ANGLING NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 41, 24 December 1920, Page 5

ANGLING NOTES.

By "Creel"

GOOD FISHING GREETING^ The festive season cycle is round once more. Old friends now dwell on maiiy a foreign shore. gtill memory sweet to many fondly clings, We wish each one all joy the season brings. To anglers scattered round both fsr and near, We wish 'em all full creeJs t'u3 coiuing year, And may their fishing days all pleasant be. I'm sure they wish the same to you and me. — "Creel." Conditions atmospherically last weekend were very changeable, wih hot and gultry weather and thundery looking skies. Under these conditions the water is gener. ally unsatisfactory, as it wears a glassy appearance and fish are very hard to move, The mirror-like surface of the. water tends to magnify one's tackle and I tnink it is the canse of anglers "rising" fish that do not "take." The Makarewa river when visited by "Creel" recently preijr.ted these conditions, and no good results were obtained until towards evening. Even then two nice heavy fish were lost throngh that blessing (to the fish) American :duck weed." At the present time it is very bad, being apparently at the full growth and consequeiitly very strong. To the tiv exponent it is therefore a blue durk" fishing this river at the present time, although theruns between the weed-banks must be a veritable paradise for ihe angler with the natural bait, such as eockabully and smelt. me Oreti and Aparima are wearing a very nice appearan -e for "fine" fishing, both streams bting fairly low and clear, consequently light c-asts and traces are essential for satisfactory results. Should the present weather bold throughout the holidays I have 1.0 doubt some fme bvags will be obtainad, and many pleasant hours be spent by numevous anglers 011 our Southland rivers. Messrs R. Kidd (Railway), and G. Bren. ton, visited the Oreti at Lady Barclay, Jast Saturday and despite the hurrijme "northerly" experienced, creeled twent.y fish, the heaviest l^lbs. Femala Mar ;'.i Rrown, Red Spinner and Owaka were the popular flies. Three local rods at Benmore landed 76 fish on the fly. The heaviest fish weighed about 21bs. Flies with red dressing seemed to be the most effective killers. Messrs Welham and Findlay fishing the Oreti at Winton, at back of racecou. ,e, creeled some 30 fish in good condition. Mr Welham landed a beautiful specimen 7|lbs (cleaned weight), on the Peveril of the Peak fly. Mr Findlay also landed a fine fish 5^1bs on Hardy's Favourite fly. Last Thursday week on the Makarewa below Underwood, Mr Welham creeled six fine fish on the fly. The heaviest fish weighed 61hs. Small pattern flies were the most effective killers. Messrs Hoffman and Baldwin for the week and caught 28 fish on the natural smelt bait on the Oreti. (Their donation of fish to "The Digger" staff was greatly appreciated. The "01-fis boy" has put his share of trout in pickle and vows he will have a five course Xmas dinner).— "Creel.'' Messrs Olsen, Aitken and Sparkes, fishing the Waiau for the week-end landed some 30 fish. The heaviest fish weighed 151bs and was on exhibition in A. and W. McCarthy's window, and made a striking contrast to another exhibit referred to further down these colu 111ns. On the "Paloona," amongst the passengers landed were some Australian anglers, | who purpose fishing our Southland rivers, and "Creel" wishes them the best of luck amongst the "speckled beauties." Owing to not receiving any information, I am unable to publish the result of the recent competition held by the Lumsden Angling Club. EXPENSIVE TROUT. In Messrs A. and W. McCarthy's winow, the ranger made an exhibit of trout legally netted in the Estuary. They made a shocking show as the bulk of the 20 0 fish could not measure 9in in length. They ranged fr0m 4^in3 to 18ins and were a ng example of the methods adopted y some folk to deprive th6 legitimate nS er of "good" fish. As one spectator

remarked. 'If they had the chance to giow, they would attain the dimensions of the 15-pounder." The following is an extract from the various resolutions passed at the recent conference of Acclimatisation Societies' representatives. Mr A. H. Stock, attended the conference on behalf of the Southland Society : — FISHERIES ACT (PART II.). (Recommendations to be sent to the Hon. the Minister of Marino. 1- That Section 82 of the Act be amended to provide a maximum penalty of £20 and a- minimum one of £10. 2- rhat penalties for dynamiting, lim. ing, and any other means of wholesale destruction of Trout and Perch, should be increased, the minimum to be not less than £20, and the maximum not more than £50. 3. — That, for the reasons already urged, and as the fishing for Quinnat Salmon for the last three seasons has proved a failure, the Government be requested to withdraw the regulations declaring the Waitaki and the Rangitata "Salmon Rivers," and be asked to legalise the taking of Quinnat Salmon under the same license and conditions. 4- That the penalties for taking fish out of season or at any time in sanctuary be increased ; the minimum to be not les3 than £10 for the offence and £1 additional for each iish so taken. fi- That the Government be requested to prohibit all netting at the mouths of rivers. 6. — ihat the Minister of Marine be urged to abolish lioensed netting for trout in river estuaries. 7- — -That the Government be asked to instruct the police to take a more active part in the suppression of breach.es of the Animals Protection and Fisheries Acts, and further that rabbit and county inspectors be appointed Rangers under both the ahove Acts. 9.— That amendments be made to the Fisheries Act 1908 and the Animals Protection Act 1908 : — I- — Granting Justices full power to issue Search Warrants in all cases where there is reasonable ground for suspecting that a breach of either Act lias been committed. Making it an offence for any person when charged by a Ranger with having committed a breach of either Act refusing on demand to give such Ranger his correct name and address. (To be Continued in Next Issue).