River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-10-01
FISHING FOR SHARKS.
Terrific Struggle with a Ferocious
Man-Eater.

TerTtno Struggle with a Ferocious
Man-Eater.
The cool, dim shadows of early dawn
still chung 20 the leeward side of things
as old cap'n Joel made sail on the
little sioop A mild breeze came up
from the southwark aud stirred into
lazy life the vagrant patches of mist
That hung here and there on the sur
face of Great South bay. Away out in
tne solitude of water the lighthouse ON
Fire island doomed 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 mebbe 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 sharks
ways. though. Mebbe won't get bite
all day"
Don't croak. Cap'n JOEL" said I, as
4 trimmed in the jib sheet, with that
elaborate attention to detail which
so plainly suggests that time is bur
den on ones hands I'VE may get q
whale before night"
'Mebbe 50. mebbe So" admitted the
old man. but the chaSces are agin it.
Il don't believe in raisin' no hopes. an
sharks is mighty uncertain. l remem-
.bSr one day last summer had city
man out after sharks. aud we sailed
and sailed and never bite did we get"
Had you hired by the hour, l sup
pose"
Cap'n Joel looked hurt ] always
manage 10 hurt the old mans feelings
early in the morning, so that he will be
tractable for the rest of the day
When / fish for sharks want a skipper
who will obey like a Chinaman. In
return for hurting the old mans
feelings l invariably make il up 20
him in some other way at the close of
the trip.
"Man-eaters plenty this year. Cap'n
'Joel?" asked. cheerfully and brisk
ly.
mot so darned plenty" the old fell
low grumbled. making a pretense of
squirting carefully under the boom. as
though he was calculating the danger
10 be feared from two other slOops
about six miles off
Anybody caught any?'
mot as I 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
Lit him in a very tender spot "Where1l
Il head for?" he asked, almost sullen-
,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 muttered 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 a
boy.
As we went along close hauled for
the Fire island inlet l made ready nv
new shark tackle. Cap'n Joel had
circumstances he would have been as
curious and as eager about it as a
child. but he said never a word When
had last fished with the old man
had used heavy trolling line. one end
of which was made fast to the boat
When Z hooked a shark simply hauled
in hand over hand by main force. This
year decided to put a little more skill
into shark fishing, and for that pur-
pose l 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 l intended to play
the shark as 1 would play a bass Old
Capt Joel shifted ContemptuOusly. but
silently, as he took note of the new
tangled shark tackle, but 7 let him
alone in his shell
Il was my purpose 20 meet the in
soming food tide at the inlet, and TO
reach back and forth across il 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 mp the bathers on the beach
at Fire island. The fun that a shark
can have with lot of women and
children along q bathing beach is
something out of the ordinary run of
American humor. The shark probably
enjoys il, and il never does the bathers
any physical harm
The wind came in a little fresher
with the flood. so that the sIoop had
good working Roadway. She would
jibe quickly, and not too hard. while at
the same time she could be luffed up in
twinkling. baited the large hook
with plump mOssbunker, which the
old man had provided the day before,
and threw il overheard.
SLACK away and stand off and on
across the food" said I. The sloop
filed 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 a minute or two / fancied that /
could catch glimpse now and then of
a shark.
DO you see any sign of gamer l
said 70 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 of and on again without catch
ing sight of the triangular fin
Suddenly there came a tremendous
Jerk on the stout line. the reel gave .
wild scream and began TO revolve like
a buzz-saw and the stiff rod bent like
a whip had struck big game put
on the check very quickly. and as the
velocity of the line lessened / thought
of the pain that the big hook was
causing in the mouth of the ferociOus
sea devil The pain would stop him IL
the line would not Presently the line
slackened and reeled in furiously.
Ease off and run for it." l shouted.
tsor he will ~. On ms -
The little sloop gathered Roadway
and darted of before the wind. but still
the line was slack. The shark was
trying 10 see what held him In about
two minutes had the line tight again.
and then l had the sloOp brought up
into the wind The shark then took n
notion that he would go across the bay
on his own account, but before he had
made away with half of the line the
lively little sl0op was chasing him All
the time kept up steady pull on the
line. now holding fast and then slack
ing away, as the necessity of abe situa-
ton seemed 20 require. The shark was
getting vicious. Suddenly he made a
lunge and chi nged his course
''Jibe over, 4uickF' He'd out
Hes after US again" :. ,e nimble
siOop turned like top and NJ g...in Z
wT toward Pa. Un. wiz her lee