejc. Now, it is not-the Jot of any .but-wealthy people to taste it from; one year tcy. another, Many rivers in Norway,,,.not. half as .good.'as those falling into :Rotoir.ua _ and . Taupo Lakes, have been bringing in a rent of from-£IOOO a year upwards. Of late years, the falling, oftV \duo to the .netting the mouth of- the drivers, has been so great that the fisheiTies> i both ittithe British Isles and Norway, are lapidly losing their value. If people here would only realise the money value of theßotorua and Taupo rivers" for fly fishing, thoy'would understand what short-sighted policy "it would be to destroy it. More particularly, it facilities for the transport of "the- fish (caught'with' the- rod) to; market were arranged, the rod fishing woUld supply all wants.-' Indeed, far more; and anglers (were.- the- journey not so troublesome from Auckland to Taupo) would come from all -parts of the world to spend their money and-enjoy the sport.. Onoe begin to netj -and the best-fishing in the world will soon .be.,as. poor .as it, has become in the Old World, rivers.

Stopping- the fish going up the rivers to spawn, as has .been done in Rotorua for the last two ;pr three winters, is the best , and quickest way of bringing the fish in Rotorua back to their, former condition, because the. weaklings and the progeny of weaklings and all unfit.fish can be taken at the harrier, and only the best fish for spawning purposes passed over the barrier to go up to spawn. The improved condition of the 4 fish in Rotorua Lake ;-his season is proof that this system is the best. The netting which took place this year in the lake was certainly not the cause for the improvement 6f the condition of the fish.'. As soon as .'a number of large, strong, healthy fish "again inhabit the lake they will be so'voracious (and being well-known cannibals) that " they will soon kill and destroy all the fish that are not strong enough to take care of themselves> or that have any sign of ■ disease or weakness. In fact, the food supply at'the present time is simply enormous, and would fatten healthy fish' ! at a great rate. ' To recapitulate, the best means of improving the condition of the Rotorua ■ trout is to stop weaklings and diseased fish from breeding by preventing them going up the rivers to spawn, and by fostering the growth ofbig fish to act as scavengers of the .lake. Anyone haying a sheep, cattle, poultry, or any other breeding station would carry ■. out the same principle. -Animals and birds can be weeded out from time to time, but it is impossible to weed out the bad fish, and ; Nature, alone can do the work satisfactorily. Taupo River and Lake have not suffered much yet from the breeding of weaklings, but if the great slaughter of last season continues, especially during the spawning sna-'on. when the best and largest fish are taken, it is only a matter of a few years before Taupo fishing will be as bad as Rotorua was the season before last. I cannot too strongly point out that the. preventing of weaklings and diseased fish breeding by stopping them going up to spawn is nossible in Rotorua, but nearly impossible in Taupo, because of the size of the rivers, and therefore we must rely entirelv- on the cannibalistic nature of the trout to keep the lake free from disease. This can only be done by preventing the wholesale butchery of wellconditioned fish at the mouth of the rivers, day and night, in April and May, when they are running up to spawn. It would rather surprise many of those who butchered the spawning fish in May to know that fishing for trout in May # is illegal throughout New Zealand according to act of Parliament, and that they were liable to a very heavy penalty for so doing. t fhe Natives, should also he prevented from taking fish (always the largest and beat)

with" the spear and pitchfork during May, June, July, -August, and September. How can these fish he expected to be in good condition rih-November and December when they get no peace. They are hunted and taken practically all the year round, and already the large decrease in the average size of the fish at Taupo 'is causing anxiety to all true fishormen.