ANGLING

Southland Times, Issue 19099, 17 November 1923, Page 12 (Supplement)

ANGLING

(By

"Creel.")

Contrary to expectations locally, result® were only fair for last week-end, several anglers complaining that most of the fish enticed to move were “rising short.” However, it is pleasing to chronicle that quite a number of fish are reported to be in our rivers, and it only remains for anglers to strike suitable climatic conditions for some good bags to be taken. The Aparima about Wrey’s Bush bridge is said to contain some very nice fish about 31bs weight, one fortunate angler securing some half dozen in - * this locality the other evening. Fish are reported to be very plentiful in th® lower reaches also, and as the snow is fast disappearing from the hills this river should be in first class order from now on. The Southland Anglers’ Club intends holding the Annual Triangular Competition between the Mataura, Wyndham and Southland clubs on the 28th inst if the river is in suitable condition. Reports from the Waiau on Friday stated that the river is in good order with a light nor-west wind and that conditions point to good fishing for the week-end. Fishing at the mouth last week-end Messrs C. Chamberlain and H. Braxton creeled twelve nice fish, average weight 3Jibs. A local angler fishing on Wednesday landed six fish for two hours’ fishing the heaviest being BAlbs and the smallest fish 31bs. The first run of fish noticed so far took place on Wednesday. Dear Creel, —I noticed that the Acclimatisation Society intend to put some eel traps in the rivers. If the big eels were taken out of some of the deep holes it would make a wonderful difference to the supply of young trout as there is no doubt that more trout are destroyed by eel® than are taken by shags or any other enemies. There is a deep hole close to my house where the youth, innocence and beauty of the district disports itself on warm evenings and holidays. After an hour’s flyfishing of an evening I often take a cod line and bait it with a piece of meat and put in an hour fishing for these smooth skinned rascals. Practically every eel over 8 or 10 lbs. that I have taken out had a trout of some description in its interior and when I say that one night I got eels weighing 8, 10, 20 and 22 lbs. from the one place you can understand that unless the society keeps restocking the river the next thing it will have at its meeting will be a deputation of old men eels complaining of food shortage. There is an old eel who lives in a hole under the limestone who is quite a celebrity in his way. He has a Christian and surname and everyone about speaks of him as a matter of course. I heard of his existence the first time I fished the river and on making enquiries heard him estimated at anything up to a cwt. Of course remembering the saying “Are fishermen all liars or do only liars fish” I concluded he might be 30 lbs. and got a big hook and a very strong line, stuck on a half pound bait and awaited developments. I did not hav® long *to wait. He took it like a Briton and started for Riverton. I dug my heels in and sat back but when he got really angry I had to give him his head and I was shy of a new line. Now I have a new relative who fishes. He weighs 17 stone odd and as he came to visit me shortly after needless to say I told him about this big fellow and we decided to have another go. This time it was a groper line and a bigger hook with the usual bait. I intended tying the end of the line to a slump, but my mate was for a half hitch round himself just above where he is thickest, which was done. After a half hour’s quiet, he whispered, “I’ve got a bite,” then the line ran out and I said, “hit him!” He hit, and thing® began to happen. “I’ve got him,” was the next thing I heard but which end of the line the remark came from I wouldn’t like to say. Both ends started to land the other end at the same time and when I saw the land end gradually going to meet the water end I began to feel anxious. Just a® as the odds seemed to be on the water end my friend got his heels in, and threw himself into the britchen (how do you spell britchen any how) and at that precise moment the line broke. I could have done with a spot just then and so could my fishing friend, but there was none available. So we went home shy of another line. I have not tried to get that eel since. In fact considering that. I have a small wife and a large family I don’t intend to try, but if you have a friend who does not believe the story send him along and I will be pleased to introduce and convinc® “RED GOVERNOR.” The following interesting cutting is taken from the Field:— THE EARLY ITALIAN ANGLER. Sir, —Your issue of January 11 gives an illustration of a fresco in the Spanish chapel of Santa Maria Novella at Florence, from which “it would appear” (to quote you) “that the angler used a reel or a winder of some kind on the butt of his rod. a deduction seemingly warranted by clos® inspection of the photograph kindly given to me by your contributor. Were this the case, the fresco would he of the highest interest, as showing the exist, ence of some sort of reel c. 1400, or roughly 250 years before the usually accepted date Impressed by the importance of verifying the discovery, I betook me to that very present help in time of trouble, Sir Charle® Holmes, the keeper of the National Gallery. He very kindly not only showed and went through with Hte v«qr carefully sev»er al skeetohes, but, VeHer still

our accuracy, wrote the enclosed letter, which alas', disposes of this early date for the reel. Personally, a la the fool rushing in where the angel has trodden more warily, I believe that "the write material” held in the angler's left fingers is a crude worm-bag. WILLIAM RADCLIFFE. Sir Charles Holmes writes as follows: “The small reproduction of the ‘Navicella* I •esco in the Spanish chapel in S. Maria Novella at Florence certainly suggests that the angler on the left of the picture has some attachment in the nature of a winch or handle at the butt end of his short rod. However, on obtaining a copy of the Alinari photograph from Sir Robert Witt’s library, it became evident at once that the ‘handle’ in question was merely a crack in the plaster, and so the most interesting theory suggested must be given up. The vessel by the angler's side seems to be half creel, half bait can: the oblong opening in the lid has a pleasant up-to-date look. In his left hand the angler apparently holds with his finger-tips a piece of white material. Can it be a primitive worm-bag? No trace of the line is visible beyond the point of the rod, so the line which appears stretched along the rod below must be a line fastened to the point of the rod. The line has been gathered up into the angler’s hand for making a fresh cast and cannot, alas! be interpreted as a line running freely through an end ring and starting from somewhere near the butt. “After coming to this disappointing conelusion, I remembered that this ‘Navicella’ was practically copied from the much older mosaic above the door of 8. Peter's at Rome, designed by Giotto in 1298. This mosaic has been ruined by time and restoration. but several copies, prints and drawings of it have survived. One of these drawings in the Chatsworth Collection, itself dating from c. 1400, shows Giotto’s fisherman clearly, seated by the river-side in a long, fringed dress and high-crowned hat. By him is a basket or can of similar shape to that in the Spanish chapel, but rather more shallow. Unluckily the angler’s hand and rod are so summarily indicated that it is not possible to speak with finality about details, but the appearance is certainly that of a line continued down from the point of the rod to what looks like a cross-piece near the butt, round which cross-piece the spare line has been wound. It is tantalising that these details should be so sketchily treated, but those who have more leisure than I have may, by comparing the various copies, prints and drawings of this mosaic of 1298 (think of fishing tackle in mosaic!>, make a definite discovery. The necessary references are to be found in Comm. A. Venturi’s well-known Storia dell’ Arte Italians, Vol. V., pp. 291-2. Such a cross-piece at the butt (not an actual reel) to carry spare line and so enable the angler to make long casts when he pleased, somewhat in our ‘Thames’ fashion, would really be rather a practical thing, when fine tackle was neither invented nor wanted. It surely would be premature to expect to find reels in use before fine tackle came into being to make them a necessity?” [The possibility of a cross-piece to enable casting “in the Thames style” is hardly less attractive than the idea of a reel. It would establish a link between tight line and running line with a red. —Ed.]