FISHING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4885, 2 October 1925, Page 3

FISHING.

THE SPORT IN NEW ZEALAND. SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION (By “OrbilL”) The waters abutting on the coasts of New Zealand abound in fish of many varieties; edible and otherwise, and although not in such shoals ap are to be found in other parts of the world, they are nevertheless in such abundance as to provide a livelihood for hundreds of fishermen and splendid sport fpr thousands of visitors to and inhabitants of the numerous towns and villages around our coasts.

From Stewart fefand in the. south to the North Cape the distance, by air-line; is approximately 1000 miles, and between these two points the temperature of the' sea varies considerably—as also do the varieties of fish, due, no doubt, to this difference in temperature. For instance, the blue cod of the South is rarely found north of Bank’s Peninsula, and some of the northern varieties, such as schnapper and yellow-tail, are not found south of Wellington. There a,re, however, so many varieties of fish in all pants that the absence of one or mojre varieties makes very Little difference to the sport.

Schnapper, travalli, moki, trumpeter, gurnet, John Dory, butterfish, kinfish, hapuka .(groper), rock cod, blue cod, red cod, whareroa, mullet, flounder, sole, conger'eels, dogfish; shark, ■are all to be found in New Zealand waters, and good and exciting fishing is to be obtained anywhere along the coast. Until a few years ago line fisning from boats was the universal method of catching fish, but the gradual introduction of - larger boats with nets and .trawls is eliminating the older method. From a sporting point of view, however, line-fishing of excellent quality 'is still obtainable from launches and boats operating iii the vicinity of islands and Off-shore. For a few shillinsg an outfit consisting of a good gtout line, sinkers, and hooks can be purchased at any of the hardware stores, and it is surprising the amount of pleasure. that can be derived, even by an amateur,, from a few hours’ fishing. The baits used are many and various, .and to get the best results considerable expert local knowledge is? usually required. Usually it is necessary to fish with a light line to procure sufficient small fish, such as herrings, for bait, and these fish are-used in turn to ensnare the larger .and more* prized varieties. . Sometimes baits which appear odd, but which in practice have proved efficacious, are used. For instance, a most attractive bait for barracouta is a red piece of wood with a hook attached, and which is, usually trailed behind-a boat. Similarly, a piece of rubber or shell about two inches in length and fish-shaped is used to capture the fast swimming kahawai. Mussels, which adhere to the rocks everywhere on the coast, are a deadly bait for most se.a fish, and although tile contents are hard to keep ow the hooks owing to their tenderness, a good bag of all varieties of fish can usually be < obtained by uising them. In line-fishing the general practice is to use three or, four hooks, to obviate frequent drawing in of the line when bait is lost. The usual length of line is about 100 ft, but in deep water, such as in Foveaux Strait, it is sometimes necessary to use 300 ft or 4'OOft of line to reach bottom. Most sea fish feed on the bottom amongst the kelp and marine growths, and greater success always awaits .the angler who is aware of this:fact. Atone time sinkers of lead weighing from Boz to 31b were commonly in use, but now a length of ordinary chain is mostly used, as it is found in practice that this has less chance of catching iii rocks and, obstructions on the bottom.

Sharks abound in New Zealand waters, and large specimens are frequently caught. A very large one was caught in Otago Harbour some years ago, and the skeleton, which is in the Dunedin Museum, is well over 20ft in length. :

Whales at one time were very numerous around the, coast at certain seasons, and fleets of fast clippers used to sail to these waters from America in pursuit of- them. The ;sperm whale was; most eagerly sought after, on account of its vast bulk containing rich stores of whale oil, sparmachetti, ambergris, and whalebone. Nowadays this whale has greatly decreased in numbers. The whale is a truly wonderful animal. In remote ages, when the, earth w'as a steaming morass, it was amphibious, and probably on account .of it having;,teeth, feet, ears, etc., it found no difficulty .in securing for its food many of the strange creatures of that period. As the ages rolled on, however, it gradually found it easier to obtain its food in the water, and nature in the course of time changed it to a purely seagoing animal. It is still a warmblooded mammal, and to keep its blood stream warm it is provided with a coat of oil-soaked blubber ranging from one to two feet in thickness over Its entire body. What were once ears are now covered with skin to exclude the-water, blit the delicate ear membranes are still there, and the whale is very sensitive to sound. Its huge feet are now powerful flukes, its teeth "are soft, and its eyes smaller. Rich warm blood still coursesthrough its veins, and it suckles Hs young. A peculiar feature in regard to whales .is that, unlike other fish, it cherishes a warm affection for its young, and a cow whale will defend its calf vigorously FRESH WATER FISHING. New Zealand is a land of many rivers and streams, and before the advent of the white man to these shores the only fish these rivers contained were native trout, eels, and fresh-water crayfish. These were very plentiful, and provided the natives with much of- their food. The rivers are now stocked with trout, and in some places with carp, perch, and salmon. From the point of view of freshwater fishing New Zealand is. an angler’s paradise. At Home riparian

rights over the water. are almost Ml held by -wealthy private people or by fishing clubs, and the sport is prohibitive to most people on account of the high fees charged', but in New Zealand fishing is cheap and can be indulged in by almost anyone. The quality of the fishing, also, ig infinitely superior to that obtainable at Home. The Government has vested to acclimatisation societies in the various provincial districts its interests in the waters of all rivers, and Lakes (with one or two exceptions), and on payment of the modest sum of £1 anyone may be privileged to fiish in ajn orthodox manner for .trout, carp, on perch in any river or lake in the Dominion.

Eels are plentiful in all streams, with the exception of Lake Rotorua and the upper waters of some streams with waterfalls which prevent these fish from going up-stream. The eel, by the way,' is still a- mystery to science. Nothing is known as to its breeding habits, its growth in the younger stages, or its ultimate fate.

Volumes have from time to time been written on the delights of trout fishing, and it follows that one cannot do anything like justice to this branch of fishing in a few pages. Trout of variousi species are found in many parts of .the world, but New Zealand streams seem to be peculiarly adapted for trout, and nowhere do they attain the size and condition they do in our streams. In their natural element trout breed freely, but the eel is very destructive to the ybung, and the rivers are mostly stocked with young trout from hatcheries in various parts of the Dominion.. Trout always go up-stream in the spawning season and congregate on gravel banks to deposit their eggs.. They nose out holes in .the gnavel. for this purpose, but few of these eggs overdevelop to maturity on account of the ravages of eels and other water enemies. The method of obtaining tire eggs or ova is to tT|ap the trout when they i are making up-stream. They go through a process known as stripping. ’ The operator holds .the trout by the gills and strips the eggs from it by-'running the thumb and fore-finger down its body, exerting some pressure 1 in so doing. The eggs thus obtained are taken in tints to the hatchery, the male ova being in separate tins. The eggs are hatched in special concrete ponds, and the young fish are allowed to attain a fait size before being liberated in the various rivers. Brown, rainbow, and Loch Leven trout are mostly in evidence, and although one or two other varieties have been tried out they have nbt become acclicatised top well.

There are many methods used to catch tr.out legitimately, the most popular being the artificial fly, natural and artificial, minnows, spoon baits, worm, and natural baits such as creepens, grasshoppers, etc. Some of these methods are no.t considered very sporting, as the tackle used is of a heavy nature and does not permit a trout, once hooked, to have .any chance of making a “get-away.” Fishing with the artificial fly is undoubtedly the most scientific and .artistic form of trout fishing. It requires great patience, an intimate knowledge of the habits of trout and their food, . and great care and a vast amount of skill in the selection and use of the fine tackle employed.

Poaching is rife in many of pur rivers, and large numbers of .trout are taken in this manner. Considering the great amount of time and money spent by the various societies in stocking .the rivers, it shows a poor spirit on the part of those concerned and cannot be too strongly condemned; .. -

Perch abount in many of our lakes and rivers, but they are a poor fish, either from the point of view bf sport or as a culinary delicacy. They do not rise to the top of, the water for any of their food, as do the trout, and are easily caught on an ordinary hook with worm or meat attached. They prey unceasingly on the young trout, and as they usually move in shoals they work great havoc in this reispect

With the exception of whales I have had'the experience of catching all the varieties of fish mentioned in this article, and have spent many happy days cruising around Foveaux Strait, Stewart lisland, and on some of the iiorthern fishing grounds. Of all fishing I am mijst partial to trout fishing. It is a sport par excellence. It absorbs one. One is pitted against a subtle adversary, and yet that adversary has a real sporting chance of beating the game.