‘FINEST RIVER'

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 743, 16 August 1929, Page 14

‘FINEST RIVER'

Fisherman Reaches His Eldorado DELIGHTS OF NEW ZEALAND “No river can touch the Tonga- ; i riro . . . “The finest trout river in the 1 j world .. . “In a wonderful country . . .” j Those are extracts from an article | full of praise for New Zealand in geu- | eral, and the Tongariro River in parj ticuiar. written by Dr. J. W. Harper, of Hartford, Connecticut. United , States, for the “New Zealand Fishing | and Shooting Gazette,”' from Hatch's Camp, on the Tongariro. “I am an American tourist and fisherman,” he writes. “I have been in your wonderful country since February 23, and went at once to the South Island for both the grandeur of its scenery and for its streams and rivers, where I could get fly fishing for trout —the only kind of lure that 1 use. “RIBBONS OF BLUE”

“My success was not very brilliant, and I came away very discouraged, especially as I had heard and read so much about the wonderful trout fishing in New Zealand. But I was recompensed, in part, by fishing some of the most ideal trout streams I had ever fished, ribbons of blue and shingles of silver. No fighting the brush to get at the stream, or hung up on the back-casts, as in my own country. Lovely, clear as crystal streams, easily waded, easily forded, and with all kinds. of water —rapid, smooth and with ravishing pools galore. “And though I came away beaten, I would not be misunderstood. The fish are there, thousands of them, and big fish, too, up to 101 b., mostly brown trout and nearly all taken at night. I do not fish at night. But there had been no rain for some time, the rivers were low, bright and clear as crystal. A fish could see you a mile away, and see you first. Even when you saw him he treated your flies, wet or dry, with lofty scorn. “Of course, I was only a ‘tenderfoot,’ knew not the local conditions, and was limited to only walking distance from my accommodation. My largest fish was a pound and a quarter, and the rest lOJin., except thoso I put back. “And then I came here, and am now on what is beyond question the finest trout river for big rainbow trout in the world. “I have fished New England, Canada, Newfoundland, Norway, British Columbia, Alaska, and while most of these places were for salmon, with the exception of the famous Rogue River in Oregon (for steelheads), I nave found no river that can touch the Tongariro, both in size and the number of fish daily taken. “BAGS” OF FISH “I could not understand why ‘The Gazette’ spoke of ‘bags’ of fish. In my country we speak of ‘creels’ or basket, but when I saw three rods tumble out 42 trout, the day’s catch, from 61b. up to llilb. each, I understood why. Fancy three fish, 9, 9 and 101 b. each, in a creel! Some ‘creel.’ During my short stay of less than two weeks I have seen probably 300 big fish brought in by guests here, and from the outside, to be smoked. “Handicapped by top boots only, instead of high waders, so that in some pools the trout are beyond my cast, my own modest catch is none the le3S satisfactory. I caught seven fish, from 31b. up to 101 b. each, or 4811 b. in all, an average of nearly 71b. each. And I lost as many more as big. My 71b. fish I took yesterday on my lighter, 4oz. rod, in swift water, and I shall use it for a 151 b. trout, if given plenty of line and plenty of sea rofom, and if only he heads up stream. “I am happy and contented at this very comfortable camp, where everything is done to make you feel at home. I am far from the thadding crowd,’ and the ‘cares that infest the day,’ and care not whether ‘school keeps or not.’ It is quite immaterial to me whether the Emperor of Timbucktu marries the Queen of Sheba or Raineses 11. runs away with Diana of the Ephesians. “I only know that I am in a wonderful country of marvellous development, and that I have met the kindliest, friendliest, most courteous and hospitable people I have ever met in all my travels, and that I am on the finest trout river in the world, and that lam catching big fish. I sail on the Aorangi, taking with me a treasure house full of delightful memories.”