Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-08-04
Spearing Sturgeon.

"Atu TIC cAttptlOu Ol luc STtdL NdHd
dian rivers, San Francisco harbor cal
boast of larger variety of big fish thai
any other sheet of water on the continent
The sloughs in the vicinity of Newark anC
Alyiso on the one side of the bay, and Sar
MateO and Redwood City on the other
abound in sturgeon, but it is only this yea
that the fertile brain of the sportsman ha:
devised a new and interesting means ol
capturing them, which has raised them t
the level of game fish. Ii is the most eI
citing pastime that the amateur can in
dulge in, Staying the sturgeon as he shoulc
be slain, with keen spear and tub of cleal
line behind 1t, and strong arm to SEND
the barb well home. 1t has just enough
OF danger in it to make the harpooner's
pulses quicken when he poises himself fol
the throw, and his crew rest anxiously on
their oars to await the result of his aim.
The English sturgeon is mentioned in
British books as royal fish, and though
he DIFFERS from his California brother.
taking him with the spear may rightfully
be entitled a royal sport. Those who
would try their skill with the sturgeon must
provide first good spear. One on the I'M
proved harpoon model is best, where the
spear works on joint, the foremost part
swinging athwart the wound as soon as
the fish is struck, and rarely, if ever. drag
ging out The Julian spear, where the
top becomes altogether detached from the
shaft, if strong enough, has been found to
answer nearly as well as the harpoon. But
If neither of these can be obtained the
sportsman must content himself with hay
ing spear made, one with broad solid
barbs, and on no account venture on hunt
with the pronged spear or grains, which
are only good Tor small fish. Into this iron
a tough but not heavy ash shaft must be
well fitted, planed 80 as to balance well. Now.
having his spear, if he never cast one a
little practice to get the hang of the weap-
on will be useful. When he becomes ac-
customed to the balance and finds that he
can make pretty accurate cast at fifteen
or twenty feet he may look out for his line
A quarter inch of strong cotton about one
hundred and fifty feet in length will be the
thing, and this must be stretched and re-
stretched till not kink remains and it is
as smooth and flexible as a silk pocket
handkerchief. An ordinary lance or two
to give his fish the coup dc 1rdce NAV
be added to the outfit. \ tub in which to
coil his line is Indispensable, and this coil
must be as clear and as carefully laid down
as sailors SUNDAY Flemish on the
quarter deck. \ good, heavy Whitehall
boat, with two Oarsmen, the tub with the
line placed nearly amidships, the line led
through a well creased beckett in the nose
OF the boat, the spearman standing with
his weapon in the bow, a cleat to make the
line fast to where the fish gives any slack.
and the the sturgeon fisher Is ready for his
prey. From now until August or the mid
die of September is the season for sturgeon,
They can be found at about halt flood on
the weather shore of the slOughs and estu-
aries of the bay in shallow water. At the
mouth of the AlvisO Slough they lie in
great abundance, the back fin out Of water.
and the difficulty in this locality is FOR the
spearmaI to cast his iron without get
ting into one. When on the ground the
spearnan must direct his rowers to pull
along gsltly-nO splsshing or talking.
When with ten or twelve feet he
launches his weapor, and the sturgeon,
with one preliminary wallOw, darts away,
while the line, fake after fake, spins out OF
the tub. When the bow oar takes a turn
with the line the party can give any steam
boat on the bay big odds and distance it.
Sometimes the fish, if badly hurt, eases up
after mile or so, and then if the fight is
all out of him the lance will put an end to
his troubles. \ light axe to cut the line
in case the sturgeon shows an inclination to
take the party out the Golden Gate is
necessary part Of the spearman's tackle,
but mile or less will nearly ALWAYS give
him enough of it. Sturgeon from one hun
dred TO three hundred pounds, and the
stingaree, flat fish which runs very large,
may be killed in this manner Last week
a party tried their luck down the bay. and
in short time spe Iredand securedthrea stur-
geon, tine largest weighing upward of three
hundred pounds, and two stingarees, one
of the latter measuring over three feet
across the fiippers- One sturgeon, about
sixteen feet in length, was missed by the
spearsmen- Another party tired the A'viso
Slough and had magnificent sport, killing
eight fish, one of which ran with them over
two miles.