THE TRUE LAUDER TOUCH

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1929, Page 8

THE TRUE LAUDER TOUCH

Addressing the Rotary Club in Wellington, Sir Harry Lauder, in relating his fishing experiences north of Auckland, said: “The strongest fish took me an hour and a-half to land, and when 1 got him on the launch I was told you couldn’t eat the d thing!” ' Laughter.) At Rotorua, “ 1 got nine beautiful fish, and we had some of them if or tea.. I told the manager that the five largest I wanted photographed in the morning, hut when I got up I found that they had golloped up five of the largest and left only the smallest! ” Then Sir Harry went to Lake Taupo, “ where they fish with flies as big as sparrows and mice (laughter), and catch ’em, too. 1 fished the Waikato River, a dangerous river, very deep and silent. There .1 had with me Jerry Potts, of Wanganui, a most companionable fellow. We fished for ten nights—two hours a night—and caught 3(5 beautiful rainbow trout, from 4-Jlb to 1(U1I> in weight. I have fished all over Scotland and the North of England, but wo never got the catches von do in New Zealand.” Then a visit was paid to the South Island, “where,” continued Sir Harry. “ I went after tho salmon, with minnows as bait--; tho New Zealand salmon won’t look at a fly. I had two wonderful minnows

which I got at'Rcdditch (England), but the salmon beat mo for them—they got away with my beautiful minnows. I was cut up—but I had got them tor nothing, which softened the shock -'if losing them! Their loss just caused a sort of quiet sadness. (Laughter.) Away down South 1 stayed with Don.; aid Macdonald, of Edcndale, who was very kind to mo. On leaving I said 1 was sorry I was going away, and how much did .1 owe for hoard and lodging? Donald said they would ‘talk about it the next time we met.’ There’s' a ivondefiful Scotsman!” (Laughter.)