ROUND THE COAST.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 6 May 1914, Page 2

ROUND THE COAST.

TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS

INTERESTING RECORD

The following notes upon the results of Professor Prince's investigations on the South . Island coast were compiled by a member of the Lyttelton Times staff who accompanied the Kinemoa on her cruise. The Hinemoa left Lyttelton 'at 10.30 a.m. on 15th April and proceeded to Pegasus Bay, where trawling was commenced opposite the mouth of the Waimakariri in a depth of 15 fathoms. The haul included flounder, sole, gurnard, and elephant fish in abundance, and a skate. The trawl was put in again about nine miles from shore in 14-i- fathoms, and there was a very similar haul, including kawahai, conger eel, flounder, and sole, but mostly composed of elephant fish. The Hinemoa anchored for the night in Akaroa Harbor, leaving again at 5 a.m., and started trawling at the head of the Canterbury Bight, off Piraki, in about 10 fathoms, where she got a fair haul of sole, flounder^ gurnard, and again a ?arge proportion of elephant fish. A sou-wester came up and the sea began to rise, so the net was hauled in, and the Hinemoa headed south. The sea- grew rougher a3 the day wore on, and trawling had to be abandoned. At 6.15 p.m. the vessel, put in at Timaru for shelter. OFF TIMARU AND OAMARU. At 7 o'clock next morning trawling was commenced 12 miles off Timaru in 17 fathoms, and after two hours about a ton of fish was hauled aboard, the catch including red cod, gurnard, sole, flounder, ling, barraeouta, kingfish, skate, elephant fish, dogfish, and shark. The trawl was put down again at 4 p.m., 18 miles south of Oamaru, about 15 or 16 miles off shore, in 30 fathoms. The haul was so heavy that the net broke away in places. About a ton of fish and an equal weight of , weed and other marine debris was brought up, the catch including groper, ling, red cod, several hundred terakihi, several soles, skate, shark, and octopi. Some rare finds, which greatly delighted the scientists, were made among the weeds. The broken net necessitated putting into Port Chalmers foi repairs, and the Hinemoa anchored in Blueskin Bay for the night, remaining there over Sunday. NET AGAIN RIPPED. On Monday morning hauling was resumed in Blueskin Bay, in 22 fathoms. and after an hour a' good haul was made, including ling, red cod, kingfish, barracouta, flounder, shark, octopi, and one hake—an English fish. A second haul was nijade off the Taieri \in. 22-fathoms, at 1 p.m. The catch weighed half a ton, including crayfish, ling, red cod, moki, floundei | and sole. At 4 p.m., the trawl was . put down off the Molyneaux river, ir 9£ fathoms, but the net was ripped and most of the catch escaped. Thert were, however, twelve soles averaging 18in. long and 9in. wide. i OYSTERS AND BIG SOLE. The Hinemoa then headed for th< ! Bluff, which was. reached at midnight At 9.30 next morning, trawling foi oysters was commenced, and a few bag! were secured. Line-fishing for blu< cod was attempted off Stewart Island but the south-east wind made too bi[ a drift, and the attempt had to b< (abandoned. An anchorage for th< night was found in Half Moon Bay In the morning, the Hinemoa went uj Patterson's Inlet to TJlva. and thei into an old oyster bank, but nothing save old shell was obtainable there The vessel put in at the Bluff fo the night, and at 7 a.m. next da.^ left for Tewaewae, where the traw brought tip a heave which included 10" sole, 3 brill, 5 turbot, 14 elephant fish 12 groper. 1 skate, 1 flounder, 27 gur nard, 1 ling, and some red cod. A second haul produced 48 sole of greasize, 2 turbot, 2 ling, 2 flounder, ( elephant fish, 2 quinnet, and 2 brill The steamer was then headed for Dusk-i Sound arriving on 24th April. Sh< proceeded thence through to Breakses Sound and into Doubtful Sound. Trawl mg was recommenced at 3 p.m. on 25tl Aprrl in Jackson's Bay, but after aboui ten minutes the trawl was caught on i sunken rock in eight fathoms, and wai badly ripped. GREAT CATCH IN TASMAN BAY. The Hinemoa, therefore, went on tc Nelson, arriving at 7 a.m. on Monday Leaving Nelson in the moraine;, the trawl was put doivn in Tasman Bay. and after an hour the let was hauled m, the catch including 194 small gurnard, 83 sole, 51 flounder, 17 megrin. 14 schnapper, one hake, U dogfish, and one bag of oysters. Another two hours trawl produced a great catch including 24 schnapper, 97 sole, 115 flounder, 29 megrin, 567 small gurnard 10 dogfish, 4 hake, 4 John Dory 3 barracouta, 1 bag of oysters. An incaorage was then sought in Awaroa Bay. ACROSS THE STRAIT. On the following day the Hinemoa intered Golden Bay, and the haul proiuced 455 schnapper, 254 flounder, 39 megrin, 121 gurnard 2 hake, 6 teraahi, and 6 horse mackerel. The vessel tnchored for the night behind Stevens -slano:. In the morning line fishing or blue cod was tried at D'Urrillo sland with much success, and in tiie ifternoon the Hinemoa steamed hrough Queen Charlotte Sound antf Lory Channel, anchoring for the night t Port underwood. | The last trawl was' put down in i ry, Bay the following morning in i j a J th°ms ' and tlle first catch inluded /3 sole, 5 skate, 43 flounder, 7 megrin, 50 elephant fish, 60 red od, 6 gurnard, 15 dogfish, 3 shark, ling, 6 schnapper, 3 terakihi, and conger eel The second catch inluded 53 sole,, 7 skate, 12 flounder, 4 megrin, 17 elephant fish, 32 red 3d, 1 schnapper, 21 dogfish, 4 shark, lmg, 1 hake, and 2 trevalli.