TOWED BY SHARK

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31256, 31 December 1966, Page 14

TOWED BY SHARK

Long Fight For Fishermen

"The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND, Dec. 30.

Two Silverdale men were towed round in the Tiri channel for two hours and a half in their runabout by a nine-foot mako shark which took their bait while they were fishing for snapper. They are Mr C. F. Wootten and Mr A. Richards, who were fishing near the Tiri lighthouse when the shark took the bait.

They said the shark was full of fight and towed the boat for about seven miles. When the two fishermen finally tried to get it on board the shark attacked them, so they lowered it back in the water and towed it three miles to a beach.

While they were playing the shark it towed the boat towards a ship making her way along the channel. The two men thought they would have to cut the shark free or be run down, but managed to keep out of the ship’s way. When they arrived at the beach they were helped lift the shark’s head out of the water, and then shot it with a 12-gauge rifle slug. By this time it had been on the 641 b breaking strain line for three hours.

The mako was then towed to Army Bay on the Whangauaraoa Peninsula and from there to Mr Wootten’s contracting business yard in Silverdale.

“Even though it is the first game fish I have caught,” he said, “I am going to give it to a local fisherman who wants to have the head mounted.”