Fishing Reports

 

Brutus is back in town. Brutus’ ancestral lines broach the dawn of time. He (it) is probably about thirty years young. He sits right at the top of the ocean pecking order. Top dog! And being up there means he’s probably laced with mercury, DDT and some of the other nasties that flow down our rivers and into the sea. We’re his only natural enemies. Brutus has a penchant for snapper, surfer’s legs and marine mammals. And Brutus is not related in any way to the classic Roman character in me mate, Bill Shakespear’s play about big Julie. Brutus is the warm-blooded inspiration for the movie “Jaws” and is aka A Great White Pointer. I first heard about Brutus being seen swimming about Whale Rock. “Four to five metres,” I was told in wonderment. Being a close relative of the more modestly proportioned mako shark, there seemed the possibility that Brutus was a big mako. Then I heard of him being seen swimming into Entico Bay. Right into the shallows he cruised, followed by mad keen fisho Ashley Patterson of Pouerua, vainly trying to entice the wee fellow to take a bait lowered from a small run-about. Brutus wasn’t interested. I imagined said run-about surfing along behind a Brutus racing out to sea. The next encounter with Brutus was made by Chris Houry. On Samaki with his son, they were shark-fishing close to Cape Brett. Took a liking to a live kahawai hanging off the end of a trolled line. Hooked him in the corner of the mouth. During an epic six-hour battle they had him alongside twice. On the second occasion, Chris was able to compare the fish to the length of his boat. “5-5.5 metres with a girth like a 40 gallon drum,” was the verdict. On that last occasion, they managed to secure a half hitch of the 600lb mono leader to the rear corner bollard. The fish just leaned out and the line went off like a rifle shot. Most recently, as noted in my last column, Johnny Outrigger and crew had a close encounter with something very large. Kept them enthralled for fourteen hours. It was well into the wee hours of the morning before Brutus said farewell. No wonder Johnny has bags under his eyes. Unsighted this time though. Was it Brutus or his big brother? What else can keep going for that long? Perhaps it was a happy outcome for all concerned, since we are the only nation still allowed to kill Great Whites. They are, after all, considered an endangered species in much of the world. Some readers may have heard that the Soundings submissions have been received. We fishos have had a hollow win in my opinion. No licence fees in exchange for no fisheries management. Get real. Introduce me to an MP who sees fisheries management a priority over welfare, defence, education, etc. There aren’t any. No money means no management. So we just lurch on. Tight lines!

 

From Steven Radich

Report type: Saltwater

Report date: 25 March 01