LINE AND TRIGGER

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 685, 23 April 1903, Page 6

LINE AND TRIGGER

A Timaru angler has had good sport in the Opihi lately. One day he had five fish weighing 391 b, on the next five weighing 301 b, and on the third he caught an eightpounder and a sixteen-pounder trout. The latter was a line fish, and more like a salmon than a trout.

Shooting at Monte Carlo since his meritorious second in the Grand Prix, Donald MTntosh got through to the finish in the Prix de Clemarites, in which he divided first and second with the brilliant French shot. Mons. Journu. The first prize amounted to about £lOO, and the second to about £4O.

Mr C. H. Gorrick, of Sydney, who, shooting from the back mark, succeeded in tying for the big handicap of the Ellerslie Gun Club, states that he had always been of opinion before that the Blenheim birds were the best in New Zealand, but after last week he has completely changed his mind, as the Auckland birds were superior to any he had ever shot, easily beating even those used at Monte Carlo and the London Gun Club. The Sydney shootist also speaks very highly of the new automatic trap, which he reckons makes the birds five yards faster than the old-fashioned ones. Mr Gorrick has nothing but praise for the managemerit of the recent meeting, and also states that the kindness shown him by everyone was beyond his most sanJguine expectation.

The big pigeon match promoted by the Ellerslie Gun? Club proved a great success, the attendance being large, and the shooting first-class. In the big stake Messrs Gorrick, J. Williamson, and H. Roland divided, none of the trio having missed a bird. F. Seccombe proved successful in the seven bird sweepstake, which followed the big handicap. Messrs Gorrick, Wilkinson and Seccombe tied in this, and shot off. The Sydney man misat his nlinth bird, Wilkinson went out at the seventeenth, leaving Seccombe the winner.

Mr L. F. Ayson, Inspector of Fisher-

ies, returned to Wellington last week from an extended tour of inspection to the northern fisheries, including Napier, the Hauraki Gulf, Whamgarei, Bay of Islands, Poverty Bay, Manukau, Thames, Thames, Kaipara, and Mongonui. Generally speaking, the visit disclosed a satisfactory condition of affairs. Mr Ayson also inspected the irivers of Poverty Bay with the object’ of advising the local acclimatisation society as to stocking them with trout.

A splendid specimen of a trout was presented recently to the Christchurch branch of the Tourist Department. The fish was caught in the Ashburton River, and weighed 191 b. 2oz.

During the week I received a visit from Mr Chudleigh Gorrick, the well-known Sydney sportsman, who is now on a fleeting visit to Auckland. Mr Gorrick has been having a highly enjoyable trip through the South, and has managed to get some good sport both with rod and fine. Besides plenty of fun among the pigeons, also some deerstalking, the Sydney sportsman speaks with gusto of a day in Queen Charlotte Sound among the blue cod, which he states are great lighters, and gave lots of sport. There is, he reckons, at Picton, one of the best trout streams in the colony, for, although the fish rarely go over two or three pounds weight, the water is just alive with them. Inthe Nelson district stags were scarce, owing to the district being heavily poached, it being possible to procure venison from the small settlers nearly all the year round. The remaining stags are very hard to get at, having retreated to the impenetrable bush at the head of the gullies. Wild cattle, wild goats, and wild merino sheep afforded some very good sport. Mr Gorrick did well in the Whangamoa River, which is but little fished, and got many speckled beauties of from 41b to slb weight. He intends going to Okoroire and Rotorua, and. will later join Dr. Owen and party when the duck season opens. After that Mr Gorrick will return South, and with the aid of an oil launch will spend a couple of months in thoroughly exploring Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sounds.