FISHING WITH A RIFLE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1047, 13 September 1883, Page 4

FISHING WITH A RIFLE.

A, Fiji correspondent, writing to the Field, says :—“Near my house there is a rocky promontory jutting out some way into the sea, with a coral reef round its base | at high water there is some 3ft over this reef, and fish of all kinds come on it. feeding. From. -the summit of this promontory—which is about 70ft high—there' is a capital view of the reef, and as the clear water hides it no more than though it was covered by a sheet of plate glass, the fish and their movements are plainly visible. From the elevated , spot, armed with a MartiniHenry rifle, it does not require a very good shot to put a bullet over a fish in the water below. It is wonderful what destruction the concussion of the bullet with the water causes among a shoal of small fish. I have killed ninety-eight with one Shot. The bullet only actually touched one or two; the rest were completely stunned, and several had their eyes forced out. These ninetyeight fish weighed aolb. Mullet, that come past in great numbers and keep on the surface, afford most excellent shots, and are most numerous victims. A curious kind of worm, about 6in long, and of the thicknessofapiece cfordinary string, rises'apparently out of the coral reefs twice every year. They are called balolo, and make their appearance in October, which month the natives call * balolo lailai’ or ‘ little balolo,’ as the worms appear in only a small quantity. They appear again in'vast numbers about November 25, and give that month the name of ‘ balolo leva] or ‘great balolo.’ The Natives can tell almost the day when these worms; will appear, and by keeping men on the look-out for a white-and-red scum which appears on the water just before the balolo rise, rarely miss them. They appear about low water, covering the sea with a writhing wriggling mass. As the tide; rises they drift in great number shoreward, and are baled up by the ‘Natives in small hand nets. They are very, excellent eating, but very rich. The Fijians devour huge quantities, and-faithfully bear in mind their balolo proverb ‘ E kua .gotta nt balolo , tnt na . kau scira'; which means ‘lf you don’t eat halojo. now, it will be a long time before you do.’ ”