My First Herring

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 48, 13 June 1930, Page 36

My First Herring

I SHALL never forget my first. experience of fishing. I was only a youngster at the time, and had recently come to Wellington, so was most enthusiastic when we planned to go to Paremata to fish for herrings. After -~days.of planning we were ready, but at the last moment someone discovered that we did not have bait. Mother solved the problem by foisting on us a fry which had seen much better days, pnd I, being the novice had to carry. the ag Throughout the journey I felt con‘$cious that something was wrong inwide the bag. We finally arrived "at the beach after a_ gruelling ten minutes when we crossed the’ railway bridge stepping from sleeper to sleeper, and looking down at the deep fiver below, we prepared to fish. When I was told that I must learn to cut up bait my worst fears were realised. However, my line was first out, and I was told by the professionals that we might have to wait half an hour for a bite. Imagine the comments coming up my way when I was seen hauling as fast as I could. . Paticularly voluble was our friend, who had to throw my line in again. An instinct told me there was a fish at the other end, and the greatest triumph of my fishing career eventuated when one glittering little herring fully four inches in length éplashed through the wavelets that lap- ©

ped the shore. It was the first fish of the day, the first of my lined victims, and incidentally the last one I caught for the day.-‘Gwendolyn."