Angling Notes.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 203, 17 September 1894, Page 3

Angling Notes.

(By “ Piscator.”) The fishing season opened on Saturday under rather unfavorable auspices. The weather was decidedly unpleasant and anything but conducive to good sport. In addition the rivers were Hooded and quite unfit for fishing. Trout are rather scarce yet, but warmer weather will undoubtedly remedy that drawback. Quite a small army of anglers from adjoining counties honored Paliiatua by commencing this season’ft piscatorial pursuits in our rivers. I have not heard, however, of any out-of-the-way baskets. As far as 1 could hear the best baskets were secured by the following : —Messrs Puckle and Norton, 11 lbs weight of fish ; Messrs Wilson, Tosswill, Tone and Seymour, 141bs weight of fish ; Mr Williams’ party, 14lbs. Ail the wielders of the rod are enthusi astic in their praises of the Mangahao river as a trout fishing stream, several going so far as to assert that it is the best in New Zealand. There are splendid readies of clear water, with regular series of rapids, and pools that drive an angler frantic with anticipatory delight. The banks, too, are favorable in every way. Unfortunately, the river has not been so well stocked as some of the less suitable rivers so that it is not yet a profitable river to fish in. One angler remarked that last year an 18 lb eel had been caught there, and added that a stream that would grow an eel that size would grow trout. Just now the fish will only take the brown trout minnow and will rise to no other bait. Mr Puckle has received a letter from Mr Ayson, of the Masterton fish-ponds, drawing attention to the fuct that while the Acclimatisation Society delivers the fry free of charge to Paliiatua there is always a charge from this end for the hire of vehicles to convey the fish to the spot where they are to be liberated. He points out that it is only reasonable to expect that after the fry are delivered free here, settlers would attend to their distribution without heaping further expenses on the Society. In this connection Mr Puckle is desirous of having the names of settlers' who wish to have trout put into the streams in their vicinity, and who would further that end by supplying conveyances to carry the fry to places of distribution. I dropped across a paragraph the other day headed—" Can fish talk ?” 1 should smile! Talk is no name for it. The article referred to fly-fishing.