The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-12-27
ANGLING FOR oCT0PODS
a Pleasing Novelty in Fishing al
Puget Sound
He- 8 BABY Deslhsh EHlsrsaiaed fior'
ida Izn-The Horrible Power fos-
sessed b the EscenuT
Creatures

Flv fishing Tor the octopus IS pleas
fnv noveltT IN the gentle AT Of angling
As p-actieed II Puget sound Although
this hOrrsd euttlefsh n such high lati-
tu5ss does not attain the Uonstroas
size II reaches n tropical q eEea semi
tropical waters, the average weight Of
those along the shores Of Washington
state Is great enoagl 10 make the sport
both exciting and dangerous, says the
New York Recorder.
Wen named the "devilfshs this
hideous marine animal, when hauled
uuou the deck of the fishing slOop,
n-eseuted even when Of relatively IL
significant PropO-tions-say, twenty
rOruds-an appearance the reverse ol
coufdence-iuspiring. II Is easy enough
20 catch them and, after yoH get the
hang of the thing, safe enough 10
handle them with tackle. The boat
with only sail enough TO keep steereEe-
v.ar. Is guided over spots where the
nefoDus lies IN wait under shelving
ROCKS for his prey. As with the sponge
fisherman in southern waters, head
les barrel. half-submerged II an up
right position, IS lasbed 70 the bottom
OF the boat, and boatnan, thrust-ng
his head into this barrel, scans the bot
TON closely with praeticed eye. undis-
tracted By the reflected glare from the
s-rface Of the surrounding water
Wfth this simple device Il ! possible
q see dist fnctlv objects at consider
able depth
At a signal from the man on the
lookout the boat IS brought up into the
wind and held stationary while prepa-
ratiOns are speedily made 70 hook
his ocf0pusship, which has been
sl-lted Wing on the bottom hide0us
rud stiIl. save for . reaching, swaylng
Increment Of one OF more Of its arms
or feele-s A long sounding line is run
through a pulley Al the end Of a boom
swinging over the side, q piece Of stout
white canvas Is made fast AZ the end
zor lure. aud the fun begins
Directed by the man in the barrel.
tic canvas .-ay7 Is lowered % within a
Few feet Of the lurking devildsh and
.-ept constantly in motion By 4 series
a. short Jerks. care being taken not TO
let Z come within reach u the fish
while be retains his position on the
bottom. else i would be impossible 70
tear i loose from is anchorage, such
the immense strength cxcrted by the
suction disks with which its eight
arms OF legs are plentifully supplied
The uen at the rope were warned By
the watcher Of the signs Of increasing
interest manifested by the octopus,
and when az last i makes q spring for
tie tantalizing lure and closes its
peaklize jaws upon the piece OF rag,
strong arms beave IN the line and the
fquirriug organism, looking al arms
and teatacles, is hoisted 70 the end Of
the Outraged boom
L Is an operation requiring tact,
uromptness aad skill. for the creature
snust not come in contact with the hull
81 the bc7t. to which il would attach
itself Ike an unwieldy barnaele IN
II such time as il suited lis pleasure 70
let 60, a period altogether indefinite
for the comfort Of either skipper OF
crew.
Once dangling 81 the boom end, how
ever, Il IS virtually secured, for surren-
Ger its hold on the rag It VIII not. The
octopus holds fast 70 a. II gets with q
rertinacity which shames even the
trusts and monopolies which have been
lllrened 70 t. Now. however, the ami
mails osgn tenacity IS turned against il
and this very quality made 70 assist II
landing its possessor a. the final stage
hu-rr =
toward Il and when Il has fastened is
unrelaxing grip upon these 1t IS swung
inboard, hurled upon the deck and dis
PATCHED with an AK
A shell gatherer, while at work OF
the west coast, came upon young
octopus crawling among the rocks i
was quite small. measuring not more
Than three feet from tip 10 tip Of is
extended tentacles. while its body was
80 larger than mans fist Il looked
ike q very big spider as il vsbbled
along on its arms, trying 20 reach the
surf from the part where II had been
left bv the receding tide. and the shell
hunter tnought he would Try 20 capture
s. Running MP he planted his foot
firmly on the end q one Of the crea-
lures '-feelcrs." but with apparent
case the octopus pulled il free and con
tinned lis march toward the sea. The
nan repeated the experiment several
times with no better success, then TAX
ing advantage Of a moment when the
creature could offer comparatively 1T
lie resistance. Il being in the act oi
reaching out 10 laY hold Of a rock on
the other side Of an intervening fissure
L. seized one of the tentaeles and Civ
iug a powerful jerk tore the isl
loose from the r0clz.
Up 10 this time the efforts of the oc
1opus had al been directed to escap
ing Now. however, i changed is
tactics Turning upon its pursuer, Il
laid hold Of him by the arm, wrapping
It's tentacles about his body as well and
tried TO fasten its beaklike jaws in
his face
Here was predieament- The hun
ter hunted with a vengeance Try IS
De would, the man could net shake of
ahe creature, which chung TO him with
a ciammy, vicelike grip, but by 4
liberal use of a club. be saved himself
from being bitten until his cries for as
sistance brought friends 70 the scene
who killed the fish with 4 knife.