ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 46

ANGLING.

( By Jock Scott,

To be a perfeot fisherman you require more •Kcellencies than are usually to be found in such a small space as is allotted to a man's carcase.— Parker Gilmocr. Headers are invited to contribute items ol local fishing news for insertion in this column. J?oi insertion in the ensuing issue they should reach Dunedin by Monday night's mail.

BANK NOTES.

Rain has fallen, it is true, since last issue, but in such an uncertain way that it cannot have benefited rivers near at hand. What may have happened to the rivets 50 and more miles away I cannot even iecture, because I do not know what rain, has fallen in remote localities. I do not think there has been a great fall of rain, anywhere in Otago or Southland for a longtime, and I draw the conclusion that rivers must in nearly every case be low, and consequently "out of action." It is inevitable that a change must soon come; but, as extremes seem to prevail, it may be "flooded riv3rs" next week. I am rather inclined towards old saws; they come so very true and so often true. And the one I have in my mind at the present moment is that "it never rains but it jfours. News is not plentiful; a long search for. it proves that, but I give what I can get hold of by all the means at my disposal.

I hear that the trouble between anglers who hove raised a temporary and modest habitation on the banks of the Waitaki River and those who rule the destinies of the public is likely to be revived; in fact, is to be revived. I have no comment to make on any matter that is sub judice, and am therefore' silent.

The Tokomairiro.—Take the Toko, first. I am told in a roundabout way that fishing is good there, hut I ' have no details of what has been done, or who has done it. Tomahawk Lagoon.—This sheet of water, lamentably small and shallow, and only sufficient to provide a small modicum of sport for Dunedin anglers, is in verymuch the same condition as when I left it last week. Anglers continue to [ 'growl" about it, and with some justification; but they •are not so badly treated as they imagine—few people who "growl" can quite justify all they say, and anglers are no exception to that rule'. The president of the Acclimatisation Society rather ably defended the position a few nights ago. He asked, after stressing that a very large number of semigrown fish had been liberated in the lagoon, what was the use of turning out trout in a small shallow sheet of water which was . admittedly overgrown with weed, and therefore not suitable _ for the reception of trout. I, myself, think that the "only" reason any trout have been liberated in the Tomahawk waters is purely on account of the local angler. It has only been done to give him some sort of chance of enjoying his pastime, and with no idea that the place or the water were suitable for trout. I only throw this out as a suggestion, and put this pregnant question; If you were a member of the society, would you, deliberately and with the intention of' nroviding angling in a broad sense, put fish into the Tomahawk Lagoon, or plenty of the waters that are near at hand and assiduously looked after? I am quite satisfied that the answer would be in the negative '

The Shag River.—l have been trying to get some news about the Shag River for the last few weeks,»and have at last unearthed a man who has been there. He says that Mr Booth and Mr Long were there last week-end, and fished for a full morning, the river being low and clear. He says these two anglers found any number of small fish in the river, of "which they kept about 20 averaging about 2 lb. The only successful lure was apparently the "Red-tipped Governor." The piece of water fished was at Tsbister's, which is apparently a bit.above ihe well-remembered Munroe s Pool, and consisted of good, broken, rapidrunning water such as trout like to get into, and anglers like to, .and can, get them out of. Anglers - will _ understand what I mean by "rapid-running, broken water " The two anglers mentioned had apparently a good morning's sport, but not as good as I am satisfied the Shag can provide with a little more water flowing. Catlins.—l hear that fishing in the Owaka is good, but "keep it dark. We local anglers don't-want a crowd here. 1 don t ■want thai remark to be taken too seriously, but it is an unquestionable fact that anglers are totally different to what they used to be There is far too much I about "angling"" although the word, commences with an "a," and the comments could be extended ad infinitum. That, is not, however, my business. I'm trying to'afford anglers some "information aboufc angling. The Mataura —I understand that Mr R. B Williams, an enthusiastic angler, who never loses an opportunity of exercising.his skill on the fish that inhabit •the -waters of the Otago rivers, has been making a stay at Garston, and has been following up his favourite pastime on the banks of the Mataura River with persistency and fairly o-ood results. lam told he has been averaging four or five fish a day, and that the sport he has met with has been of the consistent order, and quite in the direction to be desired. I don'fc knpw what he has been using as a lure. Lake Alexandrina.—l hear a Dunedin man took a phenomenal trout from the waters of Lake Alexandrina recently and that anglers will have an opportunity of seeing it in picture form soon in the Otago Witness.

The Aparima.—A south exohange states that pood linskets of trout have been taken by anglers from the Aparima River during the past week. Owing to the river being clear night fishing is now indulged in. The Waiau. —"very little is ever hoard now about the Waiau River which waa ; without doubt, at one time an "anglers' paradise." A south exchange says of .*t: "The Waiau River is now very low and trout are plentiful, with the result that fishermen are getting good baskets of bier fish. Salmon have been proved to exist in the Waiau. A specimen sent Homo by the \cclimatisation Society has been definitely described by Dr Hammond Smith. It will o$ sivoS. m purKuS Suitpu iraaS w oq come." Increase in Small Fish.—An exchange says: "Attention has been called to the N presence in increasing numbers in Laker Taupo of a small fish, two or three inches long, sandy coloured, with thick stripes across the back, which eats trout ova and small trout. It is also suggested that the trout in the lake are Buffering from inbreeding."-