The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-11-20
FISHING FOR SHARKS.
Terrific Struggle with a Ferocious
Man-Eater.


face of Great South bay Away out in
the solitude of water the lighthouse on
Fire island loomed family against the
rosy sky.
Tides on the change now" said the
old man, as he let the sloop's head pay
off. We're mebbc a little late for
the first run, but well get 'em further
along, and mebbe one or two on the
turn Never can tell about shark S
ways, though. Mebbe won't get q bite
all day"
Don't croak Cap'n Joel" said ], as
trimmed in the jib sheet, with that
elaborate attention to detail which
so plainly suggests that time is 4 bur
den on ones hands. We may get a
whale before night"
"Mcbbe so, mcbbc so" admitted the
old man, but the chances are agin it.
/ don't believe in raisin' no hopes an
sharks is mighty uncertain rcmem-
Der one day last summer l had a city
man out after sharks, and we sailed
and sailed and never a bite did we get"
Had you hired by the hour, / sup
pose
Cap'n Joel looked hurt. ] always
manage TO hurt the old mans feelings
early in the morning, SO that he will bc
tractable for the rest of the day.
When fish for sharks want a skipper
who will obey ike a ChinaInan. In
return for hurting the old mans
feelings / invariably make it up to
him in some other way at the close of
the trip
..Man-eatcrs plenty this year. Cap'n
Joel?' L asked, cheerfully and brisk
ly.
Not so darned plenty the old fell
low grum blcd, making n pretcnsc of
squirting carefully under the boom. as
though he was calculating the danger
TO be feared from two other sloops
about six miles OFF.
ANY body caught any?"
Not as l know on He was still
grumbling. "'Taint many folks as
fish for sharks Most peoples got
something better to do" For Cap'n
joel this was very severe, but / had
hit him in very tender spot Where II
head for?" he asked, almost sullcn-
ly.
For the inlet, to be sure. Seems to
me that You forget things very quick
ly." | was still brisk and cheerful.
The old man muttercd to himself. He
knew well enough where TO go, but his
feelings were hurt. and when the old
fellows feelings are hurt ne acts like 4
boy.
As we went along close hauled for
the Fire island inlet | made ready my
new shark tackle. Cap'n Joel had
never seen it before, and in ordinary
circumstances he would have been as
curious and as eager about IL as 4
child, but he said never word. When
7 1,,l L.. Sch, -1,.;fl, ,b. o11 $50, T
had used a heavy trolling line, one end
of which was made fast to the boat
When | hooked a shark l simply hauled
in hand over hand by main force. This
year | decided to put little more skill
into shark fishing, and for that pur
pose | prepared an extra strong bass
rod and reel, and fitted to it as stout a
line as ] could find that would run
readily on the reel intended to play
the shark Us / would play bass. Old
Capt Joel shifted contemptuously, but
silently, as he took note of the new
tangled shark tackle, but let him
alone in his shell.
1t was my purpose to meet the in
coming flood tide at the inlet, and to
reach back and forth across it until
was satisfied with the days sport
Sharks follow the smaller fish into the
Great South bay with each tide, and
sometimes big one Will come along
and stir up the bathers on the beach
at Fire island. The fun that a shark
can have with n lot of women and
children along a bathing beach is
something out of the ordinary run of
American humor. The shark probably
enjoys it, and it never does the bathers
any physical harm.
The wind came in a little fresher
with the flood, so that the sloop had
good working headway. She would
jibe quickly, and not too hard, while at
the same time she could be luffed up in
n twinllling. / baited the large hook
with a plump mossbunker, which the
old man had provided the day before,
and threw it overheard.
''Slack away and stand off and on
across the flood" said I. The sloop
filled away with lifted sheets The
long line trailed astern with constantly
increasing pressure Away off on the
lee quarter there was a slight commo-
ton on the surface of the water, and
in minute or two i fancied that /
could catch a glimpse now and then of
n shark.
do You see any sign of game?"
said to Capt. Joel, as he came about
and stood back toward Fire island
beach.
There's one or two sharks about
he answered, but he did not explain
where they might be found. Then we
stood off and on again without catch
ing sight of the triangular fin.
Suddenly there came n tremendous
jerk on the stout line, the reel gave a
wild scream and began to revolve like
n buzz-saw, and the stiff rod bent like
a whip. i had struck big game put
on the check very quickly, and as the
velocity of the line lessened i thought
of the pain that the big hook was
causing in the mouth of the ferocious
sea devil The pain would stop him if
the line would not Presently the line
slackened and ! reeled in furiously.
Ease off and run for it, / shouted,
''or he will be on u.s.
The little sloop gathered Roadway
and darted off before the wind, but still
the line was slack. The shark was
trying to see what held him. In about
two minutes had the line tight again,
and then i had the sloop brought up
into the wind. The shark then took a
HOtloH lndl ne WOuiu 20 across the pay
on hls own account, but before he ha
made away with half of the line the
lively little sloop was chasing him. Al
the time kept up a steady pull on tn.
line. now holding fast and then slack
ing away, as the necessity of the situa,
ton seemed to require. The shark was
getting vicious Suddenly he made a
lunge and changed his course.
Jlbc over! quick | called out