UNPLEASANT CONDITIONS FOR ANGLERS

Southland Times, Issue 23676, 26 November 1938, Page 15

UNPLEASANT CONDITIONS FOR ANGLERS

By

MATUKU

Last week-end conditions were very rough, windy and unpleasant for angling. Anglers who were sufficiently enthusiastic to face the elements got fair sport on the wet fly. Conditions for the dry fly were impossible. An angler who visited the Makarewa near Grove Bush caught four fish up to 3Jlbs on the Matuku lure. On the Hedgehope bags of fish up to 10 were taken on the wet fly on Saturday and on Sunday fair bags were taken on the Otapiri, also on the wet fly. The Oreti when in order is reported to be giving good sport below Lumsden on the wet fly. The rain during the week has caused a fresh in most of the streams and should help to put the trout in good condition. The smaller streams did not rise unduly and should be in good order this week-end. The Aparima is still high and unfishable and anglers should make inquiries before going out there for the week-end. The Oreti was also high but may be fishable over the week-end.

The indications are that angling will be much more successful than last year. Most anglers report better sport up to date and indications point to a successful season. The researches, of the Freshwater Biological Association in England indicate that when water is above a certain temperature the trout will not feed and apparently this was the cause of the poor season last year. With warmer weather and hatches of flies the trout should soon be feeding well on the dry fly. Last year there was an absence of weeds in the rain streams but indications this year point to a good growth of weed. When the Aparima and • Oreti fall after the present fresh they should be in excellent order and give good sport. It is reported that they are well stocked with fair-sized fish. In the last number of The. Salmon and Trout Magazine there is an interesting article by Mr John McOnie on dwarf rainbow trout in Sawmill Creek, a small bush tributary of Waitati stream near Dunedin. This stream is a mere trickle connecting pools, and why this particular stream should contain only rainbow is certainly a puzzle. The Waitati itself and its other tributaries contain only brown trout and no rainbow whatever. It also appears that these dwarf rainbow and brown trout attain an age of under three years before disappearing or presumably dying. Another interesting point in Mr is that the scales of these fish were read independently by Miss Lawrie of the New Zealand Freshwater Committee’s staff and by Mr G. H. Nall, the English authority on scale reading. It appears that on the whole Miss Lawrie’s arid Mr Nall’s readings agree, thus checking the accuracy of the New Zealand Research Committee’s work. It is reported that there is a race of American brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in some of the bush tributaries of the upper Hedgehope. Verification of this statement would be interesting. The first issue of The Journal of the Bay of Islands Swordfish and Mako Shark Club has been received. This club has club rooms at Russell and its objects are to record, and. check the weights and catches of big game fish and generally to promote the interests of anglers for these fish. The details of catches for the 1937-38 season are interesting. The records show a catch of 209 fish weighing 23| tons, an average weight of 2681 b a fish. Numerous prizes are provided by members of the club. In'addition to New Zealanders there are members of the club resident in Britain, the United States of America, Canada, India and other countries. Mr E. E. Gadden of Surrey, England, writes in the journal as follows:—“It is little more expensive and much more satisfactory for an Englishman to come to New Zealand, spend a period chasing big game fish in the Bay of Islands and fish for trout at Taupo, than it is to reserve a territory for trout fishing alone in Scotland. The editor adds:—“Mr Godden ought to know, he has tried both and says he is coming to the Bay of Islands again in the very near future.”

DRY FLY TYING A writer in The English Fishing Gazette has some interesting criticism of the normal dry fly. His remarks are as follows: — “I doubt very much if the trout cares if he swallows a natural fly head first or tail first. The artificial fly as normally tied, is apparently absorbed tail first by the unwary trout, not that that matters much except to the trout. But I have it in my mind that most flies are tied the wrong way round. Experiments over a considerable period of time have revealed that a fly tied with the hackles as near the bend of the hook as possible float very much better than the normal tying. The heavy end of the hook is the barbed end and therefore the hackles should be as near the end as possible if only to cover the barb. The eyed end can then be adequately floated by the last inch or two of the cast or point. The hackles can hardly be too stiff, or too long either for that matter. The stiffer they may be the fewer are necessary for flotation and the less the chance for complete soaking and water-logging. The fewer hackles, the more apparent is the actual body, which is the chief interest of the trout. “Experience has shown that flies tied in this manner really float exceptionally well and also that they are distinctly appreciated by the trout in the way they ought to be. They have been used under all conditions of locality, chalk streams, reservoirs and lakes and have never let the angler down completely and I am certain that flotation is more important than representation and that skilful presentment outshines mere colouration in practical effect. “All this dissertation about floating flies leads up to my main point, which is simplicity. Instead of myriads of flies

in numberless fly boxes, a few back to front flies of slightly varying sizes supplies all needs at all times, even including may fly time. This is a proven fact in my own experience. Perhaps I catch a few more trout now than I used to

and again perhaps it may be because my flies float better than before. I like to think so anyway, for I am a lazy soul and even ,a match-box can be a burden in the sultry days of an English summer.”