Iron Tap Found Off Whale Island Solved The Problem

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 81, 11 August 1950, Page 4

Iron Tap Found Off Whale Island Solved The Problem

It happened to a fishing party near Whale Island. We do not vouch for its authenticity but we do believe it is one of the most unusual fish stories, yet told that does not concern fish.

The party left Whakatane by launch supposedly on,a fishing trip. Anyway they all had lines and sinkers and hooks and had managed to scrounge some bait from somewhere. It took pride of place this bait—all 18 gallons of it and the strong keg withstood all the buffetings from a choppy sea. The launch made good time to Whale Island and just off-shore lines were dropped and fishing commenced in earn-, est. It was not long when the odd throat got the odd tingling and a move was made for refreshment —. to tap the hitherto untouched 18. It was then that the horrifying

discovery was made. There was no tap, no bung, no way to draw from the keg. Consternation, annoyance, amusement (from those who liked tea better) all had their place. But there it was. And there it stayed. So near and yet so far. It is probable that had not a further discovery been made desperation urged on T>y an increasingly overpowering thirst would have ' ruled and strong measures would have been adopted. The accepted sinker for any fishing line is a lump of lead. But odd pieces of iron, parts of a motor car and farm machinery, boots, shoes and stones are not unknown, so that it did not surprise any member of the fishing party when one of the crowd just then drew up his fishing line and displayed a lump of iron on the end. ■-It, was a good sinker. But what was a bombshell was the fact that the lump of iron had been twisted and turned to form a tap.

Needless to say its life as a sinker ended then and there. It went back to its original profession of pouring and turning off and, it is believed, carried on with honours dripping.

A lump of lead was fixed to the end of its former owner’s fishing line and .there the fishing really started.