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TROUT FISHING WITH MAURICE RODWAY - Weekly Column: 24-December-1999
 Southland, New Zealand

Christmas Angling

Those with better memories and those whose business depends on the weather remind the rest of us that the recent chilly weather is fairly typical of December. Perhaps last year was an exception and this year is the norm. I can certainly remember fires at Christmas before.

Despite the cold and the showers the region's rivers are starting to get to be fairly low so are in excellent fishing order. Just remember to take a swandri when you go fishing. The Mararoa is now nice and clear and the Oreti is at its normal summer low flow. Across the north west, along the fringe of Fiordland, the manuka snows have arrived -  the small white flowers of these persistent shrubs dusting them with  icing sugar and signaling the arrival of the bright green manuka beetle. A delight to trout because of their clumsy flying habits and their abundance. Perhaps their taste too, but of that possibility I have no personal knowledge.

Fish and Game Staff have tagged and adipose fin clipped a large number of trout in the Waiau and Mararoa weir in recent months but so far relatively few tags have been returned. One was returned recently but with it came the message, "We apologize for  cooking it". Fortunately the tag did not become part of the meal, perhaps because it was still very tough, with the numbers on it being quite legible. The tags look like a piece of thin spaghetti, but unless you are have trout with pasta, they are quite easy to distinguish from the edible portions, and they don't taste much good either, that I can verify!.  So please be on the look out for bits of spaghetti in your trout, and look for an absent adipose fin -  that's the fin on the top just on front of the tail. This fin is often removed in trout studies as it does not harm the fish and yet the absence of one is easily noticed. If you find a tag call Fish and Game. Their phone number is on your licence.

There will, no doubt be a number of fishing rods under Christmas trees tomorrow, so to those of you who are a lucky recipient, good luck and tight lines. If you are a young person, you will need some help to become a successful angler. And if you plan to fish for trout in our rivers and lakes you will need a fishing licence. Licenses, like rods and reels are available from sports stores, but the help you will need is only found in the hearts of the people who care for you.

It will be important for Santa to have left some patience, love  and understanding under the tree too, for these gifts are more important for learning to become an angler than those you can buy.

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

Article © 1999 Maurice Rodway, All Rights Reserved.

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