FISHING IN THE WAIKAIA

Southland Times, Issue 23408, 15 January 1938, Page 18

FISHING IN THE WAIKAIA

To The Editor Sir, —I read with interest in a recent edition of The Southland Times an article contributed by “Matuku” on fishing in the Waikaia river. His knowledge of the fishing methods and the size of the bags likely to be caught seems to be a bit astray. The only bag caught in this river during the last six years, at least, that approached anywhere near the limit was caught by a well-known fisherman from Gore who secured it on the Cochy-bondhu dry fly during the recent holidays. I have not had much success with the flies mentioned by “Matuku,” but find the Red Quill Gnat, Great Red Spinner and Red Waipahi the best. At night they will take any fly that is in any way dark in the body. They take well till 10 or 11 p.m. If a fisherman secures six fish at any one time he is indeed fortunate.

• “Matuku” does not approve of worm fishing apparently, as he says “there is nothing very sporting about this method.” The tackle used for worm fishing is no stronger than a minnow trace and certainly more skill is required to catch fish with the rolling worm than with the minnow. He would not condemn minnow fishing as unsporting. The river here cannot be fished with the fly till within a week or so of Christmas, owing to the presence of snow water, and this no doubt is the cause of the local fishermen using such an “unsporting method” of catching fish.

In conclusion I would like to mention an incident that happened to a fisherman, who could possibly be “Matuku,” by remarks passed concerning a visit here 30 years ago. After fruitless hours of fly fishing this fisherman thought he would spell himself by threading a worm on his cast and trying to catch one of the big fish swimming up and down a rather deep hole. He went away for a while and on returning his rod was conspicuous by its absence. |He noticed it at last lying on the river bottom. He discarded his boots and trousers and bravely entered the water to retrieve it. The water was too deep to reach it without wetting his shirt, so he returned to the bank and discarded his last article of dress and re-entered in the nude. With the water up to his chin, he was able to reach the rod with his long-handled net and bring it to the surface. The fish, alas, had departed with hook, sinker and cast. Possibly this was not “Matuku,” but who knows? Yours, etc., LOCAL FISHERMAN. [This letter was referred to “Matuku,” who said he would deal with the subject in his notes next Saturday.— Editor, The Southland Times.]