PRESENT SALMON RUN INTERESTS ANGLERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19036, 3 April 1930, Page 14

PRESENT SALMON RUN INTERESTS ANGLERS.

MANY FISHERMEN WERE OUT LAST SATURDAY.

At the present moment anglers are chiefly interested in the run of salmon, and many of these fine fish are landed daily, though so far there are no tidings of a record catch. According to reports from the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers, there are plenty or quinnat to be seen, but they are not taking very freely. _ It is estimated that on the three miles of river from the mouth of the Rakaia upwards, nearly one hundred and twenty fishermen were trying their luck last Saturday. The fish are said to be scared by the multitude of spoon-baits which are constantly exhibited for their approval.

At present the Rangitata River Is reported as “ very low and clear, and a good fresh might induce a run of salmon.” A correspondent writes:—“Affairs have been on the dull side during the past week. A number of salmon have been landed, but apparently there are not the hordes which were expected in the river, and when one works out an average of fish captured and the rods at work, the result is by no means wonderful. You may meet a man who has caught three or more quinnat ia the day, and then find a score of rods who have caught nothing-—though the}'- have more than probably lost a score of spoon-baits in their efforts. I am thinking of starting a dredging company to work the Rangitata for lost spinning-baits. According to my own experiences, a fisherman in quest of quinnat is very fortunate if he loses only a single spoon-bait in a day, and usually there are at least a hundred rods out daily. That means a total loss of a hundred spoons a day—just about seven hundred in a week, and, say, three thousand in a month. As a matter of fact, the total loss account is probably more than double this number. Surely there is money to be made here.”

Meanwhile the trout streams have been almost neglected, but those who

I @ll3 ia is @SlHa£§gjagg a |g a gg H aa g have favoured them have found fair sport. Anglers in the vicinity of Pleasant Point have secured some nice baskets from the Opihi, and a fourteen" pound salmon is reported to have been captured haphazard?—in the big pool about a mile below the bridge. Further down the river, at “ The Green Bank,” a party of North Canterbury good fishermen all—were out for several hours on Saturday, and captured a great number of trout, the largest a half-pounder. For some reason, as yet undiscovered, the trout In this part of the river are in poor condition.

.The same complaints of “poor condition come from the upper waters of the Orari River—and included in a catch of eleven fish were specimens measuring from nineteen to twenty-two inches in length and weighing two pounds or thereabouts. A trout of that length if in perfect order should weigh about four pounds—and as 'an explanation of these “ slabs,” it is suggested that the heavy floods have destroyed the food supply. The well-known ICakahu River is very low, but some good catches have been made after dark in the big pools on the upper waters—the most killing lure being a large “ Coachman ” flv. Among other “ lusty trout,” a sevenpounder was landed on Monday evening from the “ Church Pool.”

Elsewhere, it is reported that some of the favourite South Canterebury fly streams are at their lowest ebb, and stock-saving operations are necessary, or will soon be needed. For instance, the Orari has run dry for a long distance in the vicinity of the upper bridge, and great numbers of trout have been left stranded. Portions' of the Hae Te Moana River are in much the same condition, and if the dry weather continues, there should be plenty of life-saving work for those in charge of South Canterbury fishing affairs. The same state of things occurred .lithe end of last season, when by the efforts of the ranger and some willing helpers, many thousands of trout were saved.