STORY OF A BIG FISH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21617, 9 October 1933, Page 10

STORY OF A BIG FISH

CATCHING A MONSTER. TUNA THRILLING FIGHT AT NIUE FISHERMAN'S GALLANT EXPLOIT [dy telegraph—special reporter] WELLINGTON. Sunday What is described as "a true story of a fish" has been compiled by a resident of Nine Island and sent to a New Zealand Government official by tho Resident Commissioner, Mr. Bell. A native named Fakahoa went out deep-sea fishing recently with a handline at eight o'clock. A fish took his bait at GO fathoms and caino to tho surface. After dragging the canoo for about half a mile tho fish dived down and down. Tho fisherman, finding that he was getting near the end of his line, called ono of his friends. Another length of line was quickly attached, but still the fish went down, until three other lengths were attached in turn. The total length of lino at that stage was over 600 fathoms. Thp fish then stopped. No ono had yet seen what was on the hook, but it was thought to bo a striped marli.n, which fish are caught in quite large numbers at this time of the year. The fisherman, wJio knew that it would tako him some hours to get the fish to the surface, set to work to try to pull it up inch by inch and foot by foot. Ho struggled with it and succeeded in getting it to within 40 fathoms of the surface. There it took renewed life and dived again, stopping this time at tho 300 fathoms mark. This was at 2 p.m.

Fakahoa by this time had had enough and he handed his line to a friend to carry on. This the friend did, with frequent relays of other friends who had assembled. The fish was brought to the surface, but instead of the expected marlin, ifc was found that it was a monster tuna. The weight of tho fish, after ifc had been carried up the steps leading to the jetty and about 200 yards along the road, was 5571b. If it could have been weighed at the water's edge it would have scaled considerably more as a largo quantity of blood was lost in the journey. Tho measurements of the fish were Bft. from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, while 6ft. was the greatest girth. Tho canoe used was of the ordinary single outrigger type, measuring lGffc. Gin. in length and 14in. in width.