Oilfish a surprise catch for Hawke's Bay fisherman

Dylan Woolhouse and the 48kg oilfish at the Hawke's Bay Sports Fishing Club on Sunday. Scroll down to see the full fish. Photo / Supplied

It wasn't so much a rarity as a surprise when Napier fisherman Dylan Woolhouse hooked a 48kg oilfish on Sunday.

The species has been available occasionally at Takitimu Seafoods down the road from the Hawke's Bay Sports Fishing Club, where the catch of the day was landed with 37kg tackle on his boat The Dogfather, and former fish company boss Nino D'Esposito says he can recall catches of 6-7 tonnes in the area 50km-plus off the Hawke's Bay coast.

The biggest of the species is thought to have been about 63.5kg. They have been recorded up to 3 metres long, which compares with close to 2 metres for Woolhouse's catch, landed during a Saturday-Sunday voyage with four others up to 90km due east targeting swordfish.

He said it was the first oilfish he'd caught in close to 30 years' fishing, and he'd only seen one other.

Dylan Woolhouse and the 48kg oilfish at the Hawke's Bay Sports Fishing Club on Sunday. Photo / Supplied

It was as an unusual "fight", he said, describing how the fish "came in" easily, but "took off" about four times once it had surfaced and seen the boat.

It was "a bit unfortunate" because the species is not known for its recovery and couldn't be released.

Swordfish weren't among the weekend catch but there were other edibles including bluenose and hapuka.

While edible prepared properly, the oilfish, which has sharp scales and a flesh which can be a bit laxative, was consigned to the freezer, with mounting a possibility because of its rarity in the catches among the club members.