NEW ZEALAND 



waters than anywhere else except off Chile and Peru. There 

 are probably more mako sharks here than at any other place. 

 The record catch for one of this more or less overrated species 

 was made in the Bay of Plenty and the fish weighed looo 

 pounds even. 



The two great fishing grounds are situated about an equal 

 distance north and south of Auckland. The Bay of Islands 

 grounds have by far the better black marlin fishing. The 

 season is from January through April. The Bay of Islands is 

 250 miles north of Auckland and the Bay of Plenty about 

 250 miles south. 



The procedure for anglers is to go to Tauranga where 

 boats may be chartered for the run to Mayor Island which is 

 about 25 miles off the coast Maori natives settled on Mayor 

 Island years ago and began farming the land. There are 

 quantities of fruit trees— peach, plum and apple. 



When I was in New Zealand in 1 949 some six boats caught 

 over 500 striped and six black marlin at Mayor Island, and at 

 the same time at the Bay of Islands 9 boats fishing out of 

 Otehei Bay Fishing Lodge and Russell took 542 striped mar- 

 lin and 2 3 blacks. It was a big year as they are lucky when 

 they get 15 blacks during an entire normal season, and a 

 catch of 300 to 400 striped marlin is deemed pretty good. 



Thresher sharks abound in New Zealand waters and there 

 are more of them at Mayor Island than further north. 



Otehei Bay is reached by automobile road or train to Rus- 

 sell and thence by ferry. It is a charming lodge run by Mr. 

 and Mrs. Buck Hassell— who make a fine job of it. Everyone 

 eats at the main house where there is also a guides' dining 

 room, and one lives in well appointed small cottages nearby. 



16s 



