SCARCITY OF FISH

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 245, 6 January 1928, Page 12

SCARCITY OF FISH

UNWILLING TO BITE “A LOST ART” Returning fishermen ai! agree that fish were scarce over the holidays in Auckland. Well-known and formerly popular fishing grounds around the Gulf ah failed to yield the silver harvest of the deep. Schnapper generally forms the major portion of all hauls, but this year the old stand-by has been reluctant to take the bait. On the other hand, a few kingfish have been caught in every bay along the coast, a most unusual thing this time of year, as they are not expected until February. Trawlers, winds, and weather have all been blamed for the dearth of fish. An old hand, now resting ashore, because his age prevents active participation, contends that line fishing has become a lost art. “They cannot catch fish because they do not know how,” he says. That the sea is not completely empty was proved in the beginning of the week, when an Auck land doctor, who is fond of boating landed 30 hapuka and some small fish. He promptly sent his catch to the hospital, for the benefit of the staff and patients.