The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-07 00:00:00

ODD FISH.

Some strange fish of a monster character have lately
been working their way towards Ireland, whether as
avant couriers of good or evil, time and tide must
disclose. On Tuesday last two enormous animals of
the skate tribe came into the river Coil near
Downpatriek, and after a resolute struggle with their
captor a were captured. They were male and female,
and the latter gentle fair one measured 5 feet iu length
in the body, and 2 feet in the tail, total 7 feet, and
in breadth 5 feet 2 inches, and weighed upwards ot
2 cwt., exceeding in the latter respect tl.e famous
monster of the deep sold by a fishmonger at Cam-
bridge to St. John's College in 1770, and which dined
120 persons, for that one weighed only nearly 2 cwt.
The male companion of our fair friend above was
not deficient either in latitude and longitude
of good degrees, for he measured 4k feet in
length of body, and 1; feet of tail, giving a
good total of 6k feet, and in breadth 44- feet, with a
dead weight ot 1 cwt. There were also caught
lurking about the same neighbourhood some enormous
eels of gigantic dimensions, one of which measured 6
feet in length, and weighed 401 b.; and then, again,
on the Shannon, the other day a Brobdignagian
salmon fought a tremendous fight with three suc-
cessive assailants, and beat them all. The first
man he grappled with he battled with hand
to band for five consecutive hours, and worked him
three miles down the stream until at last the man
combatant fainted, and a companion took his place.
This reserved force fared but little better, for although
he kept up the conflict with game, he found him-
self, after eight hours' fight, seven miles more down
the river, and day just breaking upon him; for the
conflict commenced at about three in the afternoon,
and with as little chance of a triumph as when
he began. A gentleman residing near the river side,
and hearing of the extraordinary battle that was
raging in his vicinity, rushed from his bed to the
scene, and in the vigour of replenished strength after
sleep gave the all but vanquished angler a pound-
note for the hold of his rod, and chance of his
game, which was joyfully accepted as a lucky re-
lief from a shameful discomfiture. Nor was the
hoped-for prize unworthy of the bid, for he had given
his opponents several hints of what he could de, by
showing his physical capabilities in various plunges
out of the water during the contest, and his power
was calculated at 701bs. weight. The third hero no
sooner went to work than he felt he had it to do, but he
manfully tackled to it, and fought with all his might
(for four miles further and nine hours) until at last the
god of war (Neptune I suppose in this case) took part
with General Salmon, and in one desperate charge he
dashed through all impediments, and carried off hook,
line, and rod, nearly to the wheel, leaving to his op-
ponent to meditate on the remains in his hand. The
whole time occupied i❑ this desperate affair was
twenty-three hours, and the field of battle extended
over nearly twenty miles. Surely these phenomena
must forebode something out of the common.—From
a Correspondent of the Morning Post.