ANGLING NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 37, 26 November 1920, Page 4

ANGLING NOTES.

(By "Creel").

"SMALL FRY." He was an angler bold, she his wifey dear, And he caught small fish ; it did seem queer. Curious she was to know the reason, She asked him why, this very season. He hum — ed and haw — ed and tried to explain, That he lost his best fish, again and again, That the fish seemed governed by certain rules, For they swam about in little schools. She seemed very thoughtful, started to think, . Looked at his creel, then said with a wink : "I'm enlightened dear, for I know, alas, xi Y'ou caught your fish in the infant class. — By "Creel." SHE KNEW THEM. Young Wife (gloomily) : "Do you suppose our husbands really went fishing last Saturday?" Second Y"oung Wife (confidentially) : "I am sure of it." First Y"oung Wife : "They didn't bring home any fish!" Second Young Wife: "That's my principal reason for believing they went fishing." A local party visited the Dunsdale and creeled some nice fish on the fly. They report the fish in good condition after the recent "fresh." The Waiau appears to be coming back to form as some fine fish have been caught lat-ely. Mr C. Brownridge (Tuatapere), landed six good fish in prime condition. Messrs Aitken, Olsen and friend, also bagged some hefty fish, the heaviest being about nine pounds as "fat as butter." Conditions atmospherically were considerably better last week-end and the rivers (with the exception of the smaller streams, such aa the Mimihau, Wyndham, Otamita, Dunsdale, Lora, Otapiri, etc., which were more suitable for the gentle art), be. ing fairly high. I understand some very fair bags were secured on the Oreti with the worm, and also on the Makarewa with the minnow. Fly Ashers on thc smaller streams had to contend with an east wind. Last Friday, fishing the Otamita, Mr Jas. Hoffman caught 12 fish on the fly. They were njostly on the small sids, although as "fat as butter." Messrs J. McArthur and H. T. Braxton, creeled 13 fish between them on the same strearn. Messrs Speden Bros., landed 11 fish on the creeper, and included in the "take" were two three-pounders. ON PUTTING TIIE FISH BAGS. The following article is taken from the "Field" of September 9th, 1920: — In most trout rivers fish under a certain length or weight have to he returned, with as little injury to them as possible, to the water. In some few places all have to be treated, and I would wish first to consider this last set of conditions. Theoretically it should make no difference to the angler. He has had all the sport of catching, playing, and landing his fish, and it should be admired, detached from the hook, and slipped into the water without a pang. We would like to hug ourselves and say that this is our honest belief. He was a good fighter and has gone back to his native element to recbver from shock, to grow, to perpetuate his species, and perhaps to gladden the angler's heart by being foolish enough to be caught again. Thus the theoretical aspeet. But it is so with thc the larger propoi'iion of fresh wa'er fisherman ? Is there not some curious — admittedly unworthy feeling of satisfaction in knocking a sizeable fish on the head and putt-ing him, to make a brave show with his brethern, in the ba-sket? Who has not holloa'd his best over a fox killed in the pen ? Who has not chuckled inwardlv when he has brought down a brace of high birds with a right and left? Is there not some kink in our nature, handed down perhaps from far away ances. tors, who had to hunt for their daily food, that awakes in us the wish to — let us say — bag our game? The Englishman is credited with the gross saying, "It is a fine day, let us go and kill something." o.— s is admittedly a shameless exaggeration, but there is a suspicion of truth in it, and conscience puts up but a feeble resistance to the plea of mercy. While we remain the dmperfect mortals that we aie, there

zill' always be the pang, to which most of b J3 are unable to rise superior. So much Nfor the ethics of the thing. As to the actual putting the fish back, Mr Sherringham in his book, "Trout Fishing, |i|>Morals and Memories," gives us some good advice, and I venture to add a few suggestions. Handle the fish tenderly, reroember that his nerve centres follow the Ikmedial line on either side and are very Hljlear the surface, so put as little pressure on him as possible. Disengage the hook Mrom his jaw with more care than force, using a sharp knife or scissors if it's ex|k,traction is difficult, and then slide him lijf quietly into the river, tending him until ne floats right side up and disappeara with : a glad flick of his tail. Comes now the > question of how best to comply with the laws of different rivers. If fish under a E; certain length are to be put back the thing is obviously simple. Your landing net handle is, or should be, marked in 1 inches, and all you have to do is measure your fish.