ALBACORE AND TUNNY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22627, 15 January 1937, Page 13

ALBACORE AND TUNNY

Sir, —The albacore caught recently off Mayor island is not the first caught in that vicinity. While big-game fishing there five years ago a commercial fisherman showed me an albacore he caught near one of the islands outside Tauranga Harbour. Albacore are of the mackerel family, as are bonito and tunny. In connection with the latter I think it is a mistake to use the name tuna, as Maoris call the eel tuna. The side fins of the albacore are about twothirds the length of the fish and fit closely into a channel along the body. 1 note that the albacore caught off Mayor Island was taken by a spinner painted grey. 1. may state that another good lure is a bunch of white feathers with a good sized hook, trailed behind the launch. Timnv feed on herring and anything resembling those fish is good bait. Two or three seasons ago a tunny weighing 1201b was taken outside Whangaroa Harbour. In that locality there are herrings about 20 inches in length and they are known as "newchumkanawai" (they will not take a lure); the Maori name is koherahera. There is little doubt that timnv off the east coast feed on these large herrings. Off the south coast of New South Wales tunny are caught in considerable numbers, and at Port Stephens they have been taken as long as 50 years ago. Zane Grey caught a tunny that he said was the well-known Californian yellow fin. If that is correct, 1 feel sure that they are in New Zealand waters. W. P. Kiricwood,