GOOD PROSPECTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 67, 10 November 1931, Page 5

GOOD PROSPECTS

ANGLING SEASOM U . • .... 4 RECORD OF FIRST BAGS IN 'I ROTORUA AND TAUPO A DISTRICTS . * * SOME EXCELLENT CATCHES "! *• Conipreliensive reports by the 2" rangers of the Internal Affaifs ' Depavtment covermg the fishing in the Rotorua and Taupo spec- ^ ra! districts since the opening of "* the season on November 1 have now come to hand, asscl reveal ** that both in condition and ntimher the bags so far taken have • * shown a ganeral improvement over those secured -during the , corresponding periodjlast season. . ». , ■ Anglers regard «fi5nmg prpspects ** for the remainder of the sea- .1 scn as excellent, the report stat- * " es. This first report is confined to the* first week following the opening o£ the season and in future fortnightly. reports will be issued from the offbeC of the conservator of Fish and Game" in Rotorua. Heavy rain which fell on the " second and third days of the season apparently had l'ttle effect on the rivers of the district, the Conservator stat-! es, and this was particularly thei case' in the Whakatane- Opotiki area" where river conditions were subject* to the effect of heavy rainfall. "I Reports from the Bay of Plenty area state that while trout weivq plentiful, the general condition aves' only fair, although a number of gooif fish were accounted for. * " * • Catches in Tarawera. Amongst the largest eatches report-; ed was one of 14 taken by Mr. SI Smedley who was using a spoon n the Tarawera River. Mr. C. A. Tims,. took 13 fish on the fly in the same stream. Messrs Mortensen and Hoop-; er also secured 19 in the Tarawera; all taken on the minnow . and spooiq while Mr. F. Smedley Junr. took 10 on the inanga from the same water! Fishermen in the Waimana, Messrs Yardley and Morriee bGth took limit bage using the inanga and spoon. A bag of 11 fish averaging. l?Jbs,..was taken by Mr. Arrowsmith us:ng" the "teal and red" fly in the Waimana Stream. / ; The best catch reported from WaL oeka was a limit bag averaging lj| Ibs takeii by Mr. M. Stevenson on the fly. Other catches in this area ranged from one to eight and included several fish of 5 lbs weighf. Around Rotorua ! •1 A number of large catches of trout in excellent condition have been reported from the waters . about Rotorua. Anglers generally stated that the fish were in good condition' for so early in the season. The Ohau Chaiv nel was providing excellent .sport and several limit catches were taken while bags of 10 were fairly common. Dr, Marshall, of England,. had secured 70 for the week in this water, all in good condition and taken on the fly. The doctor's best fish was 51bs. antl the average 41bs. I? • Thirty-seven fish averaging 31 lhb were taken in the Ohau by Mr. Barclay using the fly. Two local anglers took 20 on the "Matuku" at the j Rotorua end of the channel. This j catch comprised all young fish in fine : cond'tion and averaged 2.11bs. '[ Trolling Catches Trolling parties on Lake Rotorua had had good sport although the lake had been rather rough for boats. The best catch reported was taken by Mr. H. Smith, of Hastings, who secured 28 good fish during four days' j trolling. His best fish weighed 51 ! lbs. and the average for the catch | was 31 lbs. • ; | Reports from Lake Rotoehu stated | that fish were plentiful in that lake | and that trolling appeared to be (ihe j favourite method of fishing. Messrs I Lovard, Davis and Hay, of Te Aroha, J had secured 108 fish during two days' trolling. The average of this bag was 4 lbs and the best fi&h we:ghed 65 lbs. Lake Tarcwera Lake Tarawera had been well patronised by anglers and some good bags had b'een taken. Messrs Lennard, Farrow, and Morrison, of Te Aroha, had taken 49 on the spoon during two days' trolling. The average for 49 was 51bs, and the heaviest fish weighed Slbs. On the same lake, Messrs Baker and party secured 24 fish .averaging 61bs, while trolling with the • spoon. Dr. W .S. Wallis had taken j the limit with the fly. No reports from the Rotorua lakes had been received. Lake Waikaremoana,* however, had been well fished at the opening of the season, although the weather had been very rough and against good catches. The condition of ' the fish was reported to he only fair, Jrat this might be -explained by the exceptionally low level of the lake, which had perhaps prevented the fish from coming to the spawning beds. 1 Most anglers had\ used the fly an this area and catches of three- -to seven had been fairly .common. Waikareiti fish were stated* to be in good, condition but this water had been very much fished. The best fish taken had weighed 951bs and was caught ;on the spoon hy Mr. R. Sheffield. A ibag of 12 averaging IQlbs had been taken by Mr. Lindigar. "l!

Taupo District } - ' Fish taken in the Taupo distl'ict had been found to he in excellent condition for' the time of year, and some fine bags had been taken. The spawning season was just over and a number of late spawning fish which had not yet recovered had in many cases been returned to the wqteiv The Tongariro River, owing to rain, had suffered a discolouration of the water on the third day. The river had been fishing very well, however, . and it was expected would continue to do so for some time yet.