BEEP-SEA FISHING AT MAYOR ISLAND

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14572, 16 January 1948, Page 2

BEEP-SEA FISHING AT MAYOR ISLAND

INVESTIGATION BY

VISITOR

U.S. Commentator Anil

War Columnist

Impressions Of Rotorua Region

An investigation of deep-sea fishing at the Mayor Island grounds has been carried out by Mr K. Tregaskis, the well-known American commentator and war columnist, and author of "Guadalcanal Diary. Mr Tregaskis arrived in Tauranga from Rotorua on Tuesday evening and left for Mayor Island on Wednesday when he caught a 4001 b mako shark. He will leave Tauranga in a few days for Auckland to catch the trans-Tasman flying boat to Australia. Mr Tregaskis is at present touring the world on an assignment for "True" an American men's magazine ' He is writing a series of articles on wild life and sporting activities in the countries in his itinerary, which include Australia, Java, China, India and the Mediterranean. Arriving in Auckland a fortnight ago, Mr Tregaskis conferred with the Department of Internal Affairs and the Commissioner of Wild Life, Major G. F. Yerex, and it was agreed that he should visit Rotorua, and spend some time in a deerculling camp in the Rotorua region, an area which is prohibited to the public. Journeying to Taupo, where he caught a fine rainbow trout, Mr Tregaskis packed off into the bush, and in his four-days' stay, was able to gain first-hand information about New Zealand sport and culling policy. "It's a sportsman s paradise,' he commented' to the Rotorua Post on his return to Rotorua. "In my experience it is unique. It should become a Mecca for sportsmen the world over. In a few compact square miles, there is unequalled fishing, deer shooting, pig hunting and wonderful swimming. The waters of Lake Taupo looked marvellous to me. With this tremendous assortment, New Zealand should be known the world over."

Apart from lack of publicity, which is just beginning to find its way overseas, the chief drawback was lack of cheap transport, Mr Tregaskis continued. To fly from America to the Dominion still cost far too much for the average sportsman and tourist, but the positionmight improve in the very near future.

"It's a great wonder to me that more Australians do not come here," he commented. "They have nothing like this over there." Should the game carrying territories be opened up, however, a watch would have to be kept to prevent overshooting. In the United States, game conservation schemes were given a great deal of thought and care, and with such attention, shooters were happy, and the stock of game was always at a healthy level.