FISHING TACKLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19549, 31 January 1927, Page 6

FISHING TACKLE.

Sir, —"Fearless" writes relating an experience of his when be landed a swordfish at Catalina on 9-strand line and 90z.rod, and makes the statement that the finer the tackle the finer the art. This is truo within limits only, and I consider it just- as unsporting to deliberately go after swordfish with this tackle as to go after grizzly bears with a 25-calibre rifle. You may succeed once in a hundred times; the" other 99 the quarry goes away sore! "Fearless" does not tell us that he caught his swordfish by accident, so to speak, as the tackle lie refers to is not the standard tackle of the Tuna Club for swordfish, but for alba core, yellow-tail, etc. I also have fished at Catalina. arid brought back with me a set of the identical tackle referred to by " Fearless," 9oz. rod, 9thread line, net on top, etc., but after a season's use on the humble kitigfish in these waters, I was a sadder and wiser man, and camo to the conclusion 'that what was very suitable for Catalina was not much use here. I will undertake to show "Fearless" fish not a third th« weight of his Catalina swordfish that will wreck his 9-9 tackle in a very short lime. Furthermore, I will undertake to oqual or better the best performance ho can put up with his Catalina 9 9 tackle in those waters with English tackle of equal weight and strength. I have, while fish, ins: for kahawai. caught kingfish up to 171b. on a soz. American fly rod, and it is grand sport, but tackle can lie too light as well as too heavy, and it is hardly a sporting proposition to make a practice of fishing with tackle which will be broken by fiv© fish out of six, and I will challenge "Fearless" to kill more than one kingfish out of six over 2511*. in weight on ftis vaunted 9-9 tackle, under ordinary fishinjj conditions, that is to saw llslni'ig alone shore in less than 20 fathoms of water. " G. A. Buddie.