ANGLING

Southland Times, Issue 17661, 19 February 1916, Page 10

ANGLING

(By “Rod.”) On'ce again I have to report weather conditions unfavourable during the past week. This remark is almost becoming stereotyped. However, the truth must be told, unpalatable as this statement is. Rivers and streams near Invercargill arc at a very low ebb, and although rain has fallen almost every day during the past week not sufficient has fallen to make angling a pleasure to either the minnower or wielder of the fly rod. The only notable catch of the week so far as ..the writer has learned is of a "take'’ made by Mr W. Steans. Fishing in the vicinity of Lochiel this angler captured five nice trout. The lure used was a Perfection minnow —a minnow, by the way, that has been very deadly this season. His bag weighed 241bs, the heaviest fish weighed Mbs and the number taken was five. Mr Steans has been very successful this season. Mr A. W. Clarke had a good innings at the Waiau during the week; amongst his catch were two 10-pounders, a couple of perch, caught at the mouth of the lagoon, and two large flounders. The catch was made with the minnow. The Makarcwa river from the Settlers’ Bridge up was visited by the writer on Saturday last without result. This river has "played’’ splendidly this season, having given anglers full toll. At the present time there is very little use wasting an afternoon, for the reason that weed has taken complete charge.

The fishing condition of the Oreti during the past week was far from favourable, and as a result there is little to record of interest to the angler. On Saturday afternoon last, the weather conditions being ideal and the river rapidly approaching normal, several anglers ventured forth in pursuit of their favourite pastime. Contrary- to expectations, their efforts were not rewarded to any appreciable extent. At least one local fisherman, however, had the old adage anent patience being a virtue brought forcibly to mind. Having vainly spent the afternoon in whipping the river to a froth - even the proverbial "sprat” disdaining to glance in his direction —he continued to ply the rod until late in the evening, when, discarding the small flies and using in their stead a loch-size Pomahaka, his patience and perseverance were rewarded with a nice bag of five, the heaviest, a fine sea-run fish, scaling a little over 51b. During Saturday night the river again rose slightly, the water being much discoloured. On Wednesday it had cleared nicely, and gave every indication of being in capital trim for the week-end. The smaller trout streams in this district have been exceptionally low during the nast week or two, with the result that the trout have been dying in hundreds. The downpour on Wednesday, however, will no doubt remedy this stale of affairs. —Winton Record. Smelt are on the "run” up the Wainu river just now. A visitor to this famous angling place informs me that so plentiful are they at times that if a live bait is wanted all one needs to do is to make a hand grab and the chances are that several will be taken at one time. The trawler Elf King lias landed at Hull a record catch, which realised £3ISI, the result of fishing off Iceland. Fishing in the upper reaches of the Mimihatt, near Grieve s, on Iriday afternoon, Mr John F.. Mitchell, of “Bamborough,” landed 3b trout, all good sizable fish in prime condition. Says tl'.e Taranaki News : "Freaks amongst animals and birds are fairly frefluent, but it is not often that a freak is met with in fish, especially mature fish. A few days ago an angler secured from the Waiwakaiho a 2Jlb brown trout with two tails, each tail being perfectly developed.” With reference to the foregoing, a local angler had a somewhat similar experience recently. While fishing the Oreti lie landed what he at first took to be a small trout, but on making a closer examination lie became somewhat doubtful as to its origin. It bore a striking resemblance to tin- perch in shape, and also possessed the dorsal fin clia racteristic of that fish. hj uerc was however, a marked similarity between it and the trout in the matter of colour and in the shape of the head. It has been preserved, and any angler wiishing to inspect this interesting freak, or hybrid, may do so at the office of this paper. —Winton Record. A well known local angler has just returned from a twelve days enjoyable holiday spent in the Ratlins district. The gentleman referred to experienced beautiful weather nearly the whole time, and states that anyone wishing to get away from "the maddening crowd” and have a real good time should make Gatlins the chosen place. Fishing, of

course, was the principal form of sport indulged in, although boating and other ways of enjoying oneself could be obtained. One day, fishing with the lly, a bag of 25 was taken, each fish being well over the regulation length, and the heaviest sealed IV. lb. This catch was made on the Catlins. Higher tip this river some good sport was obtained by using the cricket as lure. Fishing at the mouth of the Tahakopa with the minnow, although the weather eondi - tions were not particularly suitable, a nice bag was secured. .Nothing "big” was captured. Flounder spearing at night time is the favourite sport in the McLennan and Tahakopa estuaries. A party of four on one occasion caught 13 dozen really grand fish. Feathered game, viz., pigeons, turkeys (pukekoho), and grey duck were seen in large numbers, and kakas were heard but not seen. JTospoets arc, therefore, looking bright for the coming shooting season.

Set-line fishing is legal except in waters where the Fisheries’ regulations specifically prohibit it. It is not permitted in Brisbane AA’ater tAA’oy AA oy). and a man who lays one there runs a risk of prosecution. In other waters the owner of a set-line runs the different risk of, anyone picking it up. He cannot put a set-line down and go away and leave it, hut must he close to it while it is down, otherwise it belongs to the fivirier.—Sydney Referee.

An eel was discovered in an unusual place in New Plymouth the other day (states the News). AAMiilst sinking foundation holes for the new theatre, next the Criterion Hotel, tho contractor struck an eight-inch live eel embedded in tlie earth, eleven feet down. In the old days a stream passed through the section, whicli, like most of the middle of the town, lias been filled in. AA hence did tlie eel come ? That is a question which is puzzling the contractors. Perch are very plentiful in Lake Hayes this season. On Saturday last a party of local fishermen secured a basket of seventy-nine fish, averaging about and a-half pounds in weight.

RAKE LUNG FISH. A live eeratodus, or Queensland lung fish, is to he seen in a glass tank at the A.F.A. rooms (Sydney). It is about 18 indies long. In the daytime it is a sluggish fish, and towards night it begins to display activity. It is being fed by its foster-father, Air J. P. AA’iilis. curator of the A.F.A, Museum, on shrimps and fresh-water moss, and although it has not much room to move about, it appears to be contented with its new quarters. The specimen is of great interest because it is one of the links of tho present-day fauna with that which flourished millions of years ago, and which is now found fossilised. Mr N. A'oung, a member of the Association, who lias been travelling in Queensland, secured the fish somewhere and despatched it to Sydney. It has both lungs and gills, and is therefore able to stand the droughts that often affiot parts of tho Northern State. The Association lias a fine cast of a much larger eeratodus in a case on one of its walls. The last four specimens of the eeratodus sent alive to London and Paris brought £SO each. Comparatively few museums in the world have a specimen of the eeratodus in their collections. PROFITABLE SPORT. Representative Bartholdt, of Missouri, tells the story of an old =man with a soft, daft look, who sat on a park bench in the sun, with rod and line, as if he were fishing: but the line, with a worm on the hook, dangled over a bed of bright primroses. “Dafti” said a passer-hy to himself. “Daft: Bughouse: Nice-looking old fellow, too. It’s a pity.” Then, with a gentle smile, tlie passerby approached the old man anti said: “AA T hat are you doing, uncle?” “Fishing, sir,” answered the old man, solemnly. “Fishing, eh? Well, uncle, come and have a drink.” The old man shouldered his rod and followed the kindly stranger to the corner saloon. There he regaled himself with a large glass of dark beer and a good flve-cent cigar. His host, contemplating him in a friendly, protecting way, as he sipped and smoked, said: "So you were fishing, uncle? And how many have you caught this morning?” The old man blew a smoke-cloud toward the ceiling. Then, after a pause, he said: “You arc tlie seventh, sir.”