BATTLE WITH SHARK

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10309, 19 January 1927, Page 5

BATTLE WITH SHARK

CAUGHT ON SCMNAPPER LINE

PLAYED THROUGHOUT NIGHT

NEW RECORD ESTABLISHED

Among the recent followers of big game fishing in the North is Captain J. Aiawson, late relieving master of the Niagara/, who left Wellington for San Francisco as captain of the Makura. After relieving for three voyages 011 the Niagara Captain Aiawson, who was married recently, decided to go fishing to Russell. Early one afternoon while trolling in a launch the line gave a run and soon Captain Aiawson knew he had hooked something big. At first and for some time it was thought to be a big mako shark. The fact that it did not rise and leap out of the water did not destroy that belief as the mako sometimes- prefers to fight below the surface. With a lino only as stout as a grocer’s string it was touch and go how long the fish could lie held, hut by the skilful manoeuvring of the launch and a quick windup whenever there was a chance the line held hour after hour. Although the fisherman's arms ached and grewtired he never dreamed of cutting away, and believing that he had “the father of all makos” he hung on. The sum went down and the stars shone out-. Evening drifted into night, midnight came and went and still the, fight went on, but in the early hours the quarry began to tire of plunging about and consented to he towed ashore, drowned in its own element, it was only at the end of the hunt that Captain Aiawson’s ream of a super-mako was shattered. It turned out to be a 2501*) blue shark, which had been foulhooked under one of its fins. Although Captain Aiawson was not able to straighten his fingers the next day he had the satisfactiori of putting "up a new record m big fishing, that of plaving a 2oolb blue shark for 11} hours on a schnnpper line.