NEW ZEALAND FISHING

Evening Star, Issue 20058, 26 December 1928, Page 14

NEW ZEALAND FISHING

VISITING ANGLER'S PARADISE Delighted with the fishing at Russel!, Mr H. G. Keppel-Pahner, of England, accompanied by his wile, arrived in Auckland this week. While at Russell Mr Keppel-Pahner caught a mako shark weighing 3721 b. After travelling the world a number of times, Mr Keppel-Palmcr, who is chairman of five du’ecorates, is on a fourteen months’ trip. Lured to New Zealand by the reports of deep-sea fishing and wonderful, trout catches, they decided to include the dominion in the tour. They have homes in England and America. “ We are amazed at the beauty and grandeur of the place,” they said to a ‘ Herald 1 reporter on arrival in Auckland. “What a marvellous country! What a glorious paradise! People on the other side would go crazy if they had but half the beauty you have here." Anglers in England and America would never experience thrills until they came to the deep blue waters north of Auckland, Mr Keppel-Pahner said. As an experienced fisherman he knew. “ When J get back to my friends in the United .States and in Britain I will not be able to sing my praises of this country too high. One simply cannot tell ‘ fish tales ’ after succeeding in your waters. It is so unnecessary. In English and American clubs it certainly will be a case whore truth is stranger than fiction.” To illustrate his remark Mr KeppelPahner said that less than six months ago he and Mrs Keppel-Pahner party were fishing in Ireland when Mrs Keppel-Pahner hooked a trout weighing 21b, which was considered in the light of a splendid catch. In the streams and lakes south of Auckland they expected to catch real “ pounders,” such as were only imagined in other countries. Excitement and thrills were experienced by both travellers when the mako shark was caught. “ The fight lasted fifty minutes,” Mr Keppel-Pahner said. 11 We were forced to go two and a-Half miles out to sea in the wake of the mako after it was hooked. My rod began to fall to pieces with the strain, and by the time we bad harpooned the prize the rod was nearly useless. At times I needed every ounce of my strength to hold him.” Pleasure was expressed by the visitors at the excellent arrangements at Russell. The camp was characterised as being really ideal. “ 1 shall be a very disappointed man if 1 cannot get back to these shores within two or three years,”* Mr Keppel-Palmer added. “ Zano Grev has not said too much about your ‘country; I endorse all be has said.”