EXCITING SPORT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10852, 18 March 1921, Page 3

EXCITING SPORT

SWORDFISH IN BAY OF PLENTY. The excellent sport which the waters in the neighbourhood of Mayor Island offer was further exemplified last week (says the Tauraiiga correspondent of the “New Zealand Herald";, when Colonel H. Colthrop, a visiting sportsman, succeeded in capturing two large swordfish. With Messrs W. Edwards and Te Hirama, he proceeded to the fishing grounds from Tauranga in a launch. The first swordfish was hooked early in the forenoon, and after running out about 250 yards of line, was gradually hauled to the launch, and captured. It wasfflOft 3in long, 4ft 2in in girth, and weighed 2091 b. Shortly afterwards a very large swordfish was hooked and showed great fight. A couple of hundred yards of line was soon run out. The launch was manoeuvred so that the whole of itho line was never at any time run out. and a break was thus avoided. Several times the enormous fish jumped right out of the water. Eventually, tired of the struggle, it was dragged to the launch and secured, after over an hour’s fighting. This swordfish is the largest and heaviest that has been caught in New Zealand, with the possible exceotion of ono secured in tbe same waters in February, 1920, by Colonel Colthrop. Its length v'as over lift 9in, girth 4ft llin, and its weight was estimated to be over 5001 b. The machine which weighed the first swordfish could not register the weight of tlio second one.