LINE AND TRIGGER

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 664, 27 November 1902, Page 7

LINE AND TRIGGER

(By

“Gillie.”)

There is .immense competition among hoth fresh and salt water fishermen to secure the largest specimens on record of the various kinds of fish. But though there may be as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it, yet it is more than doubtful if the best fish have not already been taken out of British Island water. The English pike record, for instance, has stood for more than twenty years. It was a 37 pounder that Mr Jardine caught near Amersham on September 4. 1879, and I well remember the sensation it caused .among the brethren of the rod. Ireland’s biggest pike, caught in the Shannon, in 1893, was about 21b smaller. • « • •

The perch is extremely prolific. It begins to 1 spawn when three years of age, and attains a leng-th of from Ifiin to 18in under ordinary conditions, and frequently is found even larger, attaining an average weignt of 31b or 41b, and in large fish as much as 91b. The perch is exceedingly voracious, and will devour other fish with avidity, and for that reason should not. be mixed with other fish in a pond. It will live a long time out of water, and if wrapped in wet moss can be carried to marker, and if not sold carried back and placed again in the pond. At least, this is the case in somtr European countries. It buries itself in tire mud in seasons of drought, and if the mud be of sufficient depth will tide over a considerable drought in this manner. The female deposits her eggs in long strings,' united by a viscid matter, and attaches them to sedges growing in the stream. The perch is a very game fighter, and gives the anglers any amount of good sport.

The carp is a very suitable -fish for pond rearing. On the Continent of Europe it is held in high estimation as a food fish, and extensively cultivated, but to my thinking

it is somewhat flavourless. In the rivers of. England it runs from 12in to 15in in length, but, on the Continent when bred in ponds they attain a weight of 571 b, anh no doubt New Zealand conditions would produce as good results were they culti- . vated. The fish is most tenacious of life. In Holland it is often kept three weeKs or a month suspended in. a net with wet moss,

and fed with bread steeped in milk, care being taken to refresh the fish now a,nd then by pouring water on the moss. For 'its abode in summer the carp loves deep holes, under roots of trees and hollow banks, or amidst weeds or Hags. In winter they bury themselves in the mud in the quietest part of the river or pond. They spawn in the beginning of summer, and are exceedingly prolific. ’The fish, can be trained to become exceedingly tame : they will take food out of the keeper’s hand. I have seen carp in the ponds in the Home Park, at Hampton Court, of immense proportions, and some of these arc considered to be the same fish which were placed there in the reign of William and Mary. There are well authenticated instances of extreme longevity in this fish.

Following recent earthquake shocks - on the Californian coast peculiar phenomena have developed in the Pacific Ocean. Within a distance of 65 miles along the Los Angelos shore line the waters, heretofore clear and of the usual greenish colour, have become a terracotta, red. This colour line extends for several miles seawards, and is so distasteful to tne fish that they have gone far into the ocean to seek clearer waters. At night this coloured sea water gives off a phosphorescent light that enables one to read average print. At certain points along Hie beach the water has become fresh and fit for drinking. No theory is advanced except that the earthciuake opened a fissure from which the fresh waters in a coloured matter issue, and the latter is drifting to the shore. This is no doubt the same as our red water caused by the liberation of sporadic animalculae from the bottom.

The big spring pigeon handicap of £350, held by the Melbourne Shooting Club-, was a thorough success. The competitors included wielders of the walnut from the Sydney side and South Australia, the New South Wales champion. Mr A. W. Fales, being present, and getting a small share .of the prize-money. The biggest winner was the well-known Victorian, C'raigie, who won £B6 odd on bis two nominations.