FISHING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20318, 28 January 1928, Page 12

FISHING IN NEW ZEALAND.

A. TALK WITH MR ANDREAS. SWORDFISH, MAKO SHARK, AND TROUT. (From Ode Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, January 20. Mr E. P. (“Harry”) Andreas, of Sydney, will shortly start on his annual fishing excursion to New Zealand. He has been doing it for twenty years, and has just been telling the Daily Guardian something about the glamour of it Like Zane Grey and other distinguished fishers in the great waters, he is a splendid “ booster ” for New Zealand, and it is about time he was made a chief or something of the kind over there. Whilst, according to Mr Andreas, the game fish are caught off the Bay of Islands, the best places for the trout are Lake Taupo and the Tongariro River. Referring to the mako shark, which- he says weighs up to SOOlb, he states that it closely resembles the blue pointer shark of Australian waters. When hooked it “breaches,” continually—that is to say,, it jumps out of the water.. “ You never know when you have got them beaten, and more get away than you catch. Where there were two boats after the game fish twenty years ago there are now twenty-two; so they are harder to get. And with the promised invasion of American fishermen, the fishing will become increasingly difficult. Personally,” he adds, “ I liberate a swordfish as soon as I have caught him, if he is so hooked as to make freeing possible. A few fish satisfy me.” Mr AndreaS should, therefore, be very popular with the game fish of New Zealand. They are game enough to provide him with a good fight, and he is sportsman enough to “shake hands” with them when the fight is over, and tell them to go on their way rejoicing. “Then I go on some cruising,” he says, “ and later some shooting. • I go after the first of the ducks and the first of the pheasants. Californian quail have also been introduced to the Dominion, and offer good sport.” The Guardian adds the information that if one contemplates a trip in pursuit of the game fish it will cost one £lO each day. The following details are given:—Launch, with man and his keep, £5 10s; additional hand, £1 and 10s for his keep; petrol, £1; boarding-aouse accommodation, £1; tips, 10s; rods cost from £5 to £l7, reels £l4 to £4O, line (about 400 yards) £3, and traces 10s to 12s each. So there yon are!