ANGLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16418, 11 January 1919, Page 10

ANGLING NOTES.

THE OPIHI. , (SPECIALLY WBITTEN FOB "THE PRESS-") (By "Iron Blue.") Though, happily,. the days nearest. Christmas recalled memories of a fair to medium climate, the proper conditions for camping have been seen only in hits, and so far our week-long expeditions to the wilds are yet awaiting a more settled outlook. -A ' heavy rain, 1 right now, to put the streams in fresh; and then a clear sunny fortnight, would from an angling point of view, be quite ideal, and it seems that our most cheerful weather-wangler, nas bidden us begin hoping for this bright future, aftor the first week of the month. Of course there are few fishermen of any experience who can quite begin_ hoping, for probably they have been doing just that ever since last "first" became a sad reality. Others were more fortunate, but with us it was also a case of the worst "first.'' "Another sad case of attempted trout extraction, from the Opihi," arid it is not clear that matters have great-' ly improved there, even yet. Much too true are the statements, that in the present season, the famous Opilii fishing has fallen below par; and the holidays have seen Government Ministers receiving whole deputations full ol" anglers, who are keen to restore' the old-time Opihi rule of perfect sport. Nobody kindly asked me "to be in just the littlest of all those deputations, but never mind, I am glad to say that my feelings were not hurt. They, did the thing quite admirably among them. It is currently reported-— correctly, I trust, correctly—that a deputation told the poor, suffering Minister that where formerly they could fill their ''baskets, it was now almost impossible to catch even the sprattiest sort of sprat;,and the Minister is 6aid to have replied smartly, "Why, surely, you must be using the wrong fly." Dear, dear, what a tale that was to tell a Minister; but we all know it is one of the first duties of a fisherman to believe the thing his brother angler says, for then that 6ame brother may do likewise in time of need'; and anyway, I hope the deputation will succeed in its endeavour, as it certainly deserves. The reason for diminished sport in the Opihi river are plain and plenty, creeper-fishers, worm-fishers, and shags, especially the shags. On a really good fly river like this, it seems that "fly only" would be a vory excellent .and proper rule; but another is required to prevent the shags from taking the trout as they are doing, and it should : be made quickly, or any restocking i operations may prove labour lost. L "We

have seen more than twenty of these poaching birds together on a poolncar the Kerrvtown crossing; and .recently more than sixty were counted, going upriver over the Pleasant Point bridge. Again, quite recently, we could not find the usual free-rising trout in the lengawai. stream., and a man who was working in a near-by field, gave information, -'VThere were about thirty of,- thenr black shags here only, this morning,,and I ,QQ not suppose they have left you many fish." - Neither, had they, bo far as we could see. . It has been. suggested that an offer of increased head-money would soon result in the destruction of many shags, but also it might be well to try the plan which helped to lessen the swarms of wood-pigeons, when these birds became a pest in someot the Home "countries.' A day could be arranged when .a gun or two would wait at each or as many as possible ot the places frequented by the snags, who. fired out, from one fastness wouia , flv on to the next, meeting an equally ! warm reception wherever they wont: Driven from one place to the next, no doubt the surviving birds would, . as "give it best, and go to sea on. it," when again; they could be intercepted on their' down-river passage, for there are certain spots where, they seem always to fly much lower Hha'n at others. By the way, if ever this day of the cormorant hunt Khould come to pass, bag's I the Opuha Gorge for my own littlo party. If it should ill-chance that tho proposed methods of restoring the Opihi are proved impracticable, there are still" other ways remaining, and quite good ways. One is to collect the thousands of small trout, which ©very summer are left to die or feed the seagulls in the drying pools of the fly streams. Apparently tne only difficulties in the way, are the trouble of collection and the slight cost of conveyance over a very few miles of road; and besides their handiness, the size of trout which would thus be saved, is very much better for the purpose of re-stocking, than email fry which usually.! are seen in the. cans brought from '.the hatcheries. ' Restocking by ,means of these tiny troutlets' may be the slowest 1 kind of process, for if there are, any of the original stock remaining in the water, ' they naturally regard the newcomers as dainty morsels provided for their special benefit, and rroceed to surround them accordingly. Some years

ago I was kindly given a can of these trout-fry for tlio Oruri ... river, and about Half were liberated at the crossing known as Kenipstcr's ford. Then, on tlie following day we caught - a three-pounder about a hundred yards below -the place whero they had been _ liberated, and while sorting his works we found that ho contained sixteen of our treasured iind various bits which doubtless represented another half-dozen, or possibly more. A second plan—if it'is considered that new blood is wanted among the V; Opihi fish—would bo to neta lot of tlio i; big trout in the Mackenzie Country laues, particularly from and bring them down inj tanks on a. motor-lorry. There should be no in- ■ surmountable / difficulty in this plan y cither; for. at a certain time the lake trout gather in crowds about the «• trances to tlio various creeks: and they .- j "would be much more usefully.' placed in the Opihi and, Opuha. > ■