Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1880-09-10
Spearing Sturgeon in San francisco Bay.


From the San Francisco Bulletin.
With the exception of the great Cana
dian rivers, San Francisco harbor can
boast Of larger variety of big fish than
any other sheet of water on the continent.
The sloughs In the vicinity of Newark and
Alviso. on one side OF the bay, and San
Mateo and Redwood City, on the other,
abound in sturgeon, but it is only this
year that the fertile brain of the sports
man has devised new and interesting
means Of capturing them, which has
raised them to the level of game fish. 1t
is the most exciting pastime that the am
ateur can indulge in, Staying the sturgeon
as he should be slain, with keen spear anG
a tub Of clear line behind it, and a strong
arm to send the barb we'll home. 1t has
just enough Of danger in it to make the
harpooner's pulses quicken when he poises
himself for the throw, and his crew resi-
anxiously on their oars to await the result
Of his aim.
The English sturgeon is men
toned IN British books as royal
fish, and, though he differs from his Cali
fornla 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.
Now, having his spear, if he never cast
one, a little practice to get the hang o
the weapon will be useful When he be.
comes accustomed to the balance. and
finds that he can make pretty accurate
cast at - or 20 feet, he may look out for
his line. A quarter-inch strong cotton,
about 80 feet in length, will be the thing,
and this must be stretched and restretch-
ed till rot kink remains and it is as
smooth and flexible as silk pocket hand.
kerchiet. An ordinary lance or two to
give his fish the coup de grace may be
added 10 the outfit. A tub in which 70
coil his line is indispensable, and this coil
must be as clear and carefully laid down
as sailors Sunday Flemish" on the
quarterback. A good, heavy Whitehall
boat, with two oarsmen, the tub with the
line placed nearly amidshlps, the line LED
through well creased beckett in the nose
OF the boat, the sportsman standing with
his weapon in the bow, a cleat to make
the line fast to where the fish gives any
slack, and 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
half flood on the weather shore of the
sloughs and estuaries Of the bay In shal-
low water. At the mouth Of Alviso
slough they lie in great abundance. the
back fin out OF water, and the difficulty in
this locality is for the spearman to cast
his iron without getting into one. When
on the ground the spearman must direct
his rowers to pull along gently-no splash
ing or talking. When within 10 or II
feet he lanches his weapon, and the stur-
geon, 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 steamboat on the bay big odds and
Instance it. Sometimes the fish, if badly
durt, eases up after a mile or so, and then
if the fight is all out of him the lance will
put an end to his troubles. A light axe
TO cut the line In case the sturgeon shows
an inclination to take the party out the Col
den Gate Is a necessary part of the spear
man S tackle, but mile or less will nearly
always give him enough of 1T. Sturgeon
from 100 to 300 pounds, and the stinga-
rec, fat fish which also runs very large
may be killed in this manner.