The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1882-02-25
THE SHARK FISHERIES AT NEW
SMYRNA. FLORIDA.
Frank Leslie's illustrated |


Our illustration renresclits afomcwhat a
noted shark fishery near New Smyrna,
on the Florida coast. The sharks are
caught for the oil they afford, one some
times giving seven or eight gallons.
Some attempts have been made to collect
the fins for expectation, but it does not
pay. About 100000 worth of fins are
yearly taken to Bombay and shipped to
China. The shark fisheries are generally
owned by one person, though sometimes
the party works on shares The fit-out
consists of boiling-pots to try the liver,
barrels for OIL mule team and fifteen or
twenty lines. The lines are about as
large as a clothes-line, the hook being a
foot long and connected to three foot
chain by swivel. The season com
mences the last Of March or April, and
at this time, every morning at sunrise, a
boatload of negroes can be seen rowing
out towards the mouth of the river to
the place where sharks most do congre-
gate. The men generally keep time to
the oars with song and laughter, and, in
fact the business has more of sporting
character than falls to the lot of many.
Arriving ON the ground, the boats are
hauled up, the fires started, and the lines
spread along the beach at distance of
about 200 feet from each other They
are now baited with fresh shad or bass,
and taking the coil of line and slowly
whirling the heavy hook around his head,
the line" man steps quickly to the
edge of the water and puts the bait out
beyond the breakers into the channel
that here runs close to the bank From
forty to fifty feet of line is generally
thrown over, and one hundred more kept
as reserve to play the fish, if he proves
large one. The line is coiled near the
edge and passed over crotch of wood
and caught tightly. This is done to all
the lines. After throwing over the de-
cayed remains of the catch of the pre-
vious day to bait up the game, the men
lie ON the sands and wait for bite, and
their patience is not generally taxed. The
shark usually bites very softly, some
times nosing the bait and producing a
tremor in the line; and then it Is jerked
up, and the fish slowly moves off. Now
the line must be allowed to run out at
least twelve feet to give him chance to
swallow it. Four or five negroes have it
well in hand. and when the leader thinks
the time has come, he gives the word
and they stop paying out; in moment
1t is taut, and with yell they jerk the
hook into the fish and then the sport
commences. As he feels the cold steel
the shark rushes towards the deep water,
dragging the men sometimes in knee.
deep before they can stop his headlong
rush. Now he makes rush to the right,
stopping suddenly and running right al
them; with leap cleaving the water
and showing his whole length, and shak
ing his ugly nav in vain efforts to gel
rid of the chain, down he comes with ;
terrible splash, only to find himself deep
er in the tolls, as the men have taken il
every inch possible. Now, perhaps, an
other line is seen going out, and twt
men are obliged to leave it short-handee
and attend to that; this gives the sharl
a better chance, and he pulls the mel
fairly into the water, suddenly stacking
and sending them all down in heap
and as quickly starting of again; but tn
men, finally weary of this treatment, ant
giving him more line, run down tn
beach, dragging him through the surf t
and fro, until, half-drowned, he grow
weaker, and getting close to the chain
they run him, Tapping and gnashing hi
teeth. upon the sand. All but one nov
go to the help of the other line. The on
left takes sharp knife-carried by all
cuts the hook out, sewers the head, rip
open the stomach, and soon has the live
out. The fins are cut off by the boys
and the vertebre are saved for cranes
The work at the end Of the day--whe
twenty or thirty sharks have been caugh
begins to tell, as many Of them ar
from twelve to fourteen feet long, an
.ssill sGa1-a ur