THE FISHERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13713, 30 September 1908, Page 7

THE FISHERS.

THK OPENING DAV

'• Hop*, springs eternal in lhe 'anglers' breast, —this question fioni Pope, adapted to the occasion) has been often expressed lately, for to-niorn>w. October Ist, tlie trout lulling season o|kiis in .South Canterbury. Judging by tbe exj**riences of the lust two preceding veais, ilie angler who could only Visit tile Miialhr Mrran*., bad a most disappointing time of it. But " hope" buoyed him up, to the last cast, wlieu he returned home with yet anotlkr empty bavket. The anglers of .South Canterbury an* fortunate in being able to command by road and rail some of the lust stteams id »h«- colony. One cannot with truth say the)* aiv ihe Vrry b->t, for the vv.Ueis of the far north are veiy inticii superior lor all routMi fishing. liow.*ver, the wat<is «»f Canteihury »«re no*, to !><• despised, particularly as tiny <iiil.>r.ue «uc)i a variety of sport. Take the man who lives in Tirnaru : He can by rail to KangitaWi or Waitaki. to the "hom«s of the big fish," jvhetv minnow and i-il-mon fiy are t*>c«l; h<* can al.-o r.iil to Trmuka, l'artn>ra, or Orari for a day with '.be llv K.xl, and i;y road ian take "m numerous stream*, r»uch a» the Teligaw.u. Cpjnr and Lower Opihi, Opuha. Hae■lue te .Moana. <.)laio. Wajhno, and other MiiaH«-r streams which aie ti-h »-j] mnn!y with tl«- llv. The lielights of angling tt-mp: many to niak,* a im.,! «n thi>ni.i»'.i-- »tar: ; ha' after a f< « viniis tn tin* ."»tr>-aii>rs with gsnetali;' illjj tisults. t lii* til! inir-i.l*lll vutlisii.i iik<th<* ring ujw«n th«* jwol. Tru:!i to j. )1 ajiglmg s. a yr<-nt li>!Vry, and it is %ery ||.»r<l to «ov what ih,- pro* pert• of a fc.iinn wdl i)c. So far as oin- can gather at. pr<-»«nt. the ilr*-.ini» a!>«u: t)»*- T«-nii'ka ilitJrir: are h'.ivily ntockrd Midi ti«h. A: pto*peris .ite i>atd to be fair; on« an >;!< r " of i' " ; another

1 w »e-n •in'- or two at th** mouth lav ly " 1 li«- Waitaki in a lat«* river, and rue'v open* well; it i« about Christ ma* tii»« t}iM tin* typical " «alnMli i.ire.un <n gr»-"«f order for th»- !>;(• li>h. Th'-n to can.- :« *mmi»*T si reams, of T«Ult,ka : 'Hie ji said to I>-. Jtl

perfect - order, and - thfe upper reaches of. ! tbe Qpihi- : . contain many: very attractive ripples and ponds. From the Waitohi road to the railway the waters tire capital, and going to sea from there to the mouth the Opihi though a trifle big looks to be in splendid order. Are the fish there? That is a question anglers will be able * ~ - answer to-morrow. Recentvisitors s lower Opihi report "plenty of fish near the lagoon"; wile the Maoris repeat the story of lash season ** trout come in with and go out with the tide." A good run of whitebait, which had not taken place 4ip to Sunday last should alter that. At the Pareora,. the water is said to -be in first ciites order; reports come that "there are a good many fish below the main road bridge to the lagoon "; while above Brae sell's crossing " rish are scarce, only seen one here and there." Opposed to this is the rangers statement "the river is well stocked from lagoon to gorge." Both the Otaio and Waihao are little fished-from Timaru, and reports as to their condition and stocking are not available. The general reader will see that the trout-fisher has no reliable guide; but has to cast/.liis iy or spin his minnow in the'waters and trust to ludk. One thing can trulv be said—that the rivets are in splendid order, plenty of clear water and clean ripples -and beds. Snags are numerous in many of the pools on the Opihi, especially from the junction to the sea, and any angler seeing a dark object below the swirl of the waters should give it a wide berth.. The. swirl ;>ill suck.in a% as easily as it will the heavier spinuing bait; and generally the wnags are eo strong that it co6ts the foolish disciple two or three shillings to get his line back. With the opening day on the popular half holiday, all the rivere should be well manned tomorrow; and though we cannot with confidence say that " the rivers are teeming with fish," we can truthfully say that the opening prospects are better than last year, and that 'the angler who goes out to fish and not to splash through ripples and paddle in the pooLs, should return home with a lair basket of speckled beauties. He. cannot, of • course, expectto break the latest law on the first dav—be stopjied by the ranger for having 601b loz of trout.