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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 6 (October 1, 1928)

Most Fascinating of Sports

Most Fascinating of Sports.

I cannot too strongly emphasise the fact that the hunting and capture of the swordfish is not, as some sentimentalists have alleged, a “brutal sport.” It is one of the healthiest and most fascinating of all sports. This fact was brought home to tow Wellington gentlemen during the last fishing season, when they engaged in the sport of deep-sea angling for the first time.

After catching their bait at Bird Rock they cast their lines over the side of the launch, and a striped marlin was hooked. Almost simiultaneously a huge mako was hooked, but unfortunately the mako evaded capture; meantime the swordfish made off in a northerly direction, taking with it over 200 yeards of line. The page 51 swordfish leaped clear of the water no fewer than seven times, and put up a remarkable fight for over two and a half hours. During the fierce struggle the rod snapped in two and the angler had to fight the fish with the remaining portion of the rod.

The striped marlin, when brought in to Otehei Bay to be officially weighed, turned the scales at 312lb. (The anglers were loud in their praise of the skilful manner in which the launch was handled by the launchman). Although exhausted after their thrilling fight with the swordfish they could not keep away from the fishing grounds, and next day the same anglers landed another swordfish (262lb), also a fine kingfish weighing 72lb.

These gentlemen have already made arrangements to visit the Bay of Islands next season. During the same season another party from overseas landed successfully no fewer than three swordfish from a launch in the one day, and needless to say they told the world of their splendid achievement! They have also endorsed Lord Grimthorpe's description of the Bay of Islands as an “ideal spot.”

Since his return to England, Lord Grimthorpe has gone to the trouble of writing to quite a number of the leading papers in the Homeland suggesting to the people that instead of going to the Riviera, Cannes and Lido,
The Fisherman's Smile Of Triumph. A Sample of the Great Sporting Fish caught in New Zealand's Northern Waters.

The Fisherman's Smile Of Triumph.
A Sample of the Great Sporting Fish caught in New Zealand's Northern Waters.

where they lead an artificial life, they should pay a visit to New Zealand, which is the place for a “perfect holiday.”

As mentioned in my last article, the railway facilities for reaching the Bay of Islands are excellent, there being a daily express service from the City of Auckland to Opua, from which place the fishing grounds are easily reached.

(Launches meet the trains at Opua and anglers are conveyed direct to the rendezvous at Urupukapuka Islans.)

After spending a hoilday in the beautiful Bay of Islands in pursuit of the swrodfish and his brothers of the vasty deep, the reader will surely sing with the poet:

“O! The fisher's life,
It is the best of any:
‘Tis full of pleasure, void of strife,
And ‘tis beloved by many.
… Other joys
Are but toys…”

“The pleasantest angling is to see the fish cut with her golden oars the silver stream, and greedily devour the treacherous bait.”—Shake-speare.