DEEP-SEA FISHING.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 7 April 1927, Page 10

DEEP-SEA FISHING.

NOTABLE SUCCESS.

LARGE SWORDFISH CAPTURED

Particulars of his notable success in the deep-sea fishing grounds were given recently by Mr Ross Martin, of Auckland, who succeeded in capturing a 750 black marlin swordfish. “I was fishing from the launch Doris off Cape Brett,” he said, “and at about a quarter to five in the afternoon as we had had no luck all day we decided to return to Deep Water Cove. I was winding in my line when we noticed that the balloon which was attached to the line suddenly disappeared. This was most unexpected as fish are rarely hooked so late in the day. In a flash the fish made off with some hundreds of feet of line, and when I made the strike we were surprised to see a monstrous marlin leap clear of he water. lie was obviously hooked deep in the throat with a gang hook I was using, for after he had broached about six times he sounded and remained down deep until I had him alongside in three-quarters of an hour. We had to hail another launch and secure the aid of four other men to help haul him aboard. It was sheer good fortune that I hooked the lish and to-day I feel the luckiest fisherman on the coast. He is the largest fish taken this season and the second largest cvcr^ defeated on the rod and line in New Zealand waters. He measured 12ft 4in in length and 70in in girth. PI is eye was 3in in diameter and the bill from the eyesocket was 28in long. The pectoral fins were 23in long and the spread of his tail 4Gin. I am sending the specimen to it he Wanganui Museum for preservation.”

All the anglers are more enthusiastic over the sport on the Cape Brett grounds now that these notable successes have been met with. Miss C. Hubncr, of Fcilding, on the launch Ilaeta, had a most unusual experience yesterday with two kingfish. one weighing 741 b and the other 401 b. She was trolling for game fish with two hooks baited on the one trace when two kingfish took the bait at the same instant. The two fish struggling and fighting in opposite directions gave Miss Hubner a very strenuous half-hour’s fight before she succeeded in landing them. Sharks were very plentiful. Air G. P. Andreas, of Sydney, landed a 6451 b grey nurse shark, one of the same species as those which are attacking surf-bathers in Australia this season.