Before we were twinkles. . . 

About 1946, the price of shark oil rose to 1 shilling a pound. 
Kelvin Smith, our grandfather, saw opportunity. 

Shark liver is about 95% oil. So in the summer holidays he took the family to Sandspit, camped and fished for sharks. 

Rowing a couple of heavy 16 ft skiffs he and Dad would drag a bait along the bottom in Kawau Bay until they  found  a school of sharks.

Once located, hand lining with clothesline rope, 6 in long hooks and 4 ft chain traces could put 40 or more sharks in the boat for the day.

Carcasses were dressed and sold for 4 pence a pound. 
Sanfords would only accept 80 carcasses at a time and then only on Tuesday and Thursday. 
Dried fins were sold for 2í6/lb. to Chinese buyers who exported them to China.

Later, the decision to go full time shark fishing was made and  a 19 ft vessel was built, fitted with a Rugby engine an christened ëKewpieí. 
A 38 footer, ëTakapuí was purchased and the school sharks of Kawau Bay came in for some serious fishing. In the 6 month period over summer up to 8,000 sharks were taken each season. 

Eventually the immense waste of flesh and poor financial rewards meant the fishery was abandoned. The boats however were not and Kewpie remained in the family until 1964. 

A succession of other boats, fishing ventures, holidays at Kawau and Great Barrier ingrained saltwater into both our lives.
Paul has fished coastal and deep sea in NZ and on tuna purseiners in the Western Pacific. Rex has fished coastal NZ and spent 3 seasons on game boats out of Cairns.

  - Paul & Rex Smith - Maverix

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