Fish Stories . . .

Attorney-General William Hedman re ntes the popular belief that only the

Japanese are catching fish in Eastern Samoan waters as he stands beside his 200 lb black Marlin. Although no giant among marlins, it was landed in half an hour on a very light line.

It could test the strength of any man —but, says Mr. Tom Harris, of Santo, New Hebrides, this large Groper, centre, was caught by a Miss Sophie Tung on a single halyard. Given weight, 869 lbs.

The giant murene eel (right), supported for the photograph by a still doubtful native, for years terrorised would-be trochus fishermen on the barrier reef off La Foa, New Caledonia. Two Lifou

(Loyalty Islands) men recently appeared, however, and, disregarding local tales of the eel’s viciousness, went after it.

Well over six feet in length, the murene died hard; two heavy harpoons in the head enabled the natives to pull the creature from its hole, but an axe was needed to kill it.

With the menace removed, both natives proceeded to collect their reward —nearly 15 bags of trochus shell.