MID FINNY GIANTS.

Auckland Star, Issue 38, 14 February 1929, Page 19

MID FINNY GIANTS.

WITH ZANE GREY AT MERCURY

after. Record maxo

( ATTAIN MIT< HELL SETS A

maxdard,

'-a for the •• .Au-kiand Star ") (By lIUKL'.j *'Thill y-two bi<: <rame fi-li cauglit liy r '"' ; '"an a month—that's our fee,-, ,| from Camp I'.diutukawa up to to-day. :,,,d alo nut „ oin;r t(j ]ot ll'.at, re> ord Stand. For one tiling we haven't had tlie m : , y best of weather. And tor another, the best of the lining i- ju-t "'' t'M — - 'Novertliele-ss it isn't had is ,• ■; ' >;,„| Zane (irey to "RuriT »- lu ':•••« '"".-hy at the edge of the gli-lenmg be.K-11. •' 1' r > et camping spot this fatn]. I oi.ut uka w a is, with it- position nn the j i ■ ain 'lit oi v whic-h overlooks three Tiay-, and its traces n][ round of rPre■\ioii- oiiupatbiii in the shape <if the rarthwork-. of some old .Maori pa. r.iiin.' ;:o i a inland and sheltered from nil tie' winds but the sou-westerly by thc giant |" dint uka was it is beatltv f pot has few equals in X o w Zealand —Zane (.rey says in the world.

It was an ofl" day for fishing yesterilay. so nun- tlie inevitable \i<it*to the <-ookliMi|se iind ;i yarn before the lire, we decided ro spend the day exploring and see what uas to be found in .Memirv Island.

••Cap." the sobriquet bestowed upon Captain Mitchell, ••( had," t hc title given to Mr. K. ( iiadban. 7»ro-ident of the jreicnry Hay Swordtwh Club, and ••Rum'' struck out in an easterly direction after n grove of pea<-li trees that, were said to he somcwhere ill that part, of the island. Incident ally wo never found the peaehi we never really looked for tlieni if the truth be told, because when we did set to thc place where tliev were supposed to he we found something which put peaches right out of our leads. '' Semper Aliquid Novo."

' Out iu Africa always something new,'' was the ancient saw", but as far as >"ew Zealand is concerned it might well he applied to Mercury, for "Cap" put Up a performance there that will take some heating, fie had taken along with him a light fly rod. since one of the boatmen. who had been on the Mercurv when the bush was felled, had told him that there were several nice streams round that ''and you never know what you 11 strike, 1 said "Cap/' Sure enough we came to a perfect pool for trout, and out went the lly. It was a li vely spot —ery-tal clear water and the poo] fringed on the one side with towering pohut uka was. which incidentally Jiuiscd Ji remarkably healthy shag rookery. "Why didn't 1 bring the pearifle.'" moaned "Chad" as we saw one of the fhags come up with a fish in his beak and settled down less than twenty feet nway to cat it. "Anyway, there are fish jn the pool."

So "Cup" started to oast, and -what casting it was. too. whilst we watched. It is a pleasant thing to watch a master craftsman flr>injr anything well. but the pure supple Hick of the wrist following the upward swing and the "sizz-z-z" as the line shot out, was pure poetry of motion. "Cap" is a wizard at casting, mid that is understating the case.

Ten minutes or so passed lazily till the silence was broken by a yell from "Cap" which set the shags whirling on Jieavy wings and brought us to our -feet with a jump. "Trout," he called, and when we got there, sure enough trout thev were.

How a tidal stream away on Mercury Island over came to be stocked with ♦rout. Heaven only knows, but trout they were sure enough, and nice fish at that. However, despite the "Cap's" wiles and a change of flies, they would Tint rise, though we had several opportunities of seeing them, within ten feet find could make no mistake as to their Identity.

A New Game Fi3h! When it was clear that there was no catching those trout that afternoon "tap" proposed a stroll down to the cove ftrnl a. try for kahawai in the edge of tl)e surf. Still using the light trout cast and the same fly lie waded out a few yards and started casting 1 . A yell brought, ''Chad - ' and "Ruru" up at the gallop, for "Cap's" reel was singing, and the light trout rod was bending double is the fish struggled. "Give him the butt," came the exhortation of youth to experience, but, fast to a fish "Cap" was like fJallio. he cared for none of these tliing-s. ' Half a. mo' till T get the thing ready." wailed "Ruru" tusslinsr With an obdurate camera. However, all fish have a, limit, and this one was no exception, hut there went up a gasp of Amazement when ho did come to shore. He will go down in history, that fish, as the very first schnapper to be caught on the flv!

When wo got hack to the ramp and told our t;iTo there was at first frank Unbelief, and aft or wards just as frank Sstonishment. "Doc" Grey is certainly « groat sport, for he turned and con(fra tula ted "Cap" saying: "Well, we are certainly here to try to break world Tccords. 'Cap,' hut I didn't expect this ®ne. It's just as well you had the president of the Merctfry Bay Swordfisli Club *nd 'Rum' with yon when you pot that ®ne, or they'd have been changing your nickname!"

Then to hunk after a. Tarn; Imt we never got those peaches!