BIG BROADBILL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18918, 5 February 1927, Page 9

BIG BROADBILL.

RECORD CAPTURE OFF CAPE BRETT. STORY OF THE FIGHT. [THE PEESS SpcciaJ Service] AUCKLAND. February iTwo records ha\e been established this season already off I'npc Hrctt. One was a world's record mako shark weighing G77lb, taken by Francis ot Norfolk, England, and the other a New Zealand record, broadbill of lO'.Mb, taken by Mr Frederick lJuriihani, of San Francisco. Both iish were captured last week. "After 35 years' experience in deep sea lishing, I huve at last succeeded in landing a broadbill," said Mr Buriiham. in de<K.Tibing his capture. "Ihe 'broadbill is regarded by anglers as the champion tighter of tho Seven Seas, anu it is interesting to note that since I»J< only W have been caught on rod and reel throughout the world. "This capture of initio was most unexpected. We were trolling tensers from our launch, tho Murlin, about four miles out to sea from I'icrcy Island, near Cape Brett, when wc were astounded to see two broadbill hovering near the tensers. Immediately wc dropped our baited lines overboard. Then things happened in the usual high speed way of hroadbills. One of the monsters was inspecting tho bait when all of a sudden along eamo the other nt a terrific speed, slashing ami choppine at tho water with his bill.1» the middle of the pantomime lie snatched the bait from his comrade and made off at a tremendous speed, with hundreds of feet of lino. I then struck him He leant and jumped and struggled and beat the water into a white foam. Tho boat crew shouted excited orders, and I honestly believed I was licked, because out ol every 'J-j hroadbills hooked it is believed only ono is captured. However, with eonii-den-c in inv gear I settled down to fight him. During the first one and a half hours he sounded twice to a depth of seven hundred, and once when he took eleven hundred feet of line. He left me with only one hundred leefc on the reel. To stop him going further 1 had to sit back and pump him inch by inch until he came up to the six hundred feet level. . ' "At this moment a union point m my hickory rod broke under the terrific strain. While the boat crew changed the reel and lino on to another rod, I had to grasp the line in handling fashion, and hope that the broadbill would remain quiet. Within ten minutes the new rod was in action. After two and a half hours the broadbill sounded to about six hundred feet. It has been believed that hroadbills, when they sound to that depth after a fight, they do so to die, so in desperation to Have the last struggle with this monster l pumped and pumped at hitn from an angle, until eventually lie was brought to the surface a licked fish. I was absolutely exhausted. . "Journeying back to our base, the Zane Grey Sporting Club, on Urtipukanu Island, we met tho Zane Grey party, who followed us to camp to view the record capture. It was lift 9 long and 4ft Tin in girth, with n bill 43in long from tho cyo socket It establishes n New Zea and broadbill record, and is the fourth largest captured in the world on a rod. The largest, weighing 5GOlb, was landed by /are Grey at Cataliua. Only three have actually been lauded in New Zealand waters."