DEEP SEA FISHING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 49, 16 February 1945, Page 5

DEEP SEA FISHING

RECORD CATCH TAKEN

LOCAL PARTY'S SUCCESS

A total of twelve swordfish and two mako shark was The reward for three days fishing off Mayor Island 25 miles from Tauranga by a party ol lour residents of Matata, Messrs H. Anderson s A. Kinlcv, F. Burt and 13. Magee. last week. This constitutes something in the nature of a record l'or that ground while the largest number of swordfish taken in one day, five, was only two behind the absolute record. The party set out on Tuesday morning in the launch Buffalo and commenced fishing at 12 p.m. By Tuesday evening three swordfish had been landed the heaviest of which tipped the scale at 3201b5. On Wednesday the fishing continued, and two more swordfish together with two mako shark were captured. Thursday was the record day when five swordfish took the bait and were (successfully hauled aboard. On Friday morning, a storm blew up # making it necessary for the party to move to the lee side of the island for shelter. Fishing howover and by mid-day another two denizens of the deep had been added to the total of swordfish. Now the party had reached a stage seldom known in- the history of fishing parties. It had caught so many fish there was no more room in the boat. Fortunately the Dauntless happened to. be on the spot to lend a hand and five were shipped back to the mainland. The shark of course y 9 were returned to the sea after their tails had been removed for evidence. Now came the difficulty of getting seven swordfish 25 miles back to the mainland in a boat built to hold two. The storm which had blown up was not going to make the trip any easier but a solution was finally reached when the boat set. off towards home; three fish were loaded on either side of the boat, and the odd one was slung across the stern.

The times taken; to haul the fish aboard varied. The fastest, work was in hand when two swordfish were taken in a quarter of an hour while the longest tussle lasted threequaters of an hour. The larger of the two mako took fifty-five minutes to haul in.

The most amazing part of the whole .story is that not one fish hooked got away!