ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3383, 15 January 1919, Page 45

ANGLING.

By Jock Boorr.

To be a perfect fteherman too require more •xoellenoiM than are usually to be found la suoh a small apace u la allotted to a man's carcase.—' Pariim Gilkour. Headers are invited to contribute Items of local •thing news' (or insertion in this oolumn. For Insertion In the ensuing issue the/ should reaeh Dunedia by Muudaj sight's mail.

' BANK NOTES,

Last' week there was an exhibition in the window of Messrs J. Wilkie, and Company — a magnificent specimen of a female trout which was caugnt by Mr H. Creed in the Waitaki. The fish weighed 121 b, was 27in in length, and was perfect in formation. So far, I understand. Mr Creed, though an expert fisherman, has not been among the too successful ones. The catching of this fish seems to be an apt illustration of how “patience is rewarded.” I hope Mr Creed is lucky enough to get another and even bigger fish.

I hear Mr C. Wilson has been spending some time down at Taieri Mouth, and hooked a 12-pounder and lost another big fellow which got away with his minnow. I am given to understand that Mr Whelham had some good sport on the Shag River at holiday time. A party of Dunedin anglers contemplate visiting Tapanui this month with the object of fishing the Bannockburn. They proceed to the scene of action by motor car. Unfortunately the unseasonable weather has left a deposit of snow on Whitecomb, and the ranges near the Pomahaka, and the presence of this may interfere with their sport. It is stated that up to the present sport has not been too good in- this locality, but members of the party are hoping for the best.

The Upper Mataura. —Messrs Perman and party were up at Garston recently. They left Dunedin on Boxing Day, and on Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday, fished the Upper Mataura about Garston, using the fly. They picked up a few nice fish running tip to 21b. Heavy rain then descended which caused the Mataura to become flooded, so the party, unable- to continue angling operations further/ went up to the clear water about two and a-half miles from Garston, and fished the tributarythere for the rest of the holiday. They were very successful with the fly, though—as the name of the stream implies (' Christal") —the water was very clear, and would tax any man to take fish out of it. The party managed to grass Nbetween 30 and 40 fish ranging from 2Alb downwards. The most successful flies used were apparently Greenwells "Glory, red-tipped Governor, Irish March, brown and dark Rod Spinner The Molyneux. —Fishing near the mouth of the Molyneux on Tuesday, Mr S. M'Kay, of Balclutha, landed a fine trout weighing 71b, and also a three-pounder. During, the Christmas and New Year holidays (reports the Free Press) several Balclutha anglers enjoyed good sport at the mouth of the river and in the channels of the old. bay at Port Molyneux, where fish weighing up to 61b were caught with rod and line. Teviot, Lake Onslow.—'Good old C—. You have come "to light" at lost. I surmised that there was not much but a line would have been gratefully received. An extract from your letter as to the Teviot, which I presume refers to that portion of the Teviot River continguous to Roxburgh, ,reads-.—" Messrs Buchanan, Cook, Cockburn, Gilchrist, Williams and Fairbairn have been getting fair baskets but nothing exceptional. During tho, holidays Messrs Cook, Gilchrist, and Buchanan wero out at Lake Onslow and got some very nice fish, and report the fish to be in very good condition and plentiful; but they had snowy weather; otherwise they would have done' much better. The Society liberated 1400 fry in the Teviot some time ago, which will assist the lower reaches of the Teviot. A can of Rainbow was also liberated in the reserve opposite the townSome very fine Rainbow have been caught with the fly in this pond during the season. It is a very handy place to fish when the river in not in order. More fish have been taken out of the Molyneux River this season - than heretofore. The boys have been giving it a good deal of attention, with good results. Some of our local anglers have been away to the lakes and as far as Garston, and I hear that they had very good sport. The weather during the holidays was more like winter than summer, and it was only during the lulls in the weather that there was anything doing." (Thanks for good wishes which are cordiallv reciprocated.) * The Lakes District— "Angler. ' who resides in.the Otago Central, kindly sends me some notes about a trip he recently made to the Lakes District. After a -few friendlv and complimentary remarks, and an apology for the diffidence of anglers in "advertising" what they do. he proceeds to say:—"l spent a good holiday in the Lake's District during the New Year holidays, and had the pleasure of meeting some good hands with the rod. The president of the Society (Mr M'lntosh), Mr Buttervorth Messrs M'Kenzie and Lawson, all from Dunedin: Mr Hodgkinson, InvercarjriH. Mr o ! Kane; from Alexandra, and Messrs Cockburn and Fairbairn, from Roxburgh. The most of their time was devoted to Lake Hawea. They fished the most of the lake from the outlet up to the Dingle, and hod splendid sport. Wintry weather prevailed most of the time, it beincr so cold that it was only occasionally the fish were on the take. Some used the minnow, and others occasionally used the flv It was with the Salmon and Grilzo flies that the largest fish were caught; "Thunder and lightening,' ' Jock Scott "Black Doctor." and "Butcher. The best minnows were found to be the Golden Devon, Silver Devon, and Eelskm. I be fish caught in Lake Hawea ran from 441 b to lllb They seemed to be more plentilul near the mouth of the Dingle and Timaru Rivers but at the same time all the beaches tried around the lake gave good results. The Rainbow seem to be more plentiful than the Brown trout and give better sport, and although the Rainbow have a flavour of their own, I prefer the Brown. The flavour is nearer the salmon. The shagS are very plentiful and so are the eels, and I think that the Society should do something Fo exterminate the first named. The latter could Ibo caught by the hundred and sent to Dunedin after being salted and smoked. They would be esteemed a great delicacy. One fine evening when one of the party'was intent on hooking a largo fish that was rising to the fly, he suddenly espied a very large- eel making towards

the shore straight for him. Ho did not know what the eel's intention was, but ho got along tho beach at record pace and did not try his arts on that largo fish again. Another angler, who was casting his minnow with a, Sylex reel, got his lino jammed, and whilst fixing it up the minnow reached tho bottom and a largo eel swallowed it. Tho best part of an hour was occupied before he saw his minnow again, but there was one eel lees in the lake. The Hawea River was given a good try with good results. The heaviest fish (a Brown trout) was taken near Camp Hill with a Salmon fly and weighed over 131 b. Tho Clutha River was also fished, and some very good baskets were obtained. One angler, when in tho act of reeling in a fish, saw something holding on to it, which proved to bo an eel. He went oul to gaff it, but in doing so put his foot on another one King in the shallow water. There was no occasion for him to have a bath that night. However, he landed his fish and wae nothing the worse for his adventure. Hawea is a delightful place for a holiday, and the trout fishing is "out on its own, the deer are in herds and can be seen from the lake in the mornings and eveningSt There are also plenty of wild pigs. When the trout get more plentiful this lake will Income one of the best resorts for anglers in New Zealand. There is plenty of good camping ground and plenty of firewood, and it is' in camping out that one thoroughly enjoys a fishing trip." (Thanks very much for your news whicn was gratefully received by your old friend, Jook Scott.) - A Monster Trout. —Rumour has it that a 541 b trout has been netted off tho beach, near the mouth of the Waikouaiti River. It _is a remarkable catch, and rumour on this occasion seems not to have been » "lying jade," as it is stated that tho fish reached the hands of a well-known Dunedln resident. It is further stated that it would not go into a_ fruit case. If the story bo true, it is a pity the fish was not preserved to show what New Zealand waters can produce. Some North Island Rivers. A Comparison.—Mr John Logan, writing from the North to a friend in Dunediri says: "I hope again to renew my acquaintance with tho Oreti. The R.uamahanga is a fine looking river, reminding one of the Oreti, but as a fly stream, at any rate at Masterton It is not to be compared with the old river. I have fished the Makakahi, Waipuna, Ruamahanga. and Mangatainoka, and would not give the Otreti for the lot.My experience is not singular. Local men I have met do no better. I only fish, say two and a-half hours a day and never have I got more than four at one go; the best. I-Üb—a sorry comparison with our usual luck in the past.

THE TROUT STREAMS.

HAS FISHING DETERIORATED?

DR RENTOUL'S OPINION. In 1886 a few Old Country anglers resident in Melbourne formed a Melbourne Angling Brotherhood, to visit New Zoa-' land each summer. Of this brotherhood, Dr Rentoul, Dr MacFarland, and Mr A. Mao Diarmid (J well-known barrister of Adelaide) are the last remaining members. Angler* from all quarters belonged to this brotherhood, but deterioration of the angling conditions, combined with the loss of time, has largely" . brought it to an end. Dr Rentoul, who used to visit Southland with his friends every summer, explains why the trips were discontinued in an article on angling in the Melbourne Herald of December 7, the following extract from which will be found interesting:— One thing it is necessary to say in order to keep some from disappointment. In New Zealand we used to have probably the finest trout-fishing rivers in the world, both for the smaller size of trout (ranginy from lib to 41b), and aleo for the large sea-run trout at the tidal mouth of the great snow rivers. The boom days for the angler were from the years 1886 to 1906. Anglers came to New Zealand from th# Old Land, from India, and from all quarter* of the world. Those who like our Melbourne angling party, shared in th« uniqtie experience of those years Enow that they felt a joy that can never in these lands • return. The deterioration of angling in New Zealand is one of the saddest things in angling 1 history. All kinds of base practices—netting, dynamiting, worming—have become so widespread that the true angler thinks of it with a kind of heartbreak. The action of the Seddon, and especially of the Joseph' Ward Governments. precipitated this deterioration of angling in New Zealand. The boatmen, for example, at Riverton, at the tidal mouth of the famous Aparima' River, are now allowed to spread their ■ nets for flounder and other fish up to the ; narrow railway crossing, and; this stop* large sea-run trout from coming ■up the once famous river. The destruction of the finest kinds of large trout in_ most of ( the main rivers in New Zealand is something terrible to think about to one who has Jrone through the ' experience of years. The finer kind of - fly-fishing has now become much rarer in what used to be the best angling regions, and the majority of anglers who wish great sport in angling now; go to the warmer rivers of the northern island, in which the stronger and rainbow trout gives them a foeman worthy of their rod and their * reel. .