SEARCH FOR FISH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 5

SEARCH FOR FISH.

[ THE NORA NIVEX'S EXPERIENCES. This morning fresh fish was coming ashore from tho Nora. Niven, tho Grimsby steam trawler \yith which the Marine Department is testing the waters around New Zealand. Tho v«j6ol left Lyttelton on Monday afternoon, and arrived here at 6 o'clock last •evening, after raking the sea all the way up the coast. Half-way up the nets were torn by some, thing that was not finny, hut tho rents wero soon repaired and work was resumed. Yesterday trawling was done in the Straits till about 2.30, when a blustering north-wester brought up a lumpy sea. _ * All along coast the anglers secured a fair quantity of fish, but it must be remembered when the hauls are checked that the Nora Niven is experimenting, and it not out just now to supply the market . She generally makes about five hauls in a day of nine or ten hours, and this allows only about an hou/ and a half for bringing in one catch. In the ordinary course of business a trawler would go back on her tracks when ehe etruck fish, but the Nora Niven's orders are "forward, march." Some sharks, ono of which was about eight feet in length, were taken. "I don't know any ula.ee where a trawler would not get sharks," remarked the captain to-day. "We think nothing of shprks six "or eight feet long." He was asked -whether the nets had brought up any uncommon maiino monsters, and replied that all sorts of fish had been lifted, but there .vas not one that had not been at ouco identified by the experts on board. With the exception of two or three days the trawler has had good weather durirfg'the six weeks that she has been in commission in these waters, and the crew has been a happy family, says the skipper. l'his afternoon the Nora Niven will go direct to Napier, and from there she \rill go on to the Chathams. Sho will make her way back to Wellington, and will work .the east coast of the North Island till the- charter expiies on sth September. It is possible that tho vessel may be retained for some time after that date.