ANGLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3954, 24 December 1929, Page 50

ANGLING.

By

Jock Scott.

To be a perfect fishermen rou require more excellencies than are usually to'be found in such * email epace as is allotteil to a man'e carcaee.— I’ißiEn Gn.MOCa.

Headers are Invited to contribute items of local fishing news for insertion in this column. For insertion in the ensuing issue they should reach Dunedin by Saturday night's mail.

Following is a list of competitions arranged by the Otago Anglers’ Association for the season: — February I.—Waikouaiti River ; bare fly February 22.—Tomahawk Lagoon ; any legal bait. March I.—Waikouaiti River; any legal bait. The weather was so bad during the week-end and for the three succeeding days that angling became almost a negligible quantity. The weather ever since the opening day of the season, October 1, has rarely been fine, and the past week end has been quite sufficient to cause anyone to put his rod aside in despair. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday it was wet and cold. Ender these circumstances few anglers have been out, as far as I can ascertain, and if they had been they could not possibly have made more than poor baskets. Thursday the weather showed a disposition to mend its ways, But at the time of writing (Friday) it is back to its old condition, with every appearance of continuing. It does not look very promising for Christmas and the New Year. I wish all anglers, far and near, a Merry Christmas.—J. S. The secretary of the Otago Anglers’ Association has received a note from Waipahi stating that the rivers in the district were in good order at the time of writing, and, given reasonable weather, should continue so for the Christmas period. Mr .Leonard Doyle, a leading member of the theatrical company at present in Dunedin, is apparently a keen angler, and has had the misfortune to lose all his tackle in the Manuka disaster. Mr Doyle intended to proceed to Wyndham to spend a week there on the Wyndham and adjacent streams.

Several members of the English cricket team, at present touring New Zealand, are enthusiastic anglers. While in Wellington those members of the team fond of angling met with very poor success. It is to be hoped that they will meet with better luck if they try Otago rivers. Mr L. M'Mill an and a, brother angler were at the Pomahaka Inver during the week-end, and for a day’s fishing did better than could be expected. They took nine fish each, all very nice and plump, but nothing over about IJlb. The “ Pomie ” fish seem to be going down in weight, though a doughty angler some years ago did challenge a statement 1 made that I thought 61b fish were not too plentiful in the Pomahaka. If the trout caught by the two anglers were not separately very weighty—though 111 b i« quite a good fish—the aggregate catch was quite a respectable one. A pound and a-half was the average weight, and that gives 1311 b per man. and 271 b for the two baskets. The fish were caught on a fly rejoicing in the name of Mutuku, or something like that. It is not classified, but is evidently a good killer. Peveril of the Peak. Jessie. Black Gnat, Coachman, and dozens more are quite familiar to me, but Mutuku beats me altogether. By the Maori name, I should imagine it to be a fly without ancestry, brought into existence to meet local conditions, ihe pair of fishermen had an exciting experience in the capture of a 171 b eel. Ihe 1 omahaka swarms, or used to swarm with eels.

I took a stroll out to Tomahawk Lagoon on Friday, just to see “ the bovs ” hauling them out, but not a rod was visible on or off the water. There were several boats on the lagoon, mostly occupied by youths and boys who were keeping the fish in the lagoon on the qui vive for danger. I, however, heard that there have been a number of trout taken out lately. I learn that Milton anglers are not by any means doing badly about the mouth of the Toko River, but can give no details. A discreet silence is strictly observed by all anglers in these days—they go on the principle of not letting their right hand know -what their left hand doeth. A few oil fish are being captured up •’ aikouaiti way by the persevering fishernmn, an d am told that the whitebait that was so plentiful in the river has decreased considerably. This removes one of the obstacles to the angler’s catching fish. I am given to understand that anglers who fish the Molyneux from a bit above Balclutha right down to near the mouth of the river are stiH making fairly good hauls; some of the fish taken being very weighty. With unfavourable weather for a few weeks, anglers were not meeting with a great deal of luck, but latterlv have been more successful (writes a Balclutha correspondent). At the week-end a small party landed six fish from the Clutha, the weight aggregating 151 b. Anglers are somewhat concerned at the absence of small fish, the majority’ _ caught ranging from lb to 41b. This is quite 3, good weight from the immediate point of view, but scarcity’ of small fish does not indicate successful spawning in the stream. A notable capture of two large eels from the Wyndham River by Mr J. Munro is reported recently. The monsters weighed 281 b and 301 b, and this season anglers report the presence of large eels throughout the province. It certainly appears that a “ progressive drive ” would be of a beneficial effect, and it is respectfully suggested that a combined effort should be made by all district angling clubs.

The most recent budget of news to hand by’ “ Creel ” concerning fishing in Southland contains the following information:—“The larger rivers, such as the Oreti, Aparima, and Makarewa, were all too dirty for fly fishing, and most trout taken from these streams were caught on the ‘ woruj ’ lure. It is reported that the Aparima River was suitable for fly work for a while, and during this period Mr M. M'Auliffe caught five good trout, the heaviest of which weighed 71b. A valued correspondent supplies the following information concerning the salmon fishing at Lake Te Anau for the week-end prior to last; Fishing the JVaiau River at Te

Anau the following baskets were obtained: Mr A. Cutt, two fish, 161 b (including a 10-pounder. the heaviest fish caught so far this season); Mr W. 11. Dunnage, four fish, weighing 161 b; Mr 8. M. Maealister, four fish, weighing 241 b; Mr T. D. Pearce, five fish, 261 b. No fish were caught the previous week. Last week a fresh run evidently took place, the salmon being larger and in better condition than the previous season’s fish. In conversation with Mr H. A. Lyon* he informed the writer of a splendid bag which he and Mr A. Pay caught on the Oreti River at Old Man’s Flat the week-end before last. Operations were commenced about 7 a.m. and by 9.30 a.m. 47 trout were taken on the Purple Grouse and Priest flics, and the trout weighed from fib to 211 b. After 9.30 the fish went ‘dead,’ and further fishing could only produce sprats. However, reports such as these are encouraging, as, given suitable climatic conditions, the Oreti River promises some good fly bags now that the snow water is disappearing from this splendid stream. It is pleasing to report that the Waikiwi Stream is yielding some good trout from its lower waters to wielders of the minnow rod. Messrs F. Wilkes and S. Royds have been capturing good trout up to 91b weight on rough days and during the hours of darkness.”

At the monthly sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at Balclutha, before Mr 11. J. Dixon. S.M., Dominic Patrick Minola, for whom Mr Walter appeared, was charged with, on November 17, using an illegal bait while fishing for trout in the Molyneux River. The bait used was liver. The defendant, through his solicitor, pleaded guilty to the charge.— Ran; ;er F. W. Pellet, who prosecuted on behalf of the Acclimatisation Society, said the charge was laid under regulation 3 of the Conservation of Fisheries Act, and it was clearly set out on each license issued by the society what baits were allowed to be used for trout. This was the second case of the kind at this particular part of the river, and anglers had been complaining about the use of liver. In this case the defendant had 23 pieces of liver in a tobacco tin concealed in his bag. and he had another tin containing worms displayed quite openly on the bank. Trout were brought up on liver in the hatcheries and were particularly fond of it. The defendant had a piece of liver on one hook and a worm on the other.—Mr Walter said it was defendant's first fishing season. He was a law-abiding citizen, but had not read the regulations on tile back of his license, and was in ignorance of the fact that he was committing an offence He had been quite open about it. If he had wished to evade the ranger he could have cast his line into the river.—A fine of £2, with costs (25s lOd), was imposed. “Creel” writes: “In conversation with a novice angler recently, the writer was discussing various makes of rods, and during the conversation the subject of a ‘ rod recovery ’ was mentioned. A veryessential feature in any rod is a quick recovery to its original position if a hooked trout leaps suddenly from the water. One, of course, naturally raises the rod when a trout does this stunt, but unless a rod has a quick recovery the leap of the trout will beat the rod, the strain on the fish is released, and a lost ‘ good-un ’ is the result. The common fault with some rods is that about the centre of the rod, if one whips the rod, it will be noticed that there seems to be two or three feet of the wood with a ‘ dead ’ feel, the lower portion and the tip being the only portion to have a really ‘ live ’ feel. When one observes this in a rod when considering a purchase pass it by, as you surely will lose many a good trout through that rod having a bad ‘ recovery.’ A rod that feels like a whip in the hand, alive from butt to tip. is a good working tool, and when that objective is attained then one can face and fish any stream with the utmost confidence. A good rod that fits the wielder like his suit of clothes is the Ultima Thule of satisfaction. So much depends on a rod that fits the person that a thorough test should be made before the purchase is effected.” The big game fishing season was opened with a swing at Mercury Bay. there being a large run of both inako sharks and swordfish coining in. Mr John Mead brought in two makos of 3501 b and 330ib respectively, these being caught outside Mercury Island, where Mr Zane Grey was flushing last year. The present indications are for a tremendous run of fish. With unfavourable weather for a few weeks, anglers were not meeting with v great deal of luck, but latterly have been more successful. At the week-end a small party landed six fish from the Clutha, the weight aggregating 151 b. Anglers are somewhat concerned at the absence of small fish, the majority caught ranging from IMb to 41b. This is quite a good weight from the immediate point of view, but scarcity of small fish does not indi cate successful spawning in the stream. Speaking to a Wanganui Chronicle reporter recently, Mr H. J. Duigan, president of the Wanganui Acclimatisation Society, had some interesting remarks to make on Atlantic salmon and the attempts made to stock the Wanganui River with this class of fish. He said that sea-going trout had been caught, and because of the smoult on the scales, which turned them a silvery grey, experts took them for salmon. He quoted a case in which the late inspector of fisheries, Mr Ayson, really believed that a fish caught in the river was a salmon, and his successor, Mr Hefferd, held the opinion that it was a trout which had been to sea.

There is a pool at the pumping station for the Atlckland drainage system, near Orakei, containing hundreds of goldfish. It appears that years ago someone in Auckland (possibly annoyed at their noisy ways!) tipped a bowl of goldfish down the drain. These particular goldfish evidently were a hardy breed, for they survived their long journey in the noisome sewers, and were still alive when they were discharged into the tanks at the pumping station. There they were seen by one of the men in charge of the machinery, and were removed and placed in a fresh-water pool near by. Here they have thrived and increased, so that, though from time to time some have been captured and transferred to the ancestral glass bowl, there is never likely to be a shortage of goldfish at Orakei.

— « ■—* THRILLS OF SWORDFISHING. During his visits to New Zealand in quest of deep sea sport, Mr Zane Grey has been able to secure a fine film record of the thrills attendant upon the capture of the fighting swordfish and make shark. Advice received by the Minister in Charge of Tourist Resorts and Publicity (Mr P. A. de la Perrelle) states that this special feature film, with sound and dialogue added, is now ready for release in the United States, Canada, England, and Europe. At private screenings it has already been described as one of the most absorbingly interesting films ever taken. Further pictures, which include unique scenes and fishing thrills at the Galapagos Islands, hunting in Mexico and Newfoundland, and at the Perlos Islands, are now being assembled and will possibly be shown in conjunction with the New Zealand film. Mr Grey states that he has incorporated in the picture some striking and unusual scenes taken by the Publicity Office camera men at the Bay of Islands, Mercury Bay, and Tauranga, which will serve to show the great range of fishing waters available along the coastline of the Dominion. The release of this film is expected to prove a wonderful advertisement for New Zealand throughout the world.