EXCITING SPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1926, Page 4

EXCITING SPORT

DEER SKa FISHING IN Till

NORTH

TRYING OFT NEW GROFNDS

I ~ AUCKLAND. Feb. 7. I * hero are better fish in the sea than e'er eaipe out ot it, but deep sea anglers at the Bay ot Islands intend to take some of these “better iiisli.” The theory is that anglers in the past have not gone far enough out and that if they do they will land some of the big fish and land something bigger and better than ever before. To go far out in a launch is. of ooursc, risky and that is why Mr Alma Baker and Mr Zane "t i rev were looking for a schooner in Auckland. Air Baker propounded the theory of better fish further out, and it was the party’s intention to test out tins theory.

The visitors, have, ‘however, been forestalled by an Aucklander, Mr Mtirade n Caughey, who seems to have established that there is something in Mr Alina Baker's idea. He has been out at “The Rip,” about eight or nine miles off shore from Cape Brett. ‘‘The j Rip" is so called by reason of broken I water caused, it is thought by the meeting of a current flowing down from the North Cape wiilt tides falling over the edge of the submerged shelf at the hundred fathom line. Fishermen, as a rule, are not inclined to g;i so far out for their spoil, hut Air Marsden Caughey spent several days there in the launch Phyllis for the purpose of testing fishing possibilities. From his experiences he is inclined to think the deeper waters outside the edge of the shell' are the natural home of the make shark, basing It is belief on the behaviour of the fish. It is a generally accepted fact, and one within the experience of most fishermen, that when the make, and for that matter swordfish, are hooked in-shore near Cape Brett, they make off in it northerly direction. However, those hooked by Mr Caughey ill “The Rip" worked round in a circle and kept going down in a patch of water estimated to he about 1000 acres in extent. This seemed to indicate that "The Rip” was the natural haunt of the make, and on two consecutive occasions Mr Caughey secured a large tnako which acted in precisely the same way as the first. A launch which accompanied him after the first day also caught swordfish in the same water and these fish showed no inclination to go far beyond ‘"The Rip.”

Mr Caughey believes that with, suitable gear very large mnko and swordfish may yet he caught in these outer grounds. Another interesting theory tested by Mr Cnguhey was that the make shark prefers the deeper waters and conies inshore in the early morning and late afternoon, going down again during the midday heat. Going out shortly after dawn he had no trouble in hooking mnko, and had had the same experience towards evening. The habits, of deep sea. fish on the Xew Zealand coast- have not been very c-losely studied, hut there is no doubt that as more and more experienced anglers work the grounds much interesting information will he gathered. The deep sea fishing season is now in

full swing at Russell, and visitors from ail parts of the world are on the grounds. A message front Russell yesterday stated that Dr Horace Radmor, of Loudon, had started fishing from Deep Water Cove that morning. AnI other newcomer was Air Hubbaek. the big game hunter from, the Federated Malay States, who is fishing with Afr ' H. liarclcastle, of Rotorua. Afr Zane Grey is keeping up Ids reputation as a deep sea fisherman, as he has had a strike on every day lie has gone out. On Thursday he caught a fine swordfish, of a weight of 2751 b. fishing front’ the launch Alma G. and Captain Mitchell, of his party, secured a 2941 b mnko shark from the Marlin. Other catches made tins vveek were: —Afr Xeville Cook, of Russell, swordfish 262 U), launch Dexee D. Afr Bert

Court, Auckland mako shark 1591 b, launch Dean. Afr F. A. Burr, Xew York, swordfish 1961 b. launch Roseman-. Colonel Sparrow, England,

■ swordfish. 2901 b, launch Phyllis. 1 j There is great rivalry for patronage ■ ; between the Bay of Islands and the Bay of Plenty, and it is satisfactory to learn that the latter grounds are keeping their end up. Air B. D- Dignan. of Auckland, who spent several days at . Mercury Bay-- fishing grounds, caught j on the first day a mako shark of 280}b.

and on the second day two makos weighing 2201 b and 1CK)11>. A third day’s fisliing gave considerable excitement but with bad luck. Two makos were hooked but both escaped, although one was brought alongside the boat. A swordfish go the trace entangled and was lost.