ROYAL VISITOR

Southland Times, Issue 22489, 25 January 1935, Page 8

ROYAL VISITOR

FISHING EXPEDITION NO LUCK WITH ROD EXPERIENCED CHOPPY SEA (Per United Press Association.) Russell, January 24 Conditions were ideal to-day for the big game fishing expedition at Cape Brett of the Duke of Gloucester. The weather was brilliantly fine and the sea was like a vast sheet of glass, which figuratively reflected all the historical associations of the Bay of Islands. The sleek and trim cruiser Australia nosed her bow into Russell shortly after six o’clock and remained at her anchorage for about an hour and a-half while mails were exchanged and Captain Derek Schreiber, one of the Duke’s equerries, and Mr D. Ardell. of the Internal Affairs Department, were taken on board. Eleven bags of English, Australian and New Zealand mail were taken on board and one bag of mail matter for oversea delivery was left at Russell.

Prompt work on the part of Mr J. G. Young, the Post and Telegraph officer who was a member of the official New Zealand party during the Royal tour, will reduce by 14 days the time of arrival of the Australia’s mail in London.

Mr Young was able to make arrangements for a connection with an aerial service, as a result of which the time mentioned will be saved. As the Duke of Gloucester was using the cruiser as his headquarters for his fishing excursion he did not come ashore at Russell and the Australia shortly after eight o’clock moved off to Deep Sea Cove, off Cape Brett, where she anchored for the day. On the grounds she was joined by three deepsea fishing launches which were available for the use of the Dulce and his party. Just after nine o’clock his Royal Highness boarded one of the launches and set off in search of swordfish or shark. His activities naturally attracted attention and as it was not possible to draw police cordons around stretches of the Pacific Ocean, the outing lost some of its privacy. Other Launches.

At 10 o’clock seven launches, apart from the three provided for the Royal party, were cruising on the grounds with the obvious intention of remaining there until the Australia returned to Russell. A choppy sea developing after lunch, however, made conditions generally unpleasant and his Royal Highness, whose launch Ozone had trolled in the vicinity of Piercy Island for six hours, returned at four o’clock to the Australia, which had anchored for the day on the north-east side of Red Head. The Duke had no luck with the rod. There was only one strike, a striped marlin sword-fish, but it was not landed. The fish, which was in the best fighting form, lashed the water and ran round the stem of the launch, fouling the balloon line. The lines were cleared and his Royal Highness proceeded to play the fish. In the runout the line broke and the marlin disappeared in a churning welter of foam. It is estimated that the weight was 2801 b.

Ten other launches fished in the same locality. From one of them, the Avalon, Mr Peter Williams struck a hammerhead shark, but lost it after playing over an hour. Australia Returns.

With the Duke aboard the Australia returned to the Russell anchorage at six o’clock. His Royal Highness remained on the ship overnight. When he arrives at Opononi to-morrow night after visiting Tronson Park and the Waipoua State Forest, he will receive the English mail which arrives in Auckland on the Monterey to-morrow morning, the mail being flowri in a seaplane from the Hobsonville Air Base at 9.30 and being dropped at Russell an hour and a half later. It will then be taken by Mr Young by car to Opononi.