ANGLING

Southland Times, Issue 22158, 28 October 1933, Page 15

ANGLING

(By

“Matuku.”)

Labour Day week-end was a disappointment from a fishing point of view. Saturday and Sunday were blustery and stormy. Monday was fine, but an east wind caused fish to be hard to catch. Most of the streams were too high for successful fishing and small bags were frequent. Anglers will notice that when conditions are unfavourable owing to high streams, or easterly weather, the best chance of a bag is to go to the very head waters of a stream. Owing perhaps to the more intense competition for food supply or to the shelter causing the east wind to have less effect, these little streams will generally provide better sport on a poor day. If fish are not rising in the Makarewa, it will often pay the angler to proceed upstream and fish the Otapiri or the Dunsdale. If not successful in the Otapiri the angler will often pick up a fevz fish by going further upstream to Taylor’s Creek. These small streams yield small fish, but they save a blank day and provide quite enjoyable fishing. Their banks are often greatly obstructed with bush and scrub but an expert fisherman will extract fish even with the fly. The creeper or small red worm (where allowed) is, however, very effective and easier to fish with. Other examples of these small streams are the Etal Creek, a tributary of the Aparima, the Wairakiki, a tributary of the Mimihau, the Upper Waimumu above the gold mining claim, Murrays Creek and a number of others.

During October and early November, however, fly fishing is only partly successful in Southland unless in a very favourable season. An angler will probably be wise to carry' on his sport as a general practitioner and devote some of his time to tidal waters.

In the early days of the season the tidal or semi-tidal waters of the various Southland rivers provide interesting fishing. These are generally fished by the bully or artificial minnow fisherman, who specializes in this fishing and is generally quite successful in catching fish. Fish caught by these anglers are of fair size and are of excellent flavour for the table. Their flesh is pink or red owing apparently to some special food which they obtain in the lower waters the rivers. Possibly the shrimps which abound in these waters are responsible for the colour of the flesh of the trout, as it is well known that the shrimps change to a red colour when cooked. The ova from these trout is a bright red colour, quite different from the paler ova from the river fish. The tidal water anglers look with contempt on the “sprat” caught by the fly fisherman upstream. The tidal water anglers generally use an artificial minnow such as a green Willisden or a Cocoon Minnow with a twelve or fourteen foot minnow rod. A natural bully or Inanga on a set of two or three treble hooks is also successfully used. A fair breeze is desirable to ruffle the surface of the water, as there are no ripples on pools. Certain spots are well known resorts for this fishing e.g. at MacKenzie’s Camp on the Oreti, half way between the Ferry Bridge and the West Plains Bridge there are several shacks, quite a little fishing village. This camp generally known as “Mac’s Camp”, is named after Mr Rodrick MacKenzie, a veteran member of the Southland Acclimatization Society, well known as an enthusiastic and successful angler who built the first shack at this spot. These anglers have rowboats and a number of fish are caught by trolling up and down the river, as well as those taken by casting from the _ banks. Other anglers resort to the Oreti below Dunn’s Road bridge, others to “The Piles” a resort at the bottom end of Otatara, others to the Oreti below the mouth of the Waikiwi. The lower Makarewa. near the Oreti, is tidal water and is fished from a boat and by casting with a natural or artificial minnow. Similarly the Lower Waimatuku and the Estuary of the Aparima, Lake Waituna, and the tidal portions of the Mataura provide excellent minnow fishing on a suitable day. It is interesting to note how particular anglers frequent particular places during the season. Some go to Dunn’s Bridge, some to MacKenzie’s

Camp, and some to Lake Waituna and no doubt obtain a special and peculiar knowledge of their favourite locality which enables them to be especially successful in fishing same. They get to know the particular spots frequented by fish at particular states of the tide. In this connection it is interesting to note that the habits of our tidal water trout apparently resemble the habits of the sea-trout of Britain. In the Old Country these sea-trout are caught with fly and also by certain lures known as “demons” “terrors”, etc. These lures do not seem to be very successful in New Zealand. Certain anglers, however, get good bags of fish in Lake Ellesmere with large flies and also with certain lures specially made for New Zealand conditions such as Matuku, Hope’s Lure etc. The Matuku is stocked by local Tackle shops and Hope’s Lure is made by Tisdall’s in Christchurch for the Lake Ellesmere fisherman. If not procurable locally the local dealers will procure same from Christchurch. It is interesting to note that Hopes Lure is the invention of and named after David Hope, until recently curator of the Christchurch Acclimatization Society and formerly curator for the Southland Society’, now living in retirement in Christchurch. These lures are dressed to resemble small New Zealand fish, e.g., the Matuku resembles the whitebait or small Inanga and Hope's Lure resembles a bully.. These lures have been tried by certain anglers in Southland tidal waters and proved quite successful. They are most successful on a rough windy day or after dark and can be fished with a fly rod. The rod. however, requires to be on the stiff side, as the lures are dressed on a large hook and unless the fish is struck fairly hard the hook does not penetrate and the fish escapes. A heavy cast is necessary as the heavy strike of a fish would break a fine cast.