A DAY AMONG THE BARACOUTA.

Otago Witness, Issue 659, 16 July 1864, Page 16

A DAY AMONG THE BARACOUTA.

Some tima ago, while passing along the Rattray street Jetty, my attention was attracted I y a hail from a boat lying at a little distance off. On getting nearer, my astonishment was great at recognising an old mate in the amphibious-looking dreps of a fisherman. After the u>ual mutual inquiries were made and answered, I found that he had been at the 'diggings for over a year ; but that the season, and sundry injuries received from a fall of earth, had induced him to come to town for a spell. After being here for some time, he invested his spare dust in the purchase of a fine whaleboat and the gear requisite for fbhing, and had been, wlien I met him, engaged in his new trade for about three months. He had, as crew, three men, of a somewhat similar stamp to himself. I found from his remarks that the trade had paid him pretty fairly at first, but that latterly prices had fallen, and they were then only making " decent tucker.'"

After some further conversation, I was courteously invited to make a trip with them to see the mode pf fishing, my friend adding, " that I was sure to like it." They were only waiting for the tide to turn, as there was no wind ; so hurrying home, I put on an old suit of clothes, and was soon on board the boat and steering her across the bay towards Black Jack Point. The afternoon was fine and my enjoyment was great, as I had not been on the water for some months. After we had pa«sed a number of the points, and had got about half - way to the Inlands, a nice brisk breeze sprung up, so we in oars, and up sail. The tide not having fallen much, we took the passage across Portobello Bay and the long stretch of shallow water beyond it, instead of going round by the shipping. We were soon alongside the Maori settlement, an < then down the inner channel to a place called the Kaik. Here my iriend had a hut; an artistic contrivance of drift wood and rushes, fitted up with bunk*, and containing a rough table and seats. A fire was soon lighted, and some cooking set agoing by one of the men, while the others were busy securing the boat, &c. After a plentiful meal, and some talk of the wind holding for the morrow, I was shown to a bunk. The scene was so novel, and the sounds so strange, that it W2S long ere frleep came. The hut stool close to the sea, so that every ripple was heard plainly, and the howling of the wind among the sand hills and the adjacent bush, formed a fair accompaniment.

I was routed in the morning by the noise of the crew moving about, and thinking they were about starting, I at once turned out. However. I found there could be no going outside that day^' as the wind was blowing fresh from S.W., so I had to turn in again till daylight. After breakfast my friend and I started off for a walij around

the locality, visiting some of the natives in the ntighborhood, ascending the hill to the eastward, over the singular expanse of sand which attract* every eye on entering Otago Harbor. From the summit of this hill we had a magnificent view. We afterwards went round to the Pilot Station, and then back by the rocks to our stai ting point. A smart shower drove us indoors, and the rest of the day was spent in yarning by the fireside. After many an anxious look at the sky, and as many various prog nosticarious as to the sort of weather we shoulfl have in the morning, we all turned in, to be up by four at the latest, so as to get out on the ebbtide.

In the morning the wind had considerably moderated, and we were all astir, breakfasted, ami in the boat, shortly after four o'clock. We pulled round Harrington Point, across Driver's Bay, round Taiaroa's Head, and were fairly outside long before dawn. We set sail and stood along the coast for several miles, and then set to work. I ha f l put into my hands a stout rod, about eight feet long, with a short line attached, and instead of a hook and bait, apiece of red wood with a bent nail stuck in it. I expressed my astonishment at this simple rod and line, and stoutly maintained I could not catch a fish with such a concern. However, I was told there was no other, and to do just as I saw the others do ; and they were busily working their rods round and round from the side of the boat, making considerable splashing and noise. I had not wa f ched them stirring the water for above a minute, when one called out "here's fish!" and immediately tossed a baracouta into the boar.

I had now a good opportunity of seeing the " Old Identity" in a live state. In a few minutes the bottom of the boat was covered with fish, leaping madly about and snapping viciously at everything, 'the. spines of their dorsal fins sticking straight up, as'if they were astonished at the sudden change from water to air. I noticed that all the men kept their feet and legs carefully out of the way ol the fish, and was told that the slightest scratch from the teeth or the back fin would cause a very nasty sore. The reason of the bent nail in the wooden bait, instead ot a regular hook, was now plain ; it would have been impossible, without great waste of time and many a sore cut and scratch, to have disengaged the bait from such an ugly' customer as a live baracouta ; whereas the sharpened nail comes out with a slight shake whenever the fish is in the boat.

Looking over the side into the clear water, the fish were to be seen in great numbers gliding about, then 1 silvery sides flashing and glittering in the rays of the morning sun. I thought I would follow the example set me by the rest of the crew, and began to play my stick about in the water ; after a little, something gave it a tremendous jerk which nearly drew me over, the side. Recovering myself I held on, and nearly succeeded in bringing in a fish ; but from my want of skill it made a spring and got clear away. I begun acrain, but whether the escaped fish had told his brethren of the danger that menaced them or not, from that moment all the fish disappeared. Lines, baited with a bit of one of the baracouta, were now dropped over the side, while the boat slowly drifted alonz with the current. It being now bright morning, I had a good opportunity of observing the bold nature of the coast, here clothed nearly to the edge of the cliffs with thick bush. All round us were great numbers of birds, gulls, shags, Cape pigeons, &c, while here and there in the water I noticed, where the birds were busiest, reddish colored patches, caused by the presence, in vast shoals, of a small red crab, on which the birds as well as the baracouta and other fishes were feeding. Meanwhile the lines in the water were attended to, ami a grnper, several small cod, and a shark or two, about five feet long, rewarded our pains. One of the latter was kept for bait, the others were ript up and thrown away again, the fishers seeming to have an intense antipathy to everything of the shark genus, killing without mercy all they can. Sometimes very large ones are seen, but the small, or dogshark, is the commonest. Sail was again made, and we stood along till Wykliffe Bay was nearly on our beam, the wreck of the unfortunate steamer Victory being seen on the beach, with the surf breaking over it now and then. Just off here we fell in with fish again, and a repetition of the former scene took, place. I was more successful this time, and found it easy enough to pitch the fish in, though to my unaccustomed arras it was rather heavy work. In the course of about an hour the boat seemed to me to be dangerously full ; and the sticks were laid, aside, pipes lighted, and after a short spell, preparations were made for returning — two or three more groper having been caught. The wind was light, but we stood well out to sea, passing large quantities of floating weed on our way, and seeing now and then the spouting of a whale a mile or two farther out. Some vessels were seen in the distance, and the smoke of a steamer. We stood out to take advantage of the nor-

therly current always setting along the coast, and after putting about ouce of twice we wtre off the Heads again. The tide was on the ebb, and we had to man the oars in order to get in to where we started from. This was done after some stiff pulling, the boat was moored off, and all hands landed that some refreshment might be bad ere starting for town with the load. A fire was soon going, and coffee and fresh fish were to me very welcome indeed. I also took advantage of the fire to dry myself a little, as we had plenty of water washing about us all the time we were in the boat.

We started again about five o'clock, just before low water ; but, as the wind \vaa fair for town, this did not matter, and I had the satisfaction of being landed in town again all right ; and. after a parting nobbier, my friend* and I parted, leaving me very well pleased with my two day a' piscatorial excursion.

From enquiry afterwards made, I foun/l they had over thirty-two dozen baracouta on board, for which they received from the dealers 5a per dozen, making LB, and for the other fish Ll, or L 9 in all— no very great sum when the time and the rink are taken into consideration. All* that I saw seemed easy enough ; but it is no child's play fishing on such a stormy, iron-bound coast as that of Otago. Iviy friend related to me several instances where lives had been lost through foolhardines* of the parties engaged. The weather changes very suddenly, and the sea gets up into a nasty jump almost at once,a rendering the management of an open boat a very dangerous, matter. And once to leeward of the Heads there is no place to run to, the various inlets and harbors along the coast having all bad entrances — a heavy bar breaking generally right across; and though they can be entered at times easy enough, getting out asain is a very different thing. From my friend's remarks, I observed it required very careful watching of the weather to know when it was safe to go outside, and how long to stay there when out, he having had several very narrow escapes ere he got fairly up to the ways of the coast. — (Communicated,') July 4, 1864. Parbha.