SPORTS BUDGET

Southland Times, Issue 24593, 15 November 1941, Page 9

SPORTS BUDGET

BOWLERS CANNOT GET PETROL

Because of the petrol restrictions the inter-club fixtures of the Eastern Bowling Sub-Centre have been abandoned for the present season. The decision was made this week when information was received from the Fuel Controller in Wellington that no special licences would be made available to sports bodies.

“It is impossible for us to carry on,” stated Mr I. W. Martin, president of the Southland Bowling Centre, who lives at Gore. “Our district extends from Edendale and Wyndham in the south to Riversdale and Lumsden in the north. Trains are mostly unsuitable and buses are not available. Private car owners cannot be expected to use their meagre supplies of petrol for the help of bowling clubs. Taking all these things into account, we have had no option but to abandon our inter-club fixtures.

“It seems to me this will also have a bad effect on one-day and other tournaments in such a widely scattered area; also the championship fixtures later in Invercargill. We can only hope the restrictions will be lifted before then,” he added.

Evening Sports Arrangements have been completed by the amateur athletic and cycling clubs of Invercargill to make a start with the evening sports meetings at Rugby Park. The first will be held on Tuesday at 6.45 p.m. An attractive programme of running and cycling events has been arranged. It includes men’s 100 yards and halfmile races, 75 yards and quarter-mile races for secondary school boys, women’s 75 yards and relay events and two races for cyclists. An added attraction at the meetings this season will be the Civic Band, which will give marching displays and a programme of music. The cycling events will be the first of a series of six races for the Deschler trophy. Fishing The Waimatuku

Mr R. H. Nimmo, of Wellington, spent a short time on the Waimatuku on Saturday morning and creeled three nice fish. The fish were smaller than the usual Waimatuku fish but it may be that the smaller fish were feeding at that time, writes “Matuku.” Some years ago fish up to 31b were comparatively frequent on the Waimatuku, but during the last year or two the size seems to have decreased. In the tidal reaches through the sandhills the larger fish are to be got but these fish benefit, by the run of smelts and whitebait from the sea. The Oreti and Makarewa streams so far this season have been principally fished with the worm and reports indicate that good bags are being obtained by this method. Above the Oreti bridge last week-end an angler and his wife got half-a-dozen beautiful sea-run trout for an afternoon’s fishing running up to 41b. On the lower Makarewa the shortage of petrol has caused the fishing to be concentrated on the nearer reaches about Lawrence’s and Grove Bush. The worm fishers have been getting good bags from the Makarewa in these localities. The Dodgshuns of Golf

The name of Mrs H. Dodgshun is so well known in New Zealand golf that it needs no introduction. But now another Dodgshun, Miss Barbara, has arrived on the scene and has made a good start toward maintaining the sterling traditions established by her mother.

Miss Dodgshun won the Otago Ladies’ Club championship this week, and her win in the final against Mrs Lawless, a steady contender for some seasons, was the culmination of an excellent performance. The quality of Miss Dodgshun’s win can be assessed from the fact that she beat Mrs Caff in in the first round, Miss K. Shand, defender of the title, in the second round, and Mrs Dodgshun in the semi-final. A glance at Mrs Dodgshun’s achievements shows that this successor has something to aim at. Mrs Dodgshun started her championship winning sequence at St. Clair. She was Miss Fotheringham in those days, and won the St. Clair title in 1908, 1910, and 1911, before she married and began her career at Balmacewen. She took the Otago Club title 11 times between 1912 and 1939, the Otago provincial title eight times between 1923 and 1938, the Canterbury title in 1925, and the New Zealand title in 1925 and 1926. On most of the few years in which she did not win a title she was a finalist or semi-finalist. Last season she gave Miss Shand a hard game in the final of the club championship. She is still a formidable opponent for anyone, and it was not the least of her daughter’s achievements to beat her 3 and 2 in the semi-finals this year. Sergeant Brown Southland swimmers will be pleased with the official confirmation of the safety of Sergeant Rutherford Brown, who is a prisoner of war. Sergeant Brown, who was attached to the Medical Corps, took part in the campaign in Greece and Crete, and was taken prisoner in Crete. He represented Southland at breaststroke swimming in national events. Now his sister, Miss Sylvia Brown, is the family representative. She has also represented her province in the breaststroke field. In *1939 at Rotorua she gained second place in the New Zealand junior girls’ championship. Sergeant Brown is also a proficient springboard diver and has taken his place in many competitions with success. Rowing

Rowing clubs are radiating activity in their preparation for the regatta season, and during the week-end the first of the club competitions is to be held. The Invercargill Club will run its club pairs, and judging by the entries there should be some keen competition. It is hoped that as many members as possible will be in the lineup, as the selectors will probably pick their fours on this form. Ten crews have been entered for this half-mile event. Several of the new members have been showing good form and much interest will be taken in their first appearance in a race.

Modest Bags Angling conditions last week-end were unfavourable and anglers had to be satisfied with modest bags. On Saturday the Aparima was rising and slightly discoloured. Below Thornbury, however, a few fish were to be found rising along the banks, there being a good hatch of flies. An angler reports a good bag of fish on the dry fly in this locality, writes “Matuku.” On Sunday the Aparima had risen and the exponents of the garden hackle, otherwise, the worm, were the only persons to get any fish. The Hedgehope and Titipua streams were over their banks on Sunday and the trout were to be found feeding out in the runners in the grass paddocks. These gutters and runners fill up with clear water as the streams rise and remain clear after the streams themselves become muddy. The water causes the worms and grubs to come to the surface of the ground and the trout take full advantage of the extra food supply thus available. The fish can be seen cruising about in the grass paddocks with their fins and tails out of the water. They will take a dry fly cast ahead, of them and give good

sport, as when hooked they make a sudden rush back towards the stream. If the water is clear there is no difficulty, but there are often rushes and bushes in the way. The trout will charge through these bushes and often escape. One party of three anglers got 21 fish between them from the Hedgehope gutters on Sunday. If there is a breeze on the surface these feeding trout will also take a minnow quite well.