Dodge City times., 1891-11-06
FISHING FOR SHARKS.
Terrific Struggle with q Fero,:ious
Man-Eater

Terrific Struggle with q Fero,:ious
Man-Eater
The cool, dim shadows of early dawn
still ciung to the leeward side of things
as old Cap'n Joel made sail on the
little sloop A mild breeze came up
from thu. southwark and stirred into
law life the vagrant patches of mist
that hung here and there OF the sur
face of Gre ut South bay. Away out In
the solitude of water the lighthouse on
Fire island NOomed family against the
rosy sky.
s'Tide's on the change now," said the
old man, as hs let the sloop's head pay
of. We're mebbe . little late for
the first run, but we'n get 'e'n 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 1, As
I trimmed in the jib sheet. with that
elaborate attention to detail which
80 plainly suggests that time is bur-
den on ones hands. I'VE may get q
whale before night"
"Mebbe SO, mebbe so," admitted the
old man, but the chances are agin 1t.
don't believe in raisin' no hopes, an
sharks is mighty uncertain. remem-
Der one day last summer had city
man out after sharks, and We sailed
and sailed and never bite did we get +"
Had you hired by the hour, I sup
pose"
Cap'n Joel looked hurt. / always
manage to 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 q skipper
who will obey like q Chinaman. 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-eaters plenty this year, Cap'n
Joel?" asked. cheerfully and brisk
ly.
"Not SO darned plenty" the old fel.
low grumbled, making a pretense Of
squirting carefully under the boom, as
though he was calculating the danger
to be feared from two other sloops
about six miles, OFF.
Anybody caught any?"
Not as 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 l had
hit him in a very tender spot. ''WhereIu
head for?" he asked, almost sullen-
ly.
For the inlet. to be sure. Seems to
me that you forget things very quick
ly." l 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 he acts like
boy.
AS we went along close hauled for
the Fire island inlet i 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 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 hooked shark 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 as 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 food tide at the inlet, and to
reach hack 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 shark
can have with lot of women and
children along = 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 little fresher
with the flood, SO that the sloop had
good working headway. she We
jibe quickly, and not toe p s"id
the same tii.s ~ -.Ard while at
= tvs-'- ,..c could be luffed up in
..xIing 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 OF 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 slight commo-
ton on the surface of the water, and
In q minute or two l fancied that
could catch glimpse now and then Of
. shark.
DO you see any sign of game?" !
said to Capt. Joel, as he came about
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 q
wild scream and began. to revolve like
buzz-saw, and the stiff rod bent like
whip. I had struck big game. put
on the check very quickly, and as the
velocity of the line lessened 1 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 of and run for it, l shouted,
''or he will be on us"
! The little sloop gathered headway
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 l had the sloop brought mp
| into the wind. The shark then took q