Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), Friday 27 January 1933, page 14


Women Out Of Doors

FISHING PICNICS NOT FOR MEN ONLY Modern Anglers; Science and Arts in Swimming

By BEETEE

Fishing has interested icomen, ancient and modern. When Cleopatra wanted some diversion from boredom she ivent fishing. ''Give me mine angle,' it is said of her, 'we'll to the river, there . . . I trill betray tatcny-finn'd fishes; my bended hook shall pierce their slimy jatvs.' So it is evident that fishing by tcomen is not a modern craze. There are the mural paintings of ancient Egypt to make it clear that angling was a favorite pastime.

In the days of Izaak Walton, the father of angling, it was known as the ?gentle craft.' That, in itself, should recommend it as a woman's sphere. But whether the name came irom the quality of the skill of the Ssr.ers, or their method of attack, or from the fact that a common bait of anglers was a 'gentle,' a maggot or grub used for baiting the hook in angling, is not quite clear. Oppian describee the perfect angler: — 'A well-made, active man. patient, vigilant, enrerprising. courageous, and full of expedients.' The enthusiastic woman angler can faithfully answer 'Yes'* to such a questionnaire. One of South Australia's most enthusiastic anglers is Mrs. Arthur Milner. of Sefton Park. Her husband is the vice-president of the SA Pish Protection and Anglers' Association. His official position is not treated wi:h much deference by his wife when it comes to practical fishing, for it is said that she has caught more fish in a jcason than the vicepresidentIndirectly. Mrs. Milner has control of the plans. She always drives the car, and she likes to be at the fishing venue before sunrise. North, south, east, and weft, she has travelled the State: and evLry fishine ground within a couuTe of hundred miles, at least, is on the list of this active 6pcrtswoman. A business-like costume saves any worry about general appearance, or the attack of a snake. Knee-high boots and breeches are ideal for the river banks and undergrowth, and if femininity must be served, it can be confined to a colorful jumper or cardi

gan. Angling is not a sport for the woman j who likes to take her pleasures easy. Mr. and Mrs. Milner 1 NO EASY almost invariably leave ] PLEASURE home in the small hours of the morning. A few months a^o they started off for Man- : num at 2 ajn., and a passing traffic ? policeman made diligent enquiries as they came cut of the drive with the ? r-:i'.-. with camp equipment. They ' were breakfasting on the roadside just : before eoing into Mannuni as the dav broke. The Gorge road was traversed in a heavy mist. After crossing the wunt at Mannum they drove down ? the riverside about two miles, to a avorite spot where bream, cod. and catfish rewarded them. The day's sDort did not finish until long after the sun had set. By the time they were home again the clock had reeistered twenty-one hours. On this occasion the car's miscellaneous cargo — which comprised food, cooking equipment, fishing tackle and bait, and the Milner family of four — also included a mother Australian terrier and her five three weeks' eld puoDies. To young to be left unattended, they were necessarily in- 1 eluded in the fishing party. For long week-end trips. Mrs. Milner is fond of Port Hughes, about 100 miles distant. Then tents are carried. She finds that night fishing off the jetty brings its own reward, and frequently has found diversion by trailing snook from the unguarded side of the jetty. Port Gawler is her favorite hunting ground. Nearly every week-end during the winter the family VAGARIES pay a visit to the ''toni-OF FISH mies.' On their last trip they found a party who had been there all night and had only one fish between them. Not deterred by their lack of luck, Mrs. Milner settled herself beside the disgruntled fishermen and acst her bait. She admits that she was somewhat ashamed of herself, for the mullet began to bite almost immediately, and for an hour she was busy pulling them ia Such quick results are not always achieved. Sometimes Mrs. Milner has sat from 6 ajn. until 4 pjn. without a bite, and just kept on baiting and baiting — and waiting. There is nearly always the fact to be remembered that, when the fish rise, they ma.y provide 'work' for an hour or more. Every time the bait comes off and a fresh piece is cast, she thinks that the fish will find it, and must eventually find the piece on the hook. Squid baiting from the jetty at Kanearoo Island is another phase of the sport in which she has indulged. Visitors used to see the 'lonely' angler spend the whole of the day in solitary meditation with her rod, at the end of the jetty. Trout fishing Is an unknown quantity to nearly all South Australian women anglers, although RECORD Mrs. Cyril Malpas has had TROUT some experience, I believe, in Victorian waters. In October of lasr year Mrs. Winsell, of Camperdown. created a stir by hooking what was thought to 'be the world's largest trout, after a 20 minutes' tussle, during which 100 yards of line had been run out. It weighed only 12 lij. 8 oz.. but it was 24 inches in length and 20 in girth. The fi6h

was sent to Melbourne to be stuffed and mounted, as a hope and encouragement for other anglers. Mrs. Winsell almost daily throws her line from some Camperdown lakeside. Mrs. Winsell's claim for the largest trout was upset by the recalling of an incident 47 years ago, when one ot Melbourne's leading anglers caught cne 27 inches in length. Three indies can take away a record, but Mts. Winsell still has the honor of being the only woman to bait such a prize,. ? » ? ? For at lea&t two hours on Wednesday morning the interstate 'Varsity ? swimming girls BODILY ACTIVITY were serious. RESTS BRAINS They had little thought beyond the events on the programme for the swimming carnival at the City Baths, the reason for their presence in Adelaide. Since the examinations, the Sydney. Melbourne, and Adelaide representatives have been concentrating on the championships, but the tame for training has really been too short. they consider. Re-3, blue, white, and black rubber caps covered a varied assortment of brains, as their owners splashed through the water in the struggle for breast stroke, back stroke and free style honors. Miss Dulcie Goldie. winner of the championship points, in last year** carnival at Manly, won the 100 yards championship. she is doing thtai year arts, and «j is her friend and rival competitor to swimming, and at the University Evelyn Lea, who came third. Margaret Pearson, from Melbourne, who was fieonnd is oniithor

arts student. The Sydney competitors are glad ;hat the carnival is over, because they .,_,-„ wi» be able to go back to £'3£GE surfing days, which ate BY B.Sc barred while training. Melbourne's team keeps fit all the year round, and to winter the members have one day a week at the city baths in warm, chlorinated water under the supervision of a coach! Their captain. Marjorie Mirams is a prominent member of the Varsity basket ball team, secretary of the lidbourne U.W.S.C.. and is in her third year medicine. Jean Gardner, who figured ju the long plunge nnd breast ftroKe. is a Bachelor of Sciecop and g now taking her Master's Ti^gree Ptoence Fauls. who entered for the' breast stroke event only, is a science student m her second year. B Sutton and Mollie Wells fwho 'came second on points to the Sydney divine . s.ar. J Malor. to the neat dive eventf! are both second year arts students Adelaide's team has perhaps equal Honors, in Varsity records, but their swimming achievements were not so brilliant. This is possibly due to lack of enthusiasm among some of the club members. Vera Flicker gained her ,r °^gree, this 3'ear- and Mrs. E. Menz her B.A.; the captain. Shirley Burr.s-Cuining fwho has arranged a vrc?k_L -of ' varied and enjoyable entertainment for the visitors) has nearjy finished her massage course Margaret Haslam. the secretary, is doing fourth year medicine In spite of the early hour set for tne carnival, there was a good audience, among whom were Claire Dennis and Bonnie Mealing, two Sydney swimmers, who represented Australia at the Olympic Games at Iios Angeles last year. ^^ ? ? ? ? Letters recently received from Miss Phyllis Leitch, the Adelaide dancing teacher, tell of days TRAVEL of sight seeing at IMPRESSIONS Colombo and Bombay while travelling to London on the Strathaird. The colorful glorv of the Cinnamon Gardens is rfven the following pen picture: — Huge lawns, with big pelicans strutting about, while others remained as motionless as a statue- tall clumps of cannas of every bright color imaginable, against a background of purple boueainvillea. with natives tending them in bright pink shirts. When the party left the ship on their sight-seeing tour, the natives were alreadv busy plving their wares. On their return, the natives were still there, but business was being done on a sliding scale. An ebony elephant, a foot high, was £2 in the morning, but as the time of the departure of the Strathaird drew near, it could be bought for 4/. Impressions of Bombay Include a . morning at the Gate of tthMh., -where, as soon as the taxi drew up, the visitors were impressed by three natives carrying quaint-looking baskets and playing 'a funny pipe made of a gourd.' As they played, cobras' beads rose stealthily from the baskets. Each native also had a mongoose on & string, and the object was to persuade the visitors to want to see a fight between the mongoose and one of the snakes for 5 rupees -7/6). When £h« travellers refused, one of the natives followed them, carrying a snake by the tail in one hand and holding the moncoose by the string in the other, as the animal cavorted around the narty.