ANGLING NOTES. APRIL TROUT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11359, 10 April 1915, Page 9

ANGLING NOTES.

APRIL TROUT.

(By IRON BLUE.)

Somewhere about tho second week in .April the angler may suddenly realise that tho season is near its end, and if possible he proceeds to make tho best of the little time remaining before his tackle must be put away. Two courses are open to him—either ho can make a farewell round of tho fly-streams, or he may finish, tho season from a hut by tho mouth of a larger river, where the capturo of a twenty-pounder fresh from the sea might red-letter tho occasion during the rest of his fishing days. If this courso is to be chosen, well, a few days ago, a quinnat salmon weighing eleven pounds was caught at the mouth of the Raugitata, and of course the proper thing is to try for a twelve-pounder without delay. Otherwise, the trout, in April, are constantly travelling upstream, and therefore the higher waters in any of the large rivers offer excellent chances of success. Again, if we decide upon the alternative expedition, the fisherman most probably will catch many trout, and probably tliey will be small, but a fascinating uncertainty attaches to these later days, and though the water is low and glassy clear, and the ouiet pools are thick with autumn-tinted leaves, one often may happen upon a great aldermanic trout, whose existence has been unsuspected through the whole of summer. LURES.

In an up-river trip, on a big water, in autumn time, it will be found that minnow fishing is more suocessful than any artistic exhibition of a fly. The trout may be ready to rise on a warm, sunny morning, but it can be accepted as a truth that they will not bestir thefnselves much to get the 11 y. n must float within a foot of them, or tliey will not notice it, for certain causes have rendered them sluggish, and often when the natural fly is coming down they will let is pass unheeded. An Irish March Brown, a red governor, a Greenwell or a red palmer may serve at the moment, but probably. a Sin green-backed whitebait will catch most fish. TO SAVE A SWEAR.

Now, for years aoid years, whenever travelling in company with a sot-up rod, I have beon troubled by the fly or miuuow getting loos© from its hold on the cork handle or tho insignificant little ring, which is wrongly supposed to secure the hooks. If one is driving, tho drop-fly is deadly in its firm purpose of catching in your clothes, and often its unsuspected attachment has led to a broken cast. As for minnows, their vagaries are unspeakable, but all this trouble, and its consequent sayings, may bo saved in a most 6imple way. Coil an elastic band so that it will fit closely round the rod just j above the grip, and if the fly or minnow hook is slipped under the elastic it will never swing loose. A second baud can ba fitted near the top of the j rod-joint, to take care of the drop-fly; ! and the elastic rings are not tlie least | bit in the way of anything, and once j given charge of a hook they keep it j safe. The only difficulty is to pro- ' cure tho elastics. I believe they sell | them by hundreds, all beautifully ar-; ranged in sizes, but I imagine few j people would be bold enough to buy j a whole boxful of elastic bands, so it is i not a b'ul plan to watch for them on : seed packets and truarfc your luok: so Henry says. |