Mercury Bay May be Russell’s Rival

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 614, 16 March 1929, Page 6

Mercury Bay May be Russell’s Rival

FINE BIG GAME FISH ZANE GREY AND BOATMAN DIFFER Will there be a serious challenge from Mercury Bay for deep-sea fishing leadership in New Zealand? Mr. Zane Grey has stated that Mercury Bay affords the finest angling, but Mr. Peter Williams, the novelist's launchman, still favours Rue-sell. This afternoon, Mr. Williams will leave Auckland for Russell with his 36ft launch Avalon, fresh from fishing with Mr. Grey’s party at Whitianga. Avalon was on the slips at iSt. Mary’s Bay yesterday. The other two launches used by Mr. Grey’s party, Alma G. and Zane Grey, both owned by Mr. E. C. Arlidge, of Russell, will follow Avalon within the next day or so. Mr. Grey praised Mercury Bay, when he left on Wednesday to fish trout in the Tongariro River. On March 26, the novelist will leave by the Tahiti ior the United states, but, so impressed is he with New Zealand, that he will return with his family for a longer stay.

Air. Grey is elated because liis party took 109 game fish from December 22 to March 13. Captain Alitcliell caught the largest fish, a black marlin weighing 6661 b. It was one of the only two marlin taken in 11 weeks. It is the comparative scarcity of marlin off Mercury Bay which Mr. Williams considers to be a factor against the quality of the fishing grounds. MORE MARLIN IN NORTH

“Marlin are much more plentiful up North, off Cape Brett,” he told The isun. “Then again, travelling to the best fishing grounds is longer from Whitianga than it is from Russell. Mayor Island is a good locality, but it is a long distance from Whitianga or Tauranga, and the anchorage and the bait supplies are not the best. “For these reasons, I prefer Russell. Mercury Bay has fine possibilities. “Mr. Romer Grey landed the second biggest fish, a 6061 b jnako. Mr. Zane Grey caught at least five makos weighing from 4401 b to 5801 b.

_“I would like to say that Mr. Zane Grey’s methods of fi-s-hing are thoroughly sportsmanlike. He understands deep-sea fishing. Until his visit, local fishermen were blundering along with old-fashioned methods, not knowing the possibilities of the grounds-.” On the Avalon, Air. Williams, bronzed and fit from months of deep-sea angling, exhibited two mako shark jaws with formidable arrays of razor-edged teeth. Air. Williams is thoroughly convinced that New Zealand can offer .wonderful deep-sea sport and he thinks that every effort should be made to attract prominent sportsmen to the country. This is the opinion of Air. Grey, too. The novelist also admires New Zealand’s scenery. AUTHOR FAVOURS MERCURY But Air. Grey’s views on the respective merits of Russell and Whitianga contrast with those of Mr. Williams. “Off Mercury Bay,” Mr. Grey said, “the three rods of my party caught almost as many fish in a brief season as the total of all catches in the Bay of Islands during the same period. The Alercury Bay fish are very big and I consider that the grounds are superior to Cape Brett.” Mr. Grey praises the efficiency of New Zealand launchmen. “Systematic fishing is not the slaughter many of the public think. Deepsea fishing gives hardened sportsmen all the thrills they want. Air. Grey has done and will do a good deal for game fishing in New Zealand.” Air. Williams is the first to admit that Alercury Bay’s practically unworked grounds may be regarded by many as a distinctly serious challenger to Russell’s leadership.