FORTY TONS OF FISH.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13917, 20 March 1909, Page 9

FORTY TONS OF FISH.

AN BNORMOtJS HAUL OP

HOW THEY AJ&E CAUGHT.

Probably the most remarkable haul of fish yet. recorded, in Wellington waa netted/ by local fisherman off Flat Pomt — a little to the south of Pencarrow Head on Monday; morning, says The Dominion. FiveTfewg trawlers, each fitted with an auxiliary engine, came into Wellington at 10 o'clock on Monday morning, laden down to the gunwale with wharehou fish — one of the finest boiling and baking fish that these waters produce. The fishermen^ had expected a good warehou season, but they never exactly know until they come along, and wjien it is a good season" the fish come in solid shoals, and it is only possible to take as' many as the* nets will hold — a minute percentage of the finny visitors. , Wharehou -has been plentiful for the last four days near the Heads. Fifteen tons were, taken on Sunday, but on Monday the catch must have reached nearer forty tons, yet- despite the en- . ormous numbers the fish (which average about 8 lb each) are in splendid condition. During such times as the -present the lot of the fisherman is a hard one. This is the time wmm. he can, by making strenuous efforts, get a little ahead of s^ "bread-and-buttter" wage on which he exists, for the greater part of the year. The cry of "Wharehou 1" is to the local fishernfanxlikfe a blast of the bugle H= ta^th%fipLglie& He Jknows that it uriU only lasf roj^ njvk days, perhaps even a couple of we^*3r»nd then the fish van- ' ish, not to reirirn, perhaps, for three or four, years. T/h© system of arranging these enormous catches is unique. Tho ; mett watch the fish advance into the shallow waters, and then drop four fathom nets across. the little bays. The fish cannot escape, * aad sare hauled shoreward t» die enmeshed in the lat-tice-work of'^string that cuts them off from their native element. This is not the first occasion that wharehou have been caught in such quantities in Wellington. It is their habit to visit the icoast adjacent to Wellington between March and July. On "the last occasion when such ah invasion was recorded the big catch was made^at Wharehou Bay (Makara), and the fish had to be brought into town^by drays On this occasion the boats have to come, right into .town .with fish, which 'make? the work still more arduous It is the intention of the fishermen to send several tons of wharehou to Sydney by the next , flirect boat.