A Chat With A.D. Hall

ANGLING NOTES BY “JOLLYTAIL.”
A CHAT WITH MR. A. D. HALL. The Mercury Newspaper 27 January 1909

Mr. Hall, a prominent member of the committee of the New South Wales Rod Fishers’ Club, and, perhaps, our best Australian authority upon native water flies, was in Hobart on Saturday last, where he had returned from his annual angling trip to the Dee. In company ‘with some members of the Hobart Fly   Fishers’ Club, and, perhaps, our best the water, and when the showers were too active for fishing kindly filled in the time by adding to our knowledge from his stores of experience. Mr. Hall has been coming here for ten or eleven years. He used to fish the Great Lake, when Mr. Bryant and other stalwarts were to be found year by year at that water. The greatest catch of trout ever accomplished there in a single day was the one made by our visitor. Asked how he accounted for the great run on that particular morning, he expressed the opinion that the fish were fresh run from the sea. This opinion is interesting. But, if so, what were they? For salmon, 9lb. or 10lb. fish would be small, and if sea trout, do salmo trutta go so far from the sea? Mr. Hall thought they did. As our visitor is a great advocate of fly (fishing ‘pure and simple, I asked him whether he had been successful with the fly at the lake, but he had not. His operations had been with the spinner.

TROUT IN NEW SQUTH WALES.
In New South Wales they have both brown and rainbow trout. In the Snowy, Murrumbidgee, and other rivers the rainbow are driving the browns out. This is precisely what I should have expected. As the rainbows spawn after the brown trout, they would rake up the redds or spawning places, and probably gobble up the ova. The Snowy River rainbow trout fishing is, Mr. Hail thinks, the finest in the world. . He gave some grand accounts of catches of fine two, three, four, and five pound fish, all on the fly. He does not think the rainbow as gifted intellectually as the brown trout. Why should he be? The brown trout comes from countries where he has been angled for, more or less legitimately, perhaps a thousand years. A story he tells is of a rainbow he hooked near a rock. The fish circled round and round this rock until he came to net. He made no attempt to run for a bank of logs in the immediate vicinity. A brown trout would have infallibly done this. The rainbow is the sort of trout we want on hand somewhere for certain visitors for whom our brownies are too clever. I saw a seafaring gentleman spinning last week who would not capture a brown trout in twelve months. The Snowy fishing is in water of the roughest kind. In many of the New South Wales rivers set lines are numerous.

FLY FISHING.
Our visitor gave us many interesting details of fishing bare fly at the Dee and other places, and showed how the clever fly fisher caught fish where others got none. Never go fishing, he said, when the clouds lie low upon the hills. Mr. Hall fishes both wet and dry fly and at any time can do better with the fly than with the hopper. I was, though not an enraptured devotee of the artificial fly, delighted with a glimpse of Mr. Hall’s fly case. These flies were what the Scotch call “spiders,” as opposed to winged, flies, and were in most cases tied by himself or friends. When you looked at them you received something of the sensation of our boys in South Africa, who, marching through the night, had borne to them by the breeze the scent of the Tasmanian blue gum. These flies, which were mostly imitations of native Australian flies, struck at once a note of familiarity. You felt you had seen them, or something like them, before. A gentleman in England once sent me some flies with which he had killed fish in many parts of the world. The characteristic note of colour was that they contained yellow. These flies of Mr. Hall’s were touched up with red. He thinks the best English fly the Zulu. For afternoon tea, during a squall, we took shelter in an humble shed. The window was very dirty. It needed the broom and the scrubbing brush, but it filled the soul of Mr. Hall with delight. From the dead or half-dead insects he discovered ephemeridae, and showed duns – insect duns, etc. I attended to the afternoon tea. Charles Dickens once told a story about two men and three chops.

CASTING.
“How did your Dr. Maitland make those wonderful casts at your competitions?” I asked. “Had he a Sydney southerly buster behind him?” “Not at all,” was the reply, further explanation not being tendered. “Had he,” I persisted, “a heavy line?” That soft impeachment was not denied. While fishing Mr. Hall had an Allcock split-cane rod, externally ribbed with steel, his line was heavier than the one I use, and it had a long taper, continued by a 7ft. gut leader, very fine. The leader carried two showy flies. He did not appear to be making long casts, but threw out straight and neatly, with little effort. We were surprised to find by actual measurement that he had cast 70ft. or upwards each time. The grass and the bushes troubled him; indeed, he was quite unphilosophical in expressions of irritation when his flies got caught. But the bounds of drawing-room remarks were never exceeded. The cursory habit of swearing is considered bad form among the virtuous members of the N.S.W. Rod Fishers’ Club. When Mr. Gorringe, of that club, was surrounded at the Snowy by three snakes at once, then – but the circumstances were just a little more aggravating than usual! Our visitor is imbuing members of his home club with some of his own entomological enthusiasm, and is persuading them to take a “killing bottle” with them when fishing, so as to capture and preserve for classification the flies found upon the water. Only two fish were hooked for the afternoon. Mr. Hall expressed himself as pleased with the outing and the company, and the feeling was reciprocated.

OBSTRUCTION OF RIVERS.
At the latest meeting of the Fisheries Commissioners, reports were road from the police, showing the situations of dams across streams unprovided with fish passes. Lachlan 4, South Esk River 2, Macquarie River 4, Clyde 7. This list can scarcely be considered exhaustive. As to the obstructions to rivers owing to felling timber therein, I understand that prosecutions will be instituted in such cases. Only quite lately I fished a river where two trees had been felled across, simply to get rid of them off land.

SWANSEA.
It has come to my knowledge that the Swan River is being illegally netted. When an officer can be spared from harrying the flounder-spearers, this matter might be looked into. That other local matter, the shooting into a visitor’s boat, has been satisfactorily settled. Treating visitors to Tasmania, in this manner cannot be called a good line, anyway.

FISHING NEAR HOBART.
Mullet and other fishing. Selfs, Cemetery Point, Risdon Ferry, Berriedale, Claremont, Bridgewater. Boats can be hired at all these places. Good fishing often off Old Beach jetty; route by New Norfolk steamer. Bait, crayfish.

GENERAL FISHING.
Mr. J. Harris. Mr. Hall’s mate, gave the Plenty, or the Derwent in its vicinity, a turn last Saturday, and caught on the bare fly two dozen good trout up to 1lb. There are still migratory trout about Old Beach, where a four-pounder was lately captured. Mr. A. Brent is alleged to have landed four good bream at White Stone. Mr. P. C. Douglas has promised an account of some splendid “black back” fishing at Ulverstone. Mr. G. Brettingham-Moore, at Maria Island, was amongst the ‘couta. One big fellow he had in the dinghy proved so boisterous that subsequent arrivals were despatched outboard. Mr. G. W. Lloyd and some friends had a splendid haul of barracouta down stream. The flounder spearing industry is not booming at Cornelian Bay just at present. Near Claremont early in the week the mosquito fleet of boats containing angling parties looked like a little regatta rehearsal. A local motor-boat has had fine catches of crayfish off Blackman’s Bay. Fishing, especially for mullet, has been good at Risdon off rocks near abattoirs. A motor-boat party (four) took 16 dozen good mullet at Berriedale; Mr. R. Howell, 7doz. mullet at Austin’s; fine catches cod off Iron Gate; Thorpe and party, l0doz. Mullet by noon off Triffit’s. A few friends of Mr. Johnston had luck in his motor boat up river, landing some flounders and real trumpeter, with mullet galore. Messrs. Mollineaux and Smith, in two hours, near Triffit’s, mixed baskets-8 doz. mullet, colonial salmon, and English mackerel. The fishing from steamer Seabird on late trip was only moderate Messrs. Cook, Gallop, and two others, in boat from steamer, had a great haul. There are all sorts of fish. in the Derwent just now-cod, flathead English mackerel mullet, flounders, perch, trumpeter, colonial salmon, doggies, toadies,

SCAMANDER FLOUNDER SPEARING.
This sporting method of fish capture is. spreading, and seems to have an especial attraction for legislators. From Mr. Walker’s, Scamander, report I learn that Mr. W. Howard Smith, Hon. Bruce Smith, and Dr. Horne (Broken Hill) had good sport spearing flounder. In four outings they bagged over 50 fine large fish. Very well, Mr. Bruce Smith, but be careful, and remember what happened to two Labour members ,who landed under-sizers.” Once on a “Victorian race- course an under-and-over man invited my companion to engage in the game. “Oh,” said he, ‘I am a magistrate.” “That won’t matter,’.’ replied the man; “it is me they will run in, not you.” But not so our Police Commissioner. He would as soon run in a Federal legislator as a mere State member.
“Be wise and beware, of undersized flounders take care.” Nine inches, please!

FISHING REPORTS.
(Reports of fishing should not reach the office of this paper later than Tuesday morning for publication next day.)
Great Lake.-From Trooper Coplestone: -Mr. and Master Parish (N.S.W.), two trout, 8lb. ; Mr. H. Nicholas (Millbrook), three trout, 10lb., 6lb,. and 9lb. ; Mrs. Owen (Victoria), one, 6lb.
“Claremont. – “Wattle Blossom” for week ending January 16:-Bonnitcha and party, 6doz. mullet; Child and party. 31 mixed fish; Martin and fiiend, 2doz. mullet, big fish, averaging ljlb. each; Kyle and friends, “doz. mullet; Derwitt’s party, 2doz. mullet up to 2lb.; Senator Sayers, Miss Sayers, and friend, 31 fish, mullet and cod; J. Cooley, six varieties of fish; Watkins and party, 31doz. mul- let and cod; Amos and Loveless, 6doz. mullet. Memo.-Thorne and Thorpe men- tioned in previous report separate persons.

Little Swanport River. – Mr. Peter Mitcbellmore (January 19) reports:-Dr. Lines, and party, 3doz. bream; ditto S doz., Dr. Dawson (Spring Bay), Mr. Weigall (Sydney), Mr. Russell (Hobart), 13 bream; Dr. Lines and party, 26 bream; Mr. Waterhouse and party, 26 bream; Dr. Lines and party, 2doz. On some days average weight, l}lb. ; other days. 21b.

Scamander.-From J. G. Walker (January *22):-The writer will, I hope, pardon the condensation of his report. The fishing was good; lib. is mentioned as the average in one case, and the fish ran np to 3|lb. The anglers~caught their fish often in a brief period. The takes are as follow:-Messrs. Parish and Fisher (N.S.W.) (2), l8 bream; Messrs. Bungay and Walker, 37; Quirk and Walker, 20;

Day, Burgan, and Walker, 19; Whin, Day, and Walker, 35; Bruce Smith, Walker, and Bungay. 69; Dr. and Mrs. Balfour, 7; Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Walker, U.

Bay of Fires.-Mr. John Haigh reports : Mr. J. C. Briggs, 80 bream, average weight 1lb.