Novel Sport.

Manawatu Herald, 22 November 1894, Page 2

Novel Sport.

An addition to the somewhat meagre list of aquatic sport which help to furnish forth an afternoon*! programme at a regatta or aquatic gathering was provided recently at some sports in connection with the • ' Lifeboat Saturday '• , demoqgtra. tion at Plymouth. ThU fcopkj the form of " man-fishing," in which an expert swimmer asanmed for the nonce the role of a fresh run salmon, Dr Square, a great salmon fisher^ _ armed with a 9£ft East. India , oan£ rod and a medium salmon lipe, terl , minuting in a swivel hook instead of ; ' a gorgeous artificial fly, sat in ipunt'\ in the harbour. A crack looal swimmer dived for the 9m\6\,ho6k fi and attached it to ji^ ring fastened to',, h a sort of harness which passed roun^. his body and over his shoulder, the idea being to see if he could break, the line. "He did his best, but the' fisherman reeled him np once or twice pretty clow to the hpat ;. th«n with a rush he would take out some 40 or 50 yards of line, but thja strain of the rod would compel him to turn. Onoe he g&J&jkftijteMFAvjt buov, and it was thougAVtiJAt he wouid get away, but skilf itl ntanagement of the punt, Doctor Square got hint

well in hand. Just, however, as he was getting him close to the boat he made a great rush, and got round the bow of a steamer ; he was quickly followed by the fisherman, and after ■twenty-five minutes thorough good sport he was brought alongside the boat, and great amusement was caused as the doctor with a shepherd's crook, which looked very much like a gaff hauled the swimmer into the boat. The match was witnessed by some 10,000 to 15,000 people, and the excitement was in : tense." Of course, as the salmon fisher can land such magnificient fish as are caught in the Tay, running up to 401bs and SOlbs weight, despite all their strength and powers of swimming, it was any odds that a man if put in their place, would have to succumb in the end, in spite of his greater weight. But that he should be gaffed in twenty-five minutes is testimony to the staying powers of the salmon, which has often to be played for hours, In spite, however, of the almost inevitable result of such sport, it would doubtless prove a popular item on the programme of acquatic sports gatherings. — Exchange.