DANCED ON SEA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 94, 20 March 1936, Page 11

DANCED ON SEA

SWORDFISH’S DISPLAY. TREMENDOUS STRENGTH SHOWN. TAURANGA, March 19. One of the most thrilling fights ever put up by a big fish on the Mayor Island grounds was witnessed when a black marlin made a sensational strike in a heavy sea. The fisli leaped out of the water and landed right on top of the bait, taking it in its mouth and racing away for 100 yards. It then commenced leaping and danced its way along the surface. The angle)-, Miss Trolove, held the fish for over a quarter of an hour. In its strenuous efforts to get free the sword fisli wound a new steel wire trace round its hill and tail. It snapped the trace and got away. Mr Chadban. master of the launch, states that he lias trolled baits for the last 15 years on deep-sea fishing grounds, but has never seen anything so spectacular ns this black marlin’s strike and its subsequent thrilling fight. He said.it was easily the biggest swordfish he had ever seen on rod and line, 'flie strength which it exerted when it broke the trace must have been tremendous. as the trace was a stout one and was being used for the first time. Hon. Vera Churchman, daughter of Lord ’Woodbridge. and Hon. Judith Gurdon, daughter of Lord Cramvorth, went to Mayor Island in the launch Artono, and later Hon. Vera Churchman landed a striped marlin of 3101 b. Three other big fish were hooked, and one wi; held for half an hour by Hon. Judith Gurdon. Eventually it straightened the hook and escaped.