Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-04-20
FISHING For coNeERs.
Rare Sport for Fearless Flshermen--Thi
Wolf of the Waves.

to dread nights exposure in an open
boat there are few finer sports than
conger-fsl'ing off the coast Of Devon
shire and Cornwall and oil along the
edges OF the Ems b Channel. ThesG
are many sold 80 scattered along
the COASTS Of the Mediterranean and
even in these sober and unromantic
islands many such exist to this day
who are always ready to aver that
big conger, when hauled up from the
rocky bed of the ocean and introduced
into boat, is in the habit of opening
his gigantic mouth bristling with teeth.
of making desperate onslaught upon
the first man that he spies, and Of
barking like dog. 1t has, indeed,
often been asserted that conger three
or four feet long, and weighing about
twenty or thirty pounds, is q truly
awkward customer to face when he is
drawn into boat. Alone of fishes, hc
and his congeners OF the eel tribe have
as much power of locomotion upon
land as they have in the water, and no
sooner do they sec human being near
them on the element to which they are
foreigners than they make up their
minds to Ego for him" without delay.
1t is probable that the captured conger
is prompted by nervousness rather than
by ferocity when he glides towards the
enemy, and the noise which issues
from his open jaws is attributable to
the escape Of air from his swimming
bladdcrs and not to his possession VI
barking powers, such as dogs are ell
dOwcd with.
The best way to pursue is to set
forth about five in the evening of q
still, soft October day, and to row out
TO sea for distance of two or three
miles, until the boat reaches the spot
where experienced guides know that
seven or eight fathOms below lie tho
reefs and rocks in which the congcrs
reside. The first step Is to set tho
night-lines, which arc attached to
corks floating on the surface. Tho
line Is about the third of an in, in
thickness and has strands fastened to
1t which arc wrapped round with
waXed twlno or cotton from the hooks
upward for two or three feet. 1t has
been found by experience that wrap
pings Of this kind are preferable to
gimp as projections against the power
full jaws and sharp cutting teeth Of the
sea-eel.
Having set the nightlines, the fisher
men next try their luck with Hines,
and for the first hour or two after dark
ness has fallen the fun is at its best.
Under these circumstances it is not un-
usual for a huge conger to get the
hook firmly fixed in his jaw, and a
desperate struggle between him and
his captor then takes place. The
hooked fish gets his tail twined round
anything firm and solid that is within
reach, and snaps vigorously with his
jaws at the line, which is drawn tight
by the fisherman's strong arm. II tho
tackle holds, which is not always tho
case, the tusslc ends in the capture of
the fish. Although he is by no means
so formidable in reality as he seems in
appearance, no wise fisherman allows
him to wriggle about at the bottom OF
the boat without instantly taking meas
ures to stun him.
Occasionally an inexperienced boy
will allow his wrist to get within reach
of the conger's gaping jaws, in which
case the bite inflicted upon the arm will
cave marks never to be effaced. With
what purpose, however, it will be asked,
do amateurs quit their comfortable
beds and devote the nights to catching
fish which resembles a sea snake and
Is almost worthless for human foodg
The answer is that, as poetry Is, ac-
cording to Coleridge, "its own exceed
ing great reward,N go the fun Of tug.
ging q big conger up from the oceans
depth Is sufficient compensation for
nights exposure at sea. Nothing is
more ineXplicable and mysterious in
the cookery Of the ancient Romans
than their extraordinary Partially fon
the 'mur@na, or see eel. In the days
Of the Roman Empire enormous sums
were expended by wealthy gourmets
in keeping up the artificial fish ponds
where this dainty fish-as they regarded
twas inclosed. There is we'll
known story that among the Romans
the ''murena" was considered to be
most delicate of flavor if it had been
fed upon human food. A rich freedman
named Pollion was said to be in the
habit of giving orders that such of his
slaves as he thought deserving Of death
should be thrown into the stcws or
fish ponds where his cells were kept.
On one occasion slave belonging to
Pollion had the misfortune to break
valuable vase, upon which his cruel
master ordered him TO be "aung to the
cells" 1t CHANGED, however, hat the
Emperor Augustus was one of Pollion'a
guests, and he not only reversed tho
grants order, but commanded the at.
PENDANTS to break every vase i'm his
hosts mansion. 1t is impossible for
modern fishers of the conger to pretend
that it is palatable. Despite the vague
rumor that the oleaginous and strong
favored flesh OF the sea eel is largely
used as the substratum of turtle soup,
those who occasionally pass night in
catching him would do well to abstain
from all attempts to dress him for the
table.-London Telegraph.