THRILL AT TE PUNA

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 13654, 11 January 1945, Page 2

THRILL AT TE PUN A

MAKO SHARK CAUGHT TE AWAMUTU VISITORS' "m New Year's Day will [i nger , memories of some Waikato S p men and "other country folk W j. *r nessed | the thrill of a mako s w being hooked ami landed on the f shore of .Mr R. Leef's the vicinity of Te Puna Point. Fishing—not intentionally "big game"—from Mr Hassarfl v"' ner s launch, two visitors. Bryan Pros.. Kio Kie (Te Avamut? had some rare sport with n lp ,„ 'Hot. SUM'. * The mako, a most unusual visit to the upper reaches of the harbon had for some time been oreat' concern among local fishermen '" damaging nets and breaking oh-* ary tackle, when, on the inorninp M New Year's Day, the cry "Shir-;'' Shark." disturbed the occupants i the launch and people on the bead Stronger tackle was quickly obtaied. the quarry taking the bait, on < to straighten the hook and escape J second attempt by the fishermen aj with a similar fate, but the \\ x \ t l throw by Mr Richard Bryan prors successful. He manoeuvred th» monster to the side of the launch where a long, strong rope, with double half-hitch, was secured roii ß ,j the tail, this being the signal for • stampede by the shark for fleeuM water. Although the hook asaibroke, the rope held, and the unit was eventually hauled aboard.

Upon being measured the monster stretched the tape to nine foot, y\n a girth of six feet six inches, anil an estimated weight of 4501h5. The liver, which is a valuable oil commodity these times, weighed 591 b, and netted the fishermen £2/19/{ at a local" fish factory. The carcase was boiled down by an enterprising farmer, while the massive jaw anii teeth were taken into the hinterland by the visitors as a souvenir o[ 3 trip to Tanranga.

Mr ; N. Keenan. of Te Puna, who has had a wide experience of whole

and shark fishing in Tory Channel, Cook Strait, vouches for the fact

that the catch was a mako. while another authority expressed the opinion that this species is known to make for warm shallow water if sickness overcomes it.