The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-12-16
Fishing for Octopus.


praeticed in Puget Sound. Although this
horrid cuttlefsh in such high ATTITUDES does
not attain the monstrous size it reaches in
tropical or even semi-tropical waters, the
average weight of those along the shores
of Washington state is great enough to
make the sport both exciting and danger
Gus.
Well named the "devilfsh," this hide
GUS marine animal, when hauled upon the
deck of the fishing slOop, presented, even
when of relatively insignificant proportions
say twenty pounds-an appearance the
reverse of confdence-inspiring. 1t 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 steerage way, is
guided over spots where the octopus lies
in wait under shelving rocks for his prey.
As with the sponge fisherman in southern
waters. headless barrel, half submerged
in an upright position, is lashed to the
bottom of the boat, and boatman, thrust
ing his head into this barrel, scans the
bottom closely with practiced eye, undis-
tracted by the reflected glares from the
surface of the surrounding water. With
this simple device, says the New York Re-
eorder. it is possible, to see distinctly OBJ
jects at a considerable depth.
At signal from the man on the lookout
the boat is brought up into the wind and
held stationery while preparations are
speedily made to hook his octopusship,
which has been sighted lying on the bot
tom, hideous and still, save for a reaching
swaying movement of one or more of its
arms or feelers. A long sounding-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
lure, and the fun begins.
Directed by the man in the barrel, the
canvas ely is lowered to within few feet
of the lurking devilish, and kept constant
ly in motion by series Of sharp jerks,
care being taken not to let it come within
reach of the fish while he retains his posi-
ton on the bottom, else it would be i'm
possible to tear it loose from its anchorage
such is the immense strength exerted by
the suction disks, with which its eight arms
or legs are plentifully supplied.
The meg at the rope are warned by the
watcher of the signs of increasing interest
manifested by the octopus, and when at
last it makes spring for the tantalizing
lure and closes its beaklike jaws upon the
piece of rag, strong arms heaye 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, prompt
ness and skill, ieF the creature must not
come in contact with the hnll of the boat,
to which it would attach itself like an un-
wieldly barnacle until such time as it suit
ed its pleasure to let go, period altogether
indefinite for the comfort of either skipper |
or crew.
Once dangling at the boom end, how
ever, it is virtually secured, for surrender
Its hold on the rag it will not The Oeto-
pus holds fast to all it gets with pertina-
city which shames even the trusts and
monopOlies which have been likened to 1t.
Now, however, the animals own tenacity
is turned against it, and this very quality
made to assist in landing its possessor at
the final stage. Boat hooks and poles are |
thrust toward it, and when it has fastened
its unrelaxing grip upon these it is swung
inboard, hurled upon the.deck and despatch /
ed with an axe.
No description can give an idea of the
hideousness of this creature To grasp it |
in its fullest detail one must watch 1t at
such time as this, as it sprawls about the
deck before receiving the coup de grace, |
ats eight, sometimes ten, arms sprouting |
about its head, each equipped on the under
side with rows of cuplike, suctorial disks,
which by muscular action produce vacuum,
giving the fish its wonderful adhesive
power, writing hither and thither like q /
coil of serpents. Then its eyes Ughi
The awfulness of those eyes; great, rolling, |
saucer-like protruberances that fix you with |
fierce start that sends the cold shivers
down your back, especially when you no.
tice the cruel mouth, with curved, beaklike
jaws, for all the world like parrots many
times magnifed. When the axe sinks into
the grisly body and the twining arms be-
come still. you feel as the blue water sailor
feels when he dispatches a shark-that
you have done good action.
They are well named devilfsh, this
species of the cutie family, to appreciate
which it is only necessary to have seen one
of the monsters of the southern seas.
There are welI-authenticated instances of
specimens weighing 500 pounds and meas
nring fifteen feet from head to tail, and
fifty feet in spread of tentacles. While
snch gigantic specimens are never seen
outside Of the tropics, this fish grows to no
mean dimensions along the western and
southern coasts Of Florida, and many stories