HAUNT OF THE HAPUKA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13699, 16 March 1908, Page 6

HAUNT OF THE HAPUKA.

A DEEP SEA EXCURSION

ALL VARIETIES OF FISH. Fifty miles from Auckland, in the stretch of hluo water between the Great Harrier and Channel' Island, the last, of this season a hapukas are still lurking before joining (lie majority of their brethren in the depths of the- ocean further out. For New Zealand s biggest edible fish, like all real deep water fish, is sensitive about the temperature of his natural element. In the summer Incomes near to the mainland for good feeding, but when the approach, of the winter makes the comparatively shallow water cold ho turns seaward again. Occasionally, but rarely, lie is met with as far as the Three Kings, but as a rule lie prefers the 'loop water a little closer in, and there he and hie fellows spend the winter before returning to the summer shallows. The capture of these belated hapnka was the principal object of a fishing excursion organised by the. Dcepsinkers' I'ishing Club this week-end. Fishing with the Dcepsinkers is no mere summer pastime in smooth water, angling for small fish in complete personal comfort. It is not the gentle art, as old Izaak Walton understood it, but. a strenuous and exciting sport, requiring from its devotees skill, endurance, and a capacity for roughing it. The club, according to its rules, must hold at least four deep-sea fishing e.xursions during the year, anil these exursions, let it be understood, are a serious business. To the uninitiated the paraphernalia and fishing tackle taken out scorns unnecessarily formidable, but when the fishing commences one sees' the necessity of an equipment which resembles that carried by a Newfoundland cod boat. The dead weight of a 601b to a 1001b hapuka requires strong tackle to hold and strong arms to haul in. It is exciting sport, and it is also very much like hard work.

Oil Saturday night, shortly after 11 o'clock, a large party of Deepsinkers and tlicir friends! left 111 th»> Northern Steamship Com- ■ pany's steamer Apanui for tho fishing ground off tho Great Barrier. Tho fiist point, where it was hoped hapukas would be met with, was reached ar. about 4.30 a.m. This was tho group of rocks known as The Pigeons, and hero an early start was made. The hapuka, however, like Brer Rabbit, lay low, and only a few schnapper were beguiled by tho. frozen mullet bait. So the club's boatswain, Mr. 11. R. Moore, gave the order, "All lines in," and tho Apanui slowly steamed towards the steep, lichen-crowned Channel Island, or Tho Watchman, as it is more appropriately called. Hero, within a biscuit throw of its precipitous wave-buffeted sides, another halt was made, and lines were sunk into 25 fathoms of water. Schnapper and cod began to come aboard pretty freely, but 110 hapuka. Suddenly 011 the port sido the cry of "Hapuka!" was raised, and there was a rush. Slowly tho lino came in, hand over hand, without ix move from the fisher, for the hapuka is a poor fighter. Once hooked ho seems to resign himself to tho inevitable. This particular specimen came above tho water with hardly a struggle. Once clear of tho sea, a gaff was trust into his throat, and he was hauled aboard. Although only a small fish as hapukas go, ho was nearly four fe&t in length, and weighed, one would judge, about 301b. It was hoped that a school of the great fish had been reached, but the one secured was evidently an outcast from his kind, and though the spot was assidi'isiitu ivfor about an hour no more hapuka were caught,'tnere,' inougiV fl >ther fish , were fairly plentiful., Then the Boat that was fishing right under the shadow of The Watchman was called in and a more sheltered fishing ground, between Cape Colvillo and the start of the Coromandel Bailees— patch of coast scenery of idyllic beauty— found. Between these points the best fish- i ing of the day was experienced, although j only two more hapuka were caught. To ! atone for this disappointment nearly every J other finny denizen of the coast helped to make up a good catch for the outing. There were big deep-sea schnapper galore, rock cod, blue cod, red cod, brim, trevalla, mullet heads and yellow tail. The übiquitous kahawai was there in plenty, and for the most part he was used as bait for his more savoury fellow-inhabitants of tho deep. Tho kahawai, by tho way, is occasionally caught, in Australian waters and retailed in Melbourne and Sydney as " deep-sea trout." The catch also included, a few momnou, mullet heads, gurnet, and the fish known in fishermen's vernacular as' " the hapuka's grandmother " why, nobody knows. There was also a nondescript fish caught that might have been a cross between a small sea serpent and a conger eel. It was five feet in length, eel-shap-ed, with a yellow skin, and a vicious-looking pointed head full of two double rows of sharp teeth. There is no doubt that it belonged to the eel family. By way of variation to the proceedings one fisherman hooked up a fine large crayfish, ami one boat's crew returned with a healthy young octopus. Nor was Brother Shark absent from the convocation. Ho enjoyed himself immensely snapping up unconsidered trifles of bait that were thrown overboard, but fell, a victim to his greed, and was himself hooked. Although this was only a young "tiger of the sea.," of the gray variety, about fix feet in length, ho displayed an ugly set of teeth, and was immediately despatched. Fishing was discontinued about three o'clock, and after a pleasant homeward run "Auckland was reached shortly after eight. Tho excursion was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who took part, in it—about 50. The total catch of fish was 1010, and the biggest schnapper, a twelve-pounder, fell to the line of Mr. Council. Mr. Nash, however, again secured the biggest bag with 40 fish. Mr. Nash lias the record of having proved him-, self the champion fisherman of the Deeptinkers' Club at each of their outings.