The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-08-01
EXCITING SUMNER SPORT.
FISHING FOR SHARKS OFF THE
COAST OF FIRE ISLAND.
How the Man Eaters Are Caught
With HOOk-A Long Struggle
With n Powerful Fish.

tOpollS. le says
The uprising sun was struggling dimly
through the haze when my sailor lad, an
honest young fellow from Bay Shore, hoist
ed sail on the trim little sloop and hauled
out into the channel. A hayward breeze
broke upon the calm surface of the bay,
and pushed against our little sails with
gentle force The water gurgled softly
at the bow aud dubbed away shining
streak of silver in our wake. Early as we
had started we were later than hand
some little sloop from the Wa Wa Yanda
Club house, which was standing up the
bay some distance ahead.
"That's Capn John Thurber," said
the sailor lad, bracing his back against
the tiller and making a spyglass of his
hands. Giles after bluefsh with one
of those city felcrs what belongs to the
club. He knows where the fish is, you
can bet"
To know where the fish stay is the OBJ
jective point in the education of every
native of the bay, and the hero worship
likely to be accorded to the successful
veteran is something difficult of conjec-
ture. 1t may account, perhaps, for the
tone of deep respect in which my am
bilious assistant spoke of Captain John.
You kin throw out, now" said the
boy, at length, "Cap'n John is a-getting
out his lines"
Not at all unwilling to follow the ex-
ample of 50 excellent fisherman as Cap,
tain John, baited a strong hook with
bunker bait and let the line run out.
Some persons troll for bluetish with a
line as thick as a Goldfish line, but with
q M fer, mi 10 +ha
fish has a chance for himself and the
anglers skill is taxed to the utmost.
When the fisherman is after sharks the
number of bluefsh caught is an indiffer-
ence, hence the basketful of voracious
twO-pound sinners that were hauled
aboard the sloop in the next half hour
need not be mentioned here. At the end
of the half hour we had drifted abreast
the wooden pier leading down to the bay
from the hotel. Then | felt mighty
tug at the thin line, and the next mo-
ment the weight was as suddenly re-
moved. reeled in the line as rapidly as
the brass multiplier would work. The
bait was gone and the hook was broken
off at the shank Without word the
boy seized the big iron shark hook, with
its short length OF chain and thrust a
seven-inch bunker upon the sharp barb.
Its shark" said the boy, as the
heavy line was unreeled. "Bet he don't
break this hook"
Then the sloop tackled back and forth
across the channel, working along slowly
with the tide. For fully ten minutes the
bait trailed along unframed.
Clip suddenly yelled the boy, "he's
got !" The line Strengthened out along
the surface of the water with tremen-
dous jerk, heeling the sloop to leeward
as though heavy puff of wind had
struck her maintopsail For single in
slant the light under side of ven-foct
shark flashed in the sun, and then the
line went whizzing down toward the bot
tom of the bay. The line was paid out
freely, and soon the shark stopped.
"Haul away" l shouted bracing my
feet against the rail The boy fell to
with II will, and the shark moved slowly
and unsteadily toward the sloop. Then
a shower of spray from the sharks rap
idly moving tail glttered in the sun,
and before we could take turn around
a cleat with the slack line the big fish
had raced off ten fathOms astcrn. Gently
we coaxed him back, hoping to tire him
into submission. In sullen stiffness he
came within two feet of the sloop, and
the boy reached for our shark killer-an
old bayonct taste ned firmly to the end of
q hoe handle
Here, jab him, quick" said the boy,
thrusting the weapon across the stern
sheets. Raising the spear like harpoon
l drove it into the sharks gills half a
dozen times in three seconds. The blood
spurted out in great streams, staining the
side Of the sloop and turning the water a
dark crimson. The shark turned like
flash
"Now, let him 60" cried the boy, who,
in moments of excitement, seemed gifted
with an inspiration of eloquence. A
hundred feet of line followed the shark
in mad rush out into the bay. Then
slowly, as before, we hauled it in, with
the shark hanging doggedly to hook
that he could not crush Again we
brought him alongside, and once more
did the glittering harpoon draw gushing
streams of blood.
''Shoot himm screamed the boy, in
genuine alarm, as the shark began new
demonstration of ugliness. 1t was too
late to shoot, for before the revolver
could be brought to bear the gamy fish
was two boat lengths to windward.
Weary with the quick work, we hauled
him in again, but with less enthusiasm
than at first. The shark, too, seemed
tired. Two central fire cartridge balls
were sent crashing through his head as
he lay a boats length from the sloop,
and another shot stunned him so that we
were able to slip a moose over his tail,
and, with perspiration- compelling energy,
hoist him up into the standing rigging.
When we had rested and annointed our
blistered hands we took his measure. 1t
is not necessary to give the figures, as the
practice of reporting measurements and
weight has fallen into disrepute with the
innocent and confding public. Three
hours afterward the boy showed small
pine stick into the sharks mouth, and
for his tenerity nearly lost his hand when
the dying fish turned over on the muscles
of its tail and made a sidelong snap with
its vicious jaws. The lad turned pale
Il l.. Ill I.