ANGLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19149, 4 November 1927, Page 6

ANGLING NOTES.

(BY "CREKL.")

Weather conditions last week-end saw anglers favoured with better results. As usual, the best bags wen- secured from the Selwyn and Halswell. Fish are very plentiful in the No. 2 this season, and one angler was rewarded with nine fish, average weight being about (ilb. Individual bags taken from the Lower Selwyn ranged from four fish to eleven iish, mostly weighing' about 31 b. Three local anglers secured eight iish one night recently from the Gut. the heaviest iish weighing 11-Mb. The bully is the principal bait being used at present. Although quite a number of anglers have tried the fly in the vicinity of the Spring Hole, no fish have been taken. Probably the fly will be used with success when the run of silvery takes place. Fish are reported to be plentiful at Coe's Ford and Ellesineve bridge, and some good fly fishing should be available in this locality from now on.

The season for fishing in the Lakes opened on' Tuesday last, but so far no results are to hand.

In conversation with Mr I>. Hope during the week, he mentione 1 having visited Lake Lyndon on Monday last to liberate 30,000 rainbow fry. The road i 9 now in good order, and the bridge across the Kowai river makes access to the lake comparatively easy. Fishing has been very poor in the Eakaia this last fortnight. Owing to heavy rain and melting of snow, the river has been high and dirty for over a week.

Some good bags have been secured from the Ashburton river, although it has been practically untishable for a week.

The Opihi and Waihi streams arc still yielding good results. Several anglers who have visited the Pareora river in the vicinity of Timaru have met with good results, especially those fishing with the fly. The ally those fishing with the dry fly. Fish up to 3Jlb have been taken. Owing to the Waimakariri being high and dirty, few anglers were successful on this river last week-end.

Pishing with dry fly in the Eyre last week one angler secured five fish up to lib weight. Judging by reports in the Press, angling clubs in the southern districts arc having a successful season, both from membership and competition points of view. There is no doubt a great deal of assistance can be given Acclimatisation Societies and anglers gem-rally'by these bodies, and it is surprising such a club is not in existence in Christchurch. It is not yet too late in the season to form such a club. /

Pishing in the Sehvyn opposite the upper huts, Miss Miriam Cook was successful in landing two very nice fish. Tho lure used was the bully. This is probably tho first time a lady angler has landed fish in this part of the river. May it be the forerunner of many more good catches.

Fishing with the Wet Fly. To mako the overhead ast, the tyro should begin with a gut line not more than two yards long, and with two flies. Supposing then, all is ready; he should draw from the reel as much line as once and a half the length of his rod, then holding the end fly between the finger and thumb of the left hand, while grasping the rod a little above the reel with his right, he should gently wave it until he gets momentum to carry out the line, when he should release the fly, making at the same time a cast, in line with the spot where the flies are intended to fall, care being taken that the point of tho rod is not allowed to drop further than at right angles to himself. -The. best way to learn is to fish down stream,' as, should the cast not bo mafle correctly, the stream will float the line and flies out straight. To rnako a fresh cast, raise the point if the rod upwards, until the gut line only is in the water. With a smart lift-back over the shoulder, slightly inclining the rod's point to the right, he must throw the lino clear behind him as much as possible, and without allowing the rod point to go back further than an angle of 15 degrees to the body. Having done this, a moment's reflection will show him, that as tho line went back in a curve, it will take an instant to straighten after the rod is thrown back into the required position for the forward cast, and this is what may be termed the "pause.'" If this time is not given it is possible he may hear a slight crack, signifying that the flies are gone. Throwing the flies back correctly is quite as important as throwing them forward. Now cast the line and flies forward, by smartly bringing tho rod down into the horizontal position; in doing this aim at a point, two or three feet above where the flies aro intended to fall; as they must not be thrown at, but above, the water, so that they may fall softly. It will be seen that in casting there are three movement's and a "pause." (1) Raiso the rod point—get as much line clear of the water as possible. (2) Make the backward lift—then "pause" an instant until the line gets time to straighten. (3) Now make the cast over the place intended, and the movements are complete.