Tales of The Angler's Eldorado, New Zealand by Zane Grey

Reviewed by Terry Lawton

Zane Grey fished the rivers and coastal waters of New Zealand in a pioneering visit in 1926. Zane Grey is - and was then - best known for his Western novels. His personal appearance was a disappointment for a group of children that he met as "they frankly confessed that they had expected to see me in sombrero, chaps, spurs and guns.". Although his appearance then may have been a let-down, his writing today is still vibrant and stands up to the best of current fishermen-story tellers.

The first part of his book, Tales of The Angler's Eldorado, New Zealand, (slightly over half) is about big game fishing. As interesting as this is, for me the book really warmed up when Grey and his party head off to fish Lake Taupo, the Tongariro and other rivers flowing into it, and start catching monster rainbow trout.

Grey makes the point very forcibly that some of the enormous catches of fish were caught with pretty crude tackle and methods. It is probably true to say that Grey and his party were amongst the first to catch large fish - and large numbers of fish - on relatively light fly tackle. "These men were all bewildered with my array of fishing tackle. They had never dreamed of such gear, and were tremendously interested. Like all good fishermen, they were boys at heart." Zane Grey found much of the local tackle to be pretty primitive but even his big game reel fell off his rod twice and he and his companions suffered from broken rods and lines.

And what tackle-breakers they were catching. Grey is not the greatest of fly fishermen and even when fishing for Marlin etc he was often out-fished by Captain Mitchell, his friend and fishing companion. Although introduced to us a Captain Laurie Mitchell, he is always referred to as Captain Mitchell, although the "English sportsman Alma Baker" is always known as Alma Baker.

"It was only when this swordfish began to leap that a great difference manifested itself. He leaped out like a greyhound. He went high into he air, fully fiften feet over the water, and all of thirty feet in a long curve. We had to chase him full speed. Each leap appeared more wonderful, higher, longer, until they were incredible.

"He leaped seventeen times in succession, the last of which was marvelous in the extreme. I have never seen such an exhibition. So many leaps, such increasing speed, height, distance; such blazing of purple, silver, bronze; such quivering of body, wagging of bill, and sweeping of tail were surely the magnifcation of all other performances." This fish was "five and half feet in girth and twelve and half feet in length . . . and he weighed six hundred and eighty-five pounds.". This was world record catch at that time.
There is page after page of these monsters.

Eventually they stay on shore and head off to Lake Taupo and the wild rainbows! This part of the book opens with an account of the dangers of crossing lake Taupo by boat. There is then an amusing encounter with a wild boar when Zane Grey is on his hands and knees trying to force his way through thick undergrowth to get to the river. Another wild boar was to steal one of the Captain's fish.

To give a feel for the book I can do no better than quote from one encounter at same length:

"Then I looked quickly back at my fly. It sank just at the edge of the light place on the water. I lost sight of it, but knew where it floated. Suddenly right where I was looking on this glancing sunlit pool came a deep angry swirl. Simultaneously with this came a swift powerful pull, which ripped the line out of my left hand, and then jerked my rod down straight.

" 'Zee-eee!' shrieked my reel.

"Then the water burst white, and a huge trout leaped in spasmodic action. He shot up, curved and black, his great jaws wide and sharp. I saw his spread tail quivering. Down he thumped, masking splash and spray.

" 'Doc, he's a walloper!' yelled the Captain.

" 'Oh, biggest trout I ever saw!' I returned wildly.

And then: "He was as big as my black Marlin. My tight line swept up to the surface as I have seen it sweep with so many fish. 'He's coming out!' I yelled for Morton's benefit.
"Then he came out magnificently. Straight up six feet, eight feet and over, a regular salmon leap he made, gleaming beautifully in the sun. What a picture! If only Morton got him with the camera I would not mind losing him, as surely I must lose him. Down he splashed. 'Zee!' whizzed my line.

Two pages later Grey beached him. He weighed 11 and a half pounds.

Grey is very curious and a good observer. He is an excellent story teller and this book, my first encounter with his books, is a bloody good read. It contains some of the best fishing action writing that I have read. This book is just the thing to read on a long flight to a distant fishing holiday, whether or not in New Zealand.

There are plenty of black and white photos: very much of the period and some of more use than others. They certainly show-up the shortcomings of the cameras they were using 75 years ago.

Tales of The Angler's Eldorado, New Zealand by Zane Grey. Published by The Derrydale Press at US$24.95 and £19.95. Large format paperback 228 pages.