ANGLING

Southland Times, Issue 22008, 6 May 1933, Page 15

ANGLING

(By

“Creel.”)

WEEK-END REPORTS

Swollen rivers, heavy rain and boisterous weather eventually ended the 1032-33 angling season, and under the circumstances very few trout were taken over the week-end. It was rather a pity as quite a number of anglers were looking forward to a final encounter with the wily trout. The writer visited the Waimatuku on Saturday afternoon in company with Messrs T. S. Mackie and Alex. Bain, but the cold wind and rain, with the river a bit discoloured, made conditions decidedly unpleasant. However, the water was tried from Frasers bridge upstream, and a few flies were in evidence on the water. One was caught and as this specimen showed a definite yellow collar about the throat, a Drummond’s Fancy was used as a dropper, and three fish were tempted to fasten. In the fall of the year it is rather noticeable that flies with yellow dressings are effective killers. On the following day reports indicate that anglers using the worm lure secured a fair number of fish, the Waimatuku yielding some good bags to this Jure. Forty-two fish of a total weight of over 2cwt, and all caught in the short period of five hours recently, was the astounding performance put up by a quartet of anglers fishing in the waters of Lake Wanaka. The sportsmen concerned were Messrs Keith Roger and D. D. Edgar, of Tapanui, and two local men, Messrs John Hunt and E. Gillespie. Included in the basket were 11 sea-run salmon, and this fact alone makes the catch one of outstanding importance. If the sea-run salmon continue to take so readily as they did on this occasion, good sport will be enjoyed by anglers right up to the end of May, when the season for this particular fish closes. The details of the various fish which comprised the catch are as follows:—Sea-run salmon, two, 201 b each, three 181 b each, two 161 b each, one 151 b, two 141 b each, and one 91b; rainbow trout, two 51b each and two 41b each; landlocked quinnat, 27 fish. In the Mataura Ensign of April 27 an article appeared under the caption, “Tragedy of the Trout,” and it contained a good deal of criticism as to the lack of facilities for the ascension of trout up stream on their annual migratory excursion to the head waters of the Mat aura river. That there was a certain amount of truth l in the criticism will no doubt be admitted, but in a letter to the same paper in reply to

the article, Mr F. J. Medley, ably illustrated that the work carried out by the Acclimatization Societies in the erection of the fish ladder, was the best possible job that could be managed as owing to the water rights being owned by the Southland Frozen Meat Co., and the New Zealand Paper Mills Co., their activities and scope of operations were of a limited nature. Certainly it would be splendid if there was a solid nody of water in evidence, so that the fish could ascend above the weir, with a minimum amount of damage, but apparently there is no possibility of .providing this, without exhaustive and perhaps somewhat hazardous risks, which naturally the companies concerned do not wish to agree to. REVIEW OF SEASON The fact, that the first three or foui months of the 1932-33 season provided some excellent sport will be generally admitted. After the New Year results were not so good, with the exception perhaps of one river, the Mataura, and from this stream some very good bags and fish were taken. It would appear that our smaller streams, such as the Otapiri, Lora, Waimatuku and-(not so noticeable perhaps), the Hedgehope, are not standing up to the number of rods as well as they did a few years ago. This is apparently accounted for by the more intensive fishing of these streams, some of which used to be only occasionally visited by anglers. Since the Orati river has gone back so markedly, the smaller rivers have been far more exhaustively fished, hence the necessity of the local Acclimatization Society for paying particular attention to these streams in the matter of restocking. It is strongly advocated that as many fry and fingerlings as possible should be liberated, there being every evidence that in these smaller rivers the planting out of eyed ova is not as satisfactory as the old fashioned method of placing the live specimens in the waters visited. As transportation is now far easier and quicker than the old fashioned horse and trap, there is nothing to prevent this season being a record one in the way of re-stocking the Southland streams. Perplexing Problems. Once again it is necessary to refer to the problem of the Oreti river, which was once famous throughout the Dominion as an angling stream, but, alas, to-day it is a very disappointing river to the average angler. There is a marked scarcity of trout in the lower waters, and this season, from Bcnmore to Lumsden, a smaller head of trout than last season, as anglers residing in this locality have definitely stated. Now, the question arises, is the restocking being wrongly carried out? Is the planting out of eyed ova going to solve the problem? Some of the old stagers say no. Can the stock at present in the river in the vicinity of Dipton, Caroline and Josephville stand depletion to the betterment of the waters from Winton down stream? These problems require exhaustive attention from the angling committee of the local Acclimatization Society, and candidates for vacant seats on the council should state their definite views and policies in connection with bringing the Oreti river back to its good old days. POLLUTION. At the request of. “Creel,” a brother angler, “Red Spinner” has submitted the following article on pollution:— With regret and much concern it is to be noted that the pollution of many of our fresh waters is gradually assuming large proportions throughout the Dominion under the guise of industrialism. Under this heading a writer in one of our contemporaries stated that the Southland Frozen Meat Company were fined £5 and costs “for allowing an overflow from the Makarewa to run into the river.” How ridiculous! His further comment was on a par with this. What are the real facts? A stream of pure water, one of God’s greatest gifts to man, was poisoned, turned into a sewage channel, killing fish, insect and plant life near by. Mention was also made of a previous conviction of the Underwood Factory and “for the pleasure of a few anglers these important business concerns are harassed in their work of preparing our primary products for export.” Now let us continue to a logical conclusion this evil thing. On the same plea of necessary industrialism if we are to allow the two aforesaid rich corporations ■to indulge in it, the same right must be granted to dairy factories, saw and flax mills and the sheep farmer can dispose of his sheep dipping refuse in the same manner—in every instance this is but a method of disposing deleterious residue to save a few pounds. The position is wrong—farcical; for the purity of our waters is a national asset of major importance, not only to riparian owners, but to the general community and future generations. It is the bounden duty of the State to preserve its waters in their natural purity as far as possible, and the onus of prosecution should not be cast on acclimatization societies but on the Govermrfent; it should be the duty of the societies merely to supply the evidence necessary for a conviction. When the Forrestry Department was initiated, the Government stated that on the preservation of our forests, depended to a large extent the conservation and purification of our water supply. What is the use of this if the water adjacent to our cities is poisoned and defiled under the guise of industrialism? Are the pockets of a few shareholders to be considered as of more importance than the health and sport of the general community? Nature never intended that any natural watercourse in the wide world should be considered and used as a convenient and cheap method for the disposal of any kind of deleterious effluent and turned into a stinking runway with its attendant evils for the population. . Nature’s protest is disease in the shape of typhoid and malaria. _ Have riparian owners no redress or is it they dread having recourse to the devious and expensive channels of the law. Can water that is so deadly as to to kill all fish and insect life be fit as drink for their dairy herds? The marine Department prosecutes any infringment of the law relating to the pollution of the salt water adjacent to the cities through oil. How much more vital is the preservation of our fresh water and streams. The whole thing is a farce, h nations heritage sacrificed to Mammon, sold for a mess of potage. Not in Southland alone, but throughout the Dominion this evil is growing in intensity like a malignant cancer, throwing out its tentacles. It should be scotched and killed in infancy before, on the plea of vested interests, it is too firmly rooted.