ANGLING

Southland Times, Issue 19123, 15 December 1923, Page 12 (Supplement)

ANGLING

(By “Creel.”). Here’s a good one. A novice fisher entered a local tackle dealers in quest of a certain fly and could not remember the name of the pattern he required. Apparently his angling friend had been very successful with this particular fly a few days previously. All he could remember was that the was something in the female line. The shopman immediately suggested female March Brown. “No.” Female t'tone fly. “No.” Then he rattled off the various female flies, but none were the sort wanted. Eventually the fly case was produced and the names mentioned in rotation when Claret Jessie was arrived at. “Ah,” said the customer, “that’s the one. I knew it had something to do with wine and women.”

Climatic conditions for last week-end were good. Although on the bright side at intervals, some good fish were captured, both by the fly and minnow experts. The Oreti at Otatara yielded some nice fish on the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Mr Jock Cuthill fishing the river at Ryal Bush grassed 16 fish, 7 of which averaged one lb. The killing flies were Red Governor, Otamita and March Brown. Mr R. Kidd secured 15 fish on the Kauana waters, the take being a nice even lot. This angler reports that the river seems to be well stocked in this vicinity, despite the voracity of that bane of all anglers, Mr Eel. In conversation with an enthusiast the other day, he described a fight he witnessed in the Wyndham river recently between two slim}’ monsters, who were wrestling with a three lb trout, having about a dozen smaller "fans” watching the contest. He did not pick the winner of the fight, as when a raid was made with a gaff, the school made down stream quickly, one straggler, about 10 lbs weight, paying forfeit to his gaff.

I am pleased to chronicle, that I have met quite a number of anglers recently, who have been converted to fly fishing, and I welcome them to the brotherhood. There is no doubt about the fascination of this branch of the sport, as all true anglers will admit. The fly fisherman, as a rule, is not a pot hunter. In fact, even when the fish are slow to move, there is a pleasure in putting a fine, cast across a nice clear stream. And when I say a fine cast I mean 3X or 4X. I always maintain that to get results, one must fish up and fish fine, and get down to fine tackle. It is far more pleasant to get fast to fish by this means, and chance a break away by a good fish occasionally, than to fish with heavier tackle and “rise” fish that will not take. I have seen the angler using fine tackle, obtain better results so often, when other anglers on the same stream using coarser tackle, have done no good at all. Then, again, there is the correct ‘ way to dress one’s flies on the cast. Some anglers'tie their flies on to the single strand which is tied into the caat when bought. This is a mistake, as the dropper is then apt to wrap round the cast, especially in swiftly running ripples. To make a good job, it is advisable to cut the cast at the required position, make a dropper with a loop about 2 inches in length, leaving the single end about the same length. The main cast is then joined by a series of half a dozen half hitches, the loop threaded through before the half hitches are drawn taut, moistened in the mouth, the main cast then gradually drawn up until the dropper stands out from the cast at right angles. When one does this, one has a perfect job, for when the fly is tied on to the dropper it cannot possibly wrap round the cast. In my estimation this is infinitely better than slipping the loop above a knot in the cast, ns this latter method frays the cast in a very short time, and is the cause of many a good fish breaking away. The Waiau continues to yield an odd Atlantic salmon, Mr C. Chamberlain (Tuatapere) landing a 10£ lb fish in excellent condition. Mr Eustace Russell last Saturday evening brought a fine female fish weighing 94 lbs to the gaff. A larger fish, which was moderately estimated to be about 15 lbs, was unfortunately lost. The third Oreti Shield competition will be held at Dipton on Wednesday, the 19th inst., and as some good fish have been taken in this vicinity recently, the competition should be a successful one. Southland will be represented by Messrs J. Cowie, G. Braxton, A. A. McLean, and A. E. Butt. Dipton anglers have been securing some nice bags, the fololwing being some of the results obtained recently:—Mr N. R. McKay, 30 fish, heaviest 3J lbs, taken mostly on the Haggard and Oreti flies; R. Hazley 20 fish; M. McMeekin, 10 fish including one 5$ lbs; T. Frisby landed a good trout scaling 7 lbs on the Greenwell’s Glory fly; J- Belesky (Lumsden) grassed a nice 4 lb trout at the back of the township. The following flies are generally good killers in December:— Oreti, Red Heckum Peckum, Otamita, Red Governor, Haggard, Male March Brown, Alexandra, Red Spinner (light), Gauze Wing (for evening fishing), and Peveril of the Peak.

To-day the Southland Anglers’ Club are holding a wek-end competition, fishable on any stream in the Southland Societies’ district. Any legal/bait may be used and entries close with the secretary, c/o A. and W. McCarthy’s at noon to-day. The hours of fishing are from 12 noon Saturday to weighin at 10 a.m. Monday the 17th inst. A junior competition will be also held, and it is to be hoped that the club receive good support from this section of anglers. The Mataura river is now being ex tensively patronised by WyndhaA and Edendale anglers, and the Wyndham Farmer hears of a splendid evening catch by Mr N. R. Marshall (Edendale), who landed a basket of 19 “speckled beauties,” a trio of which turned the scales at 3Mbs each. Mr Marshall, who is a keen fisherman, recorded this catch on Tuesday evening, when he lured with “Torepuki.” He again tried his skill on the same river the following evening, and landed 10 lovely trout, which scaled in the vicinity of 31b average.

WYNDHAM ANGLERS’ CLUB. The Wyndham Anglers’ Club held a very successful fishing competition on Friday week last (says the Mataura Ensign I, when good entries were received, and an excellent catch of trout resulted. The conditions of the competition were a full day’s fishing on any river with minnow or fly. The first prize was a cup donated by Mrs A. T. Ross for the heaviest bag, which was obtained by Mr J. E. Mitchell, who secured 20 fish weighing 18) lbs. The prize was a lady’s manicure set donated by Mr W. Sheehan, which was for the competitor catching the largest number of fish, Mr J. E. Mitchell also securing this. The third prize was a safety razor donated by Messrs A. and W. McCarthy (Invercargill) for the heaviest individual fish, and this was annexed by Mr Joseph Hayes, with a speckled beauty which turned the scale at 3 lbs 3 ozs. This fish was taken out of the Mat aura river. The following were the individual catches of each competitor:— No. Weight, lbs ox J. E. Mitchell (Mimihau) .. 20 18J 0 Jos. Hayes (Mataura) .... 10 18 3 D. Hopkins (Mimihau) .... 17 17$ 0 D. Caldwell (Mimihau) .... 15 17 0 W. Crighton (Mataura) .... 11 16$ 0 J. Gregory (Wyndham) .... 14 14 0 J. Mitchell (Mimihau) .... 6 5$ 0 E. Sherbourne 5 4 0 Totals .... 98 113 3 The fish were forwarded to the Invercargill and Gore Hospitals.

In replying to the deputation of nnglera in the Tapanui district the Hon. G. J. Anderson stated that the Southland and Otago Societies had at considerable expense imported small lots of ova, but unfoartunately their efforts had been unsuccessful. As far as I can gather it was rather unjust to aay that their efforts were unsuccessful, for there cannot be any doubt but that some of the ova placed in the streams must have hatched out satisfactorily. There seems to be quite a number of anglers who do not know that our local society dare not strip a single salmon. If the Marine Department had alolwed ova to be taken by our society from different streams to the ones chosen by them, Southlanders would not have had so much to growl about, but to absolutely prohibit them from taking any Atlantic salmon ova at all is a moat unjust action. In reading the full report’ of the Minister's reply one must give him great credit for the adroit way in which he pulled the quinnat salmon across the scent. The deputation were there to talk Atlantic salmon (salmo salar) not quinnat salmon, n we in Southland do j not wish to see in our rivers, as there is no comparison between the sporting abilities of the two species, the Atlantic salmon being one of the best fighting fish in the world. Then again the Minister mentioned about stocking a system of rivers in the North Island, but did not, until a later stage, state definitely it was to be the Wanganui, after which our Southland rivers are to be thoroughly storked. It is to be hoped that the Hon. Minister will keep his promise