AFTER BIG FISH

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 97, 19 January 1926, Page 6

AFTER BIG FISH

AMERICAN NOVELIST’S QUEST

ZANE GREY COMES TO DOMINION

MAY WRITE NOVEL WITH NEW ZEALAND SETTING

Zane Grey, one of the most popular American novelists of the day, and one whose breezy stories of life in the open spaces have a peculiar fascination for many readers of all ages and both sexes in this country, arrived from San Francisco by the Makura on his first visit to this part of the world. Mr. Grey is accompanied by Captain L. D. Mitchell, of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Mrs. Mitchell, and Miss M. K. Smith, of New York City. Mr. Grey’s home is in Altadino, California. Mr. Grey said yesterday that the first impulse to visit New Zealand arose some eight or nine years ago, when he learned of the big rainbow’ trout that were being caught in the rivers and lakes of the North Island. It seemed incredible that such fish could be, but later be met some American sportsmen who had actually experienced the thrill of pulling up these “big fellows,” and that determined him to come, some time or other. Then on top of that, came tlie reports of big salt-water fishing in the north, and though he had done a great deal of that sort of fishing at Florida, Long Keys, Avalon (California), and in Nova Scotian waters, there was always a thrill in the unexplored, and as some of the home waters were not so brisk as they were with big fish, he was very keen to test these waters, with the experience and the tackle he had used so successfully on the American coasts. A friend, Mr. Aimer Baker, at one time a surveyor in New Zealand (who owns 100 square miles of rubber plantation in the Malay States, and has Also sheep station interests in Australia) is to meet him in Auckland, and together, with Captain Mitchell, they are going after the big fish of New Zealand.

“Not the True Swordfish.”

“I am told that you go after these fish with wholly English tackle,” said Mr. Grey. “That is all wrong, and I am sure that is the reason why so many of your big fish get away, as I have read. I have seen pictures of your big fish, your swordfish, but the ones so pictured are not the true broadbilled swordfish (ociphious gladius), but the spear fish (histophorous imperata)—the round-billed swordfish. “The broad-billed swordfish, the king of the ocean, is here. I saw one of them at 1 o’clock on Sunday afternoon, as we were coming down the coast. He was a ten or twelve-foot beauty, and I gave a yelp on seeing him, for it establishes at once that you have the broad-billed swordfish the same as ours, and I shall be very much surprised if he does not turn out to be the mysterious big fish that snaps everything and gets away. Inefficient Methods. “That is the habit of this fish—lie comes up with a lightning flash, and is awav, tackle and all, in a moment. You lose him because your tackle and methods are inefficient. He is a king in his element, and has to be fought with the proper gear. Ybtt cannot hope to lick him without it. You have stiff rods, with a steel centre, and wear the belt to take the butt of the rod. And vour reel is underneath. Believe me, that is all wrong, I believe the old belt, with the socket for the butt of the rod, is harmful, as a certain strain is put upon the stomach. There was a well-known fisherman who was too bulky to use the chair, and used to fish with the belt. He died of cancer of the stomach, probably caused by the strain in supporting the road. I use a long hickorv rod that leads right down to the water, a nirie-thread line of the finest Irish linen, with a long leader and one hook. My rod stands to a swivel chair, which is screwed to the deck of the launch, and when there is a strain it is taken as much by the chair as bv me. All my attention is on the fish and the reel (which is placed on top of the rod). The rest lias to do with the speed of the launch. “When I went to Noya Scotia, I was determined to get the big black marlins (as the broad-bills are called), so.I had a launch especially built, 25ft. in length, with a beam of 7ft., fitted with two powerful engines, with electric starters. As soon as I hooked, the engines were started, and it was just in time, for in a jiffy the fish had flashed out four hundred" yards of slack line. But we. chased him round and round; getting a chance here and there, to take in line, and after six hours and ten minutes I landed a 7501 b. fish, which now stands as the record in that class of fishing. Vermin of the Deep. Sharks of all kinds Mr. Grey regards as the "vermin of the deep.’* A report had reached him that one of the family was a good sporting fish, but he had not met him, though he had searched the seven seas. Only last year Mr. Grev had been on a fishing adventure to the Galapagos Group (700 miles off the coast of Ecuador) and to Cocos Island, where'there was wonderful fishing but one could seldom get anything out of the water as they were snapped by the sharks almost as soon as they were hooked. , The Mexican coast had produced some wonderful fishing-sailfish up to 3001 b. in weight. Mr. Grey took fourteen in six days, the heaviest 1351 b. A Fish that Fights Back. Reverting to swordfish Mr. Grey said that as a rule the broad-bill (the real swordfish) was not found close inshore. Frequently he had gone for a hundred-mile run, from 20 to 30 miles off the coast, before sighting one, and it was his luck to see first in these waters about 30 miles off the coast, which in a measure confirmed the habit of the fish. A broad-bill yould charge a boat—he was out to kill—whereas it was only by accident that a round-bill rammed a boat. It■ was wel known that a broad-bill would deliberately attack a launch and even a ship, and' many a good fisherman on the American coast had '“St his life owing to the ferocitv of tins monster. Air Grev confesses to having been impressed with all he had learned about big salt-sea fishing in New Zealand, and as such well-known grounds as Long Kcvs, Tampico, and Avalon weie pretty well played out, lie said that he would not be surprised to find New Zealand the finest fishing ground in the world. He is to be here until May, so New Zealand fishing grounds are to be thoroughly tested by him. A New Zealand Novel. Mr Grev, who will leave for Auckland'bv the daylight Limited express this morning, stated that the. Famous Plavers-Laskv Picture Corporation had asked him to write the scenario of a picture to be made in New Zealand. He realised that, if a good star were available. there would ‘be considerable^ interest in a picture made in Xgw ;.ea-

land, with its picturesque backgrounds. At the same time he confessed to a dislike for writing for the screen. He was quite aware of the popularity of his books in New Zealand and Australia, and assumed that it was due in part, at all events, to that community of thought and interest people had in recentlypioneered countries, where there were still open spaces and wide skies, and where the clean, healthy outdoor life was fostered. Mr. Grey, in reply to a question, said there was a chance of getting a novel with a New Zealand setting as tlie result of his visit to the Dominion. As he was to stay in New Zealand for four months, it was not likely that he would find time to visit Australia on the present trip.