WITH THE ROD

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1929, Page 14

WITH THE ROD

SEASON OPENS TO-MORROW.

(By

“Ripple.”)

October 1, 1929! The dawning of morning of this day of the year means everything to the angler.' For tho past couple of weeks at least he has lived in a condition of hopeful expectancy for his first day on the river. Gear and everything he can think of have been prepared and put in order. The condition of the weather is the one thingj he cannot control, but the angler is trusting that a bright and calm day will be ushered in. If his dream materialises it will be a day-dawn full of flooded colour with the rising of the sun. As the rays increase and the tints touch the topmost pinnacle of old Egmont, turning the pure snow into flashes of pink and crimson, the angler will have already had his reward for his early rising from his snug blankets. Then as the. -sun advances the grey, grim, rocky pile of Egmont and the adjacent ranges will be turned into a veritable ocean of purples- and yellows right down to the evergreen bush-clad slopes. Even the despised and detested gorse-brakes below the forest line will reflect a wondrous wealth of colour like new-minted gold. On the level stretches beneath the farmsteads, the green growth of grasses will herald tho fact that spring is here, while clumps of native bush are throwing out tendrils and buds, and even blossoms in varying degrees of eagerness. DELIGHTS OF NATURE. When the favourite angling water is reached Mother Nature nas more delights in store. The stream is a living whip that turns and twists and ripples as it sings its welcome song and makes its way along through cool, bushland copses and open fields. Across the river-bed the gaunt old forest giants, -rough and unbeautiful, make a rugged background that serve but to increase the glorious freshness of spring’s mantle of many-tinted ■ green loveliness. It is good to be here again, peaceful, solemn, calm. One is soothed with the quietude. To the true angler it is not the catching of trout only that appeals. It is the subtle contact with Nature—the breaking away from everyday humdrum existence. PROSPECTS DISCUSSED. . Reports vary somewhat as to the angling prospects. On most streams . last year it was noted that trout in - fair quantities were present.- It is true that these were not .large fish, but during the autumn all the salmonidae species develop very rapidly. There should therefore be a chance of good bags of trout averaging around the two-pound mark in weight. Although the winter has been a long one, it cannot be claimed to., have been exceptionally cold. A few floods have given the rivers a thorough scouring, but the waters have not been . exceptionally high, certainly not. sufficient to seriously , disturb the fish. It may be that trout will not be in prime condition so early this season, as the main run of whitebait has been unusually late. Trout find this tiny creature exceptionally suitable to the palate and rapidly furnish up to excellent pink-fleshed condition when feeding from this source of food. EFFECT OF LIGHT FLOODS. / The recent light floods should have the effect of bringing up the streams trout that have been down to the salt water during the winter months. Alter the spawning season most trout pay a visit to the salt water. In their mad rush up the streams in the autumn to find suitable spawning beds, they frequently become bruised through the buffeting'they receive amongst the stones and in negotiating waterfalls. A fungoid growth follows any bruise, which, if not removed, will spread and often kill the affected fish. Sea. water has the effect j of killing the fungus.

FISH .PRETTY SHY. Anglers who use bait complain that trout in our streams are not numerous, and those that are there very difficult to capture. There are quite good numbers of. fish in practically all streams in Taranaki, but they are angled for much more frequently than used to be the' case, and are in consequence much more shy. Bait-fishing on small waters is very disturbing to the trout. The angler who uses only the artificial fly meets with greater success. Even if he does not capture all the “spotted fellows” he would like to, he gets a fair number. The fly fisherman does not disturb the waters to anything like the extent the bait-user does. Another point in favour of the fly-angler is that-his flies float near the surface, and he gets many a good thrill by being able to view a trout as it pursues, the lure. Unfortunately many of. our. anglers will not give the “fly” .the position it deserves in the pastime and condemn it without a fair trial. But a little patience and practice would enable them to take trout more readily with the fly than with all the other baits known. For the opening of the season the Black Quill Gnat, Bradshaw's Fancy, Peveril of .the Peak, Hoffland’s Fancy and the Coachman have proved excellent killers in past seasons. THE POACHER STILL ABOUT. The poacher is still a great menace to the.sport in Taranaki; in fact, eaca year seems to be worse than the preceding. one in this respect. Our societies appoint rangers who work diligently to catch offenders, but with so many streams to watch an army of rangers would be. required to effectually stop poaching. “Ripple” feels confident that, if the anglers in each district would form themselves into committees under the societies, and* let it be known that they intend reporting all illegal methods of taking trout, really good and | effective work would result. Year after year the best part of a million brown and rainbow trout fry have been hatched and liberated in Taranaki waters. These young fish develop quickly, and average 2| to 31b in weight when about three years old. But the toll of trout taken by the poacher in the late summer and autumn with his explosives and other “gadgets” deplete the streams so severely that only a very small proportion of the fish liberated survive to the adult stage. . “Ripple” passes to brother anglers the wish for a successful opening day. May it be full to the brim with enjoyment and the best of sport.