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TROUT FISHING WITH MAURICE RODWAY - Weekly Column: November 16, 2001
 Southland, New Zealand

Rivers now lie in caring hands

When I first went fishing I went with a piece of string, a large hook and a piece of old meat, no longer fit to eat. We would seek out a clump of willow trees lying in the river, around which the water swirled and to which we could walk without getting our feet wet. To put you feet into the river in such locations was to invite an attack from writhing monsters that lived in the depths of the tangled willow.  In a quiet place out of the current we would toss our baited hook and in a short time a large horned face would appear, with a sliver chin and a black brow. If we were still it would ooze from its den and grab the bait then a tug of war would ensue.

I don't ever recall carrying too many eels home but I can still see the face in the shallows. Occasionally we would see a sleek spotted trout there too, apparently at home with the eels, living together in the shade of the tree.

The other image that still haunts me from early fishing adventures is that of willows dozed out of the water, dragged onto the shore, wilting in the sun. The shade that once provided a home for creatures that both terrified and inspired gone forever.

In those days the drivers of the 'dozers and those that ordered these deeds had no cares for the recreation they destroyed or the fish they extinguished.  The politicians who were ultimately responsible thought only of rivers as places for water to flow and control, and not as a place of wonder and beauty.

In those days anglers' voices were like whispers in a storm. They were usually not heard and if they were they passed without a trace. 

In the many years that have gone by since the people who now direct the 'dozers and the diggers share the concerns of anglers, and are much more likely to make sure the homes of trout and of eels are treated with a little more respect.

Recently Environment Southland sent out its first post election newsletter. Reading the visions of the newly elected candidates should gladden the hearts of little boys who think that rivers are places in which to seek adventures and find inspiration for the future.  It makes reassuring reading for anglers who would rather be fishing than fighting battles to protect the sport they love. Rivers now lie in caring hands. When the words become reality, and surely they will, we have a future we can look forward to.

Maurice Rodway
Southland, New Zealand                           E-mail: mrodway@southlandfishgame.co.nz

Article © 2001 Maurice Rodway, All Rights Reserved.

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