ANGLING

Southland Times, Issue 20002, 16 October 1926, Page 18 (Supplement)

ANGLING

(By

“Creel.”)

Climatic conditions for last week-end were far from pleasant, but in spite of the easterly winds prevailing, same very fair catches were obtained by several district anglers. The Oreti river, in the upper reaches, rewarded anglers with some nice trout, two “limit” bags being grassed in the vicinity of Centre Bush. The Mat aura river in the Wyndham locality has been giving good returns, mostly to the “Harry Lauder” lure. At the opening of the season, Messrs Gibb Bros. (Menzies Ferry) caught a total of 40 trout weighing 901bs. Last Sunday the same fishermen landed 21. T. Marshall and F. Hazlett caught a total of 17 good fish, A. Fenton (4), R. Bain (7), while J. Gregor}’ (6) and 8. Lindsay (7) grassed their fish on the “Temuka” and “Red Teal” flies. The smallest trout weighed about 2|lbs. W. Gregory was rewarded with 9 heavy fish. report that the Mat aura is heavily stocked with fine specimens of brown trout, and the above “bags” bear testimony to their satisfactory statements. The Mimihau river is also yielding some nice “fly” bags, and last Sunday Messrs H. Catteril (14), R. Barclay (18), and A. Aitken (8) were pleased to kill these fish on the “March Brown” and “Red Quill Gnat” flies. The j above “takes” averaged 11b. On the Aparima, Messrs J. Cuthill and J. Butler ' caught about a dozen on the “artificial,” ‘‘natural,” nad “worm” lures. The Dunsi dale and Otapiri were in first-class order for fly fishing, and some nice bags were

captured on these pretty streams. On the former river Messrs C. Jennings and R. Camm secured some half dozen, and A. E. Butt and E. Keast “creeled” 11 nice trout, averaging Jibs. On the same river the writer spent an enjoyable afternoon’s fly fishing, and the “tally” at the conclusion of operations was 13 well-mended fish. The heaviest trout weighed and the “play” of the specimens caught was found |to be very pleasing. There is no doubt, that on this river to secure satisfactory reI turns, it is essential for the angler to ; “stalk” his fish. “Fine” tackle and “fine” i methods, fishing up stream, gives some splendid sport. “Red Heckiun Peckum” te*n the tail), and “Hardy’s Favourite” were the killing flies. Al the time of writing the prospects are good for satisfactory conditions for this week-end. The following article is taken from the Field:— MIDGE AND GNAT DOPES. Being blessed with a catholic taste in [tobacco which ranges from a due apprecia- < tion of the choicest corona to a grateful acceptance of the rankest shag, 1 have n ually found myself equal to the task of “putting up a smudge” sufficient to enable me to worry through a day’s fishing in the most congested midge and mosquito zones of our north-country rivers and lakes without serious damage to a not too susceptible epidermis. At the same time I have, in the cause of suffering humanity, experimented with many and divers forms of midge mixtures and mosquito spifficators recommended for the use of anglers. Some were effective in a way I had never anticipated ; others were partially successful in keeping the enemy at bay, and entirely successful in making a man hate to be in the same room with himself.

Of the former class was a cake of special “midge soap” sent me by an anonymous friend. According to the book of words one had only to make a lather with it, apply the lather to face, neck and hands, allowing it to dry thereon, after which one could walk through the most densely midgesaturated atmospheres, radiating sudden death at every stride. I applied the lather freely. It diffused a pleasant aroma cheerfully suggestive of the spicy breezes that blow soft "o’er Ceylon’s isle. When it had dried I picked up my rod and tackle, and light-heartedly stepped outside to observe the general entomological slaughter. I was astounded. The effect was magical. The mystic telegraph of the African jungle was nothing to the way in which the news of the free treat spread through the adjoining j parishes. I think every winged insect for | miles around hurried up to the scene and i brought its knitting. Midges liked that J soap and gnats took to it rapidly. They fought for front seats at the banquet, and all the time a dense cloud of hungry witnesses cruised about in the offing, waiting for ihe next sitting down. Another experiment was with oil ofl cloves. A brother angler told me that it I was the most effective agent that had been discovered for warding off the insect pests. With cljild-like faith I went to the nearest chemist and procured a bottle of essential oil of cloves. I anointed myself liberally. I do not believe in spoiling the ship for a ha’porth of oil of cloves. I then started out for a day’s fishing a few miles higher up the dale. My family did not seem deeply distressed when they saw me leave the premises. When I boarded the train at the station there were four or five people in the compartment I entered. They j all got out at the next station. Nobody else entered. For the rest of the journeywe had the compartment to ourselves—i.e., I and the oil of cloves. We filled it all right. The keeper was in the habit of stopping for a chat with me as he came down the bank on his beat. That morning he passed me with a haste that .seemed almost discourteous. I don’t know how many fish I killed that morning. I don’t know how many gnats and midges I scared to death. Such minor details were lost upon me. I was wrapt up in cloves. For i days the new terror that had been added to life stuck to. me closer than a brother. My clothes, my hair, iny skin were sa’ur-. ated with cloves. My food, my drink, my tobacco tasted of cloves. I dreamed of cloves. Of course the evil aroma wore off in time and I was re admitted to the family circle; but from that day to this I have hated the smell of cloves with a fierce a hatred, and my family do not love it. Until quite recent times it used to be the common practice of the North of England dale farmers to “salve” their sheep in the autumn for the dual purpose of protecting them from the cold and from the attacks of vermin and disease. This "salve” consisted of Stockholm tar melted down in

md From Previous Page.) wtu.e oil to the consistency of molasses or the thick grease of the motorist. It struck me that if this preparation would defy the weather and keep the sheep immune from the attacks of peets throughout a whole winter, it would surety be effective in keeping the gnats and midges off an angler for a single day. I can strongly recommend its effectiveness. It is not the sort of preparation to be found on a lady’s toilet table, and it possesses an aroma—not nearly so objectionable to me as that of oil of cloves—like mixed fishing fleet, and boat-builder’s jQfd, but it fills the bill and delivers the gomls. and it may still further be improved by the addition of a few drops of citronella oil. It is tenacious, but what of that? You can easily, after the day’s sport, scrape off as much as posable with a mustard-tin lid, before adjourning to the bathroom and finishing off with pumice stone and sandpaper. A thought strikes me! Perhaps if, after the manner of the actor “making up,” you rub into the skin a little cocoa butter or vaseline before applying the ’salve” the subsequent cleansing may be considerably expedited. I have seen something of the sufferings that may, and do, result from the assiduous attentions of midges and gnats. I have helped to lead from the waterside a stricken fellow-creature who was absolutely blinded for two days through the swellings caused by the pests, and if the publication of the prescription I have given tends in any degree to ameliorate the painful lot of flyblown humanity I shall feel that I have not lived, and sacrificed myself, in vain. I “know” that the mixture will keep off midges and gnats, and I believe that if any dare-devil brother angler cared to go the limit by stirring in a generous dose of essential oil of cloves while the mixture was hot, it would keep off aeroplanes and Zeppelins as well. —W. Carter Platts. THE NETTING QUESTION. Dear Creel,—lt must be very pleasing to the many anglers in Southland to note the exceptionally good bags almost every stream has yielded since the opening of the season notwithstanding the adverse river and weather conditions. Four years ago through your column I told our local anglers that not till the 1926-27 season could they expect any results from the “ova planting ’ method inaugurated by the Southland Acclimatisation Society against intense opposition. The fishing in Southland was gradually deteriorating till it was a question with many enthusiasts if it were worth while slogging away for perhaps a whole day for a sprat or’two. There were two things that tended to bring about this regrettable state of affairs —the first, the result of allowing netting in the estuary, and the totally inadequate stocking of our streams. I am quite satisfied that the policy of planting ova by the million instead of a few thousand fry is going to prove the best methods for getting results. Now just a word of caution to fellow anglers. You will have noted the Fisheries Department have permitted the use of nets to take quinnat in various localities, even as far down as the Clutha. Now there is a movement on foot to include the Oreti and Aparima estuaries in these on the plea that the quinnat may have worked south as well as north. You will remember it took years to stop the netting here, so we must on no account allow it to be legalised; so if any of your fellow anglers hear anything further about it please give it full publicity so we can squash it as we would a bug. When once we have our rivers well stocked as of yore we should do all we can to keep them so. I would have liked to have seen at your last annual meeting a motion passed conserving some of our smaller streams for fly-fishing only, and perhaps a restricted worming period, for there is no doubt this latter method must be responsible for thousands of good fish being killed in the early part of the season which later on would have given good sport with the fly and light tackle. That seventeen-pound salmon caught ‘at Lake Te Anau was a rather interesting specimen, for not only was it the record weight of a Te Anau salmon, but it was reported to be within a month or two of spawning. I have written to our curator at Te Anau asking for further particulars and have also been supplied with some scales for microscopical examination, as I am anxious to know if my theory is correct that not till we get salmon that have sojourned at least two consecutive years in the sea before returning to spawn will we get the heavy weights attained in Britain and elsewhere. RED SPINNER.