SPORT IN AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 845, 17 June 1910, Page 9

SPORT IN AUCKLAND.

SUCCESSFUL SHOOTING SEASON. SOME RECORD FISHING. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, June 15. The shooting season closed last night. Sportsmen have crowded as much shooting as possible into the month, and it is said that the amount of garnu shot is much greater thn'n for any similar period for many years past. The season has been rer.r successful from a sportsman's point of view, game, both native and imported, being very plentiful. Pheasants and quail were to be had in abundance, particularly in the districts north of Auckland. As an instance of this feature, it may be stated that 2500 cock pheasants wero reported to have been shot in the | first fortnight of the season in the Dar- | gaville district. About 150 licenses had ' been issued ju tiio district at the time. : A large number of pheasants were also ! shot in the Wollsford district. 'Tho flame was in exceedingly good condition. Some good bags o.l' ducks were obtained on the opening days, but after that they were hard to get, the usual haunts being deserted for moro secure feeding grounds near the sea coast. Several sportsmen who have visited Waikato Heads recently say that ducks were there in countless numbers, the sight of disturbed flocks, the members el' which roso in thousands, bring- indescribable. Ducks were also congregated at inaccessiblc places near Piako and Miranda. The local shootists say that the fact of ducks congregating in out of the way places only goes to show that the legislative restrictions for their protect ion are unnecessary. Their natural instinct of self-preserva-tion is so great that they can bo relied on to take care of themselves. The shooting season followed on a fishing season, which was remarkable for some very large takes. Mr. Arthur I). Shilson, writing from Tokaanu, sends tlio following letter:— "Perhaps my catch of rainbow trout for tho season just ended, a careful record of which 1 have kept, would be of interest to your many angling readers. It is as follows:—Rotorua: 3(3 • iish, weight 7761b. Tongariro River: 1248 iish, weight 98391b. Total, 1591 fish, weight 10,G15lb M or i tons liewt. S7lb. Tho lar- ' gest iish was 181b. None of these iish wero caught trolling, about, half being taken on flv, and tho remainder on minnow. The fishing in the Tongariro River could not, I think, be beaten, if equalled, in any part of the world. Tho fish take the fly well, and if English sportsmen knew such sport were to be had here I am sure moro would visit the Dominion, instead of paying large sums for much inferior fishing at Home, as this is an ideal river to fish. The fish taken by me in this river were in splendid condition, averaging nearly 51b., and gave fraud sport, quite equal to any salmon of this aiee " Another correspondent sends the following record of a season's fishing at Taupo. He -writes: "In Taupo the fish have done I exceedingly well. The following table shows I the catch in Taupo alone for 1909 of ! Ngamotu, who is known locally as ono of the keenest Native anglers;— November: 142 fish, weight • 10661b.; largest trout, 151b. December: 103 fish, weight 690 lb., largest 151b. January: 49 fish, weight 4031b., largest • 121b. February: '8 fish, weight 5011). March: 53 fish, weight 2911b., largest 121b. April: 30 fish, weight 2051b., largest 10lb. liny: 4G lish, weight 3951b., largest ISlb. Total, 431 fish, weighing 31091b."