LARGE SHARK HOOKED

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1926, Page 14

LARGE SHARK HOOKED

YACHTSMEN’S ADVENTURE. Wellington, Oct. 30. Three local yachtsmen had an exciting experience near Somes Island when they pulled up a big shark, estimated to be about 14ft. in length. A heavy-set line, carrying a large number of hooks, had been put down in some 70ft. or 80ft. of water, with a rock as a weight, and floated by a piece of timber. The yachtsmen rowed down to the line in their dinghy and Were pulling it in when suddenly the tail of a shark came to the surface. There was neither a knife nor a gaff in the boat so they had to let the line go for a moment. Away went the shark, dragging the float under repeatedly, with the dinghy in pursuit. Finally the line was caught again and attempts were made to tow the fish back to the yacht. In this, however, the yachtsmen reckoned without the strength of the shark, for when it came to the surface again alongside the dinghy it simply turned over on its back without much fuss and snapped the heavy hook. The men had realised by this time the danger of their becoming entangled in the hooks of the set fine and they were not sorry to see the shark escape. • As it was their small boat was half full of water. They had been swimming near the spot a few minutes before the shark was hooked and consider themselves fortunate that they were not attacked.