The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-02
FISHING FOR oCToPoDs.
Canvas Flies Make Them hungry
and Careless.
From the New York Recorder

E IA az tANtA III IANb ANDAAANA- @AA1A4'N4--
this horrid cuttlefsh in such high lati-
tudes docs not attain the monstrous size
il reaches in tropical or even semi-trOpi-
cal waters. the average weight of those
along the shores of Washington state is
great enough to make the sport both ex-
citing and dangerous.
Wen named the .'devilfsh," this hid
eOus marine animal, when hauled upon
deck OF the fishing sloOp, presented even
when Of relatively Insignificant proper
| tiOns-saY, twenty pOunds-an appearance
/ the reverse Of confidence inspiring.
II is easy enough TO catch them, and
after YOU get the hang of the thing, safe
enough to handle them with tackle The
! boat, with only sail enough TO keep steer
age way, is guided over spots where the
octopus lies in wait under shelving rock
for mis- prey. As with the sponge fisher
man in southern waters, headleSS bar
rel, half submerged in an upright position
is dashed to the bottom of the boat, and a
| bOatmaH, Uhrustiug his head into this bar
rel, scans the bottom closely with prac-
ticed eye, undistracted by the reflected
glare from the surface of the surrounding
water With this simple device it is pos
sible to see distinctly objects at consider
able depth.
At a signal from the man on the look
out the boat is brought up into the wind
and held stationary while preparations
are speedily made to hook his octopus
ship, which has been sighted lying on the
bottom, hideOus and still, save for
reaching swaying movement of one or
more of its arms or feelers. A long sound
ing line is run through pulley at the end
of boom swinging over the side, piece
OF stout white canvas is made fast at the
end for a lure, and the fun begins.
Directed by the man in the BARREL the
canvas fly" is lowered to within few
feet of the lurking devish fish and kept
constantly in motion by a series of sharp
jerks, care being taken not to let it come
within reach of the fish while he retains
his position on the bottom, else it would
be impossible to tear it loose from it's
anchorage, such is the immense strength
exerted by the suction disks with which
its eight arms, or legs, are plentifully
supplied.
The men at the rope are warned by the
watcher of the signs of increasing interest
manifested by the octopus and when at
last it makes a spring for the tantalizing
lure and closes its beak-like jaws upon the
piece of rag, strong arms heave in the
line, and the squirming organism, looking
all arms and tentacles, Is hOisted to the
end of the outraged boom.
1t is an operation requiring tact,
promptuess and skill, for the creature
must not come in contact with the hull
of the boat, to which il would attach it.
self like an unwieldy barnacle until such
time as it suited its pleasure to let go,
period altogether indefinite for the com
fort of either skipper or crew.
Once dangling at the boom end, how
ever, it is virtually secured, for surren-
der its hold on the rag it will not. The
octopus holds fast to all it gets with a
pertinacity which shames even the trusts
and monOpOlies which have been
likened to it, Now, however, the ami
mails own tenacity is turned against it,
and this very quality madeutO rassist in
landing its pOssessOr at the final stage.
Boat hooks and poles are thrust toward
it, and when it has fastened its unrelaX-
ing grip upon these it is swung inboard,
hurled upon the deck and dispatched
with an AK.
No description can give an idea of the
hideousness of this creature. To grasp it
in its fullest detail one must watch it at
such time as this, as it sprawls about
the deck before receiving the coup de
grace, its eight, sometimes ten, arms
sprouting about its head, each equipped
on the uuder side with rows of cup-like
suctorial disks, which by muscular action
produce vacuum, giving the fish its
wonderful adhesive power, writing
hither and thither like a coil of serpents.
Then its eyes! Ugh! The awfulness of
those eyes; great, rolling, saucer-like
PiOI u"ei dlOoo unaG LA YOU WIN n 5
stare ChdV senus Ghe Colu SuIVets uoWh
your pack, especially Wheh you noJlce the
CrueI mouth WIIh curved peaK-liKe Jaws,
Ior all inc WoTIu IKE d parrot many
times ila%nllleu. Wnen Ihe ak Sinks lnUo
Ihe grlSly oody ana Ihe IWihlhg arms pc
come sun you ieel as the olue,WdIer
sailor teels When ne dispatches SHARK
uhaI you nave zone gooq acUlon;
1hey are wei named ueVllhsh, inns
species OF the cuJUle IalnlIy' 10 appreciate
| Whlcn IL Is only necessary 10 nave seen
one OF Jhe monsters OF the souoherh seas
| Ihere are well Authenticated instances OF
| specimens weighing oOU POUNDS ana
measuring htteen 1eeJ from mead TO tan
| anu hlJy IeeO IN spread OF IenUacieS.
| Nhlle such glganuc specimens are never
| seen OUTSIDE OF the tropics inns fSh grows
TO no mean dimensions along Ihe western
J ana southern coast OF tIoflda' ana many
| stores OF strange auNehturel with the
octopus are told by the hshermen and
sponge hunters OF that region. mat even
| the smaller ones are ugly customers 10
fool Wltl TINS incident VIII SHOW.
a shell gatherer' while at work on the
| west coast came upon young octopus
crawling among the rocks. 1t was quite
small, measuring not more than three feet
from tip to tip of It's extended tentacles,
while its body was no larger than man s
fist. 1t looked like a very big spider as it