The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-01-20
ANGLING FOR OCTOPODS.
A Pleasing Novelty In Fishing at
Puget Sound.
How , Baby Devilfish Entertained Flor.
Ida Mantle Horrible Power Pos
sessed by the Unca9ny
Creatures.

Fly uSu1uk LOT tuc OCUOpuS 10 PACoo7
ing novelty in the gentle art of angling,
as practiced in Puget sound. Although
this horrid cuttleish in such high lati-
tudes 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 dangerous, says the
New York Recorder.
Well named the ''devilfsh," this
hideous marine animal, when hauled
upon the deck of the fishing sloop,
presented even when of relatively in
significant 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, q head
less barrel, half-submerged in an up
right position, is lashed to the bottom
of the boat, and boatman, thrusting
his head into this barrel, scans the bot
tom closely with practiced eye, undis-
tracted by the reflected glare from the
surface of the surrounding water.
With this simple device it is possible
to see distinctly objects at consider
able depth.
At signal from the man on the
lookout the boat is brought up into the
wind and held stationary while prepa-
rations are speedily made to hook
his octopusship, which has been
sighted lying on the bottom, 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, a 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 ely" is lowered to within a
few feet of the lurking devilfish and
kept constantly in motion by a series
of short 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 its anchorage, such
is Che immense strength excrted by the
suction disks with which its eight
arms or legs are plentifully supplied.
The men at the rope were 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
peaklike 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,
promptness and skill, for the creature
must not come in contact with the hull
of the boat, to which it would attach
itself like an unwieldy barnacle un-
fii such time as it suited its pleasure to
lit 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 surren-
der it's hold on the rag it will not. The
octopus holds fast to all it gets with
pertinacity which shames even the
trusts and monopolies which have been
likencd to it, Now, however, the ami
mails own tenacity is turned against it
and this very quality made to assist in
landing its possessor at the final stage.
Both hooks and poles are thrust
toward it and when it has fastened it's
unrelaxing grip upon these it is swung
inboard, hurled upon the deck and dis
patched with an ak.
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 its
extended tentacles, while it's body was
no larger than mans fist. 1t looked
like a very big spider as. it wabbled
along on it's arms, trying to reach the
surf from the part where it had been
# By the receding tide, and the shell
hunter thought he would try to capture
it. Running up he planted his foot
firmly on the end of one of the crea-
turc's s'feclers,'' but with apparent
ease the octopus pulled it free and con-
tinued its march toward the sea. The
man repeated the experiment several
times with no better success, then TAX
ing advantage of moment when the
creature could offer comparatively lit
tie resistance, it being in the act OF
reaching out to lay hold of rock on
the other side of an intervening fssure,
he seized one of the tentacles and Civ
ing a powerful jerk tore the fish
loose from the rock.
Up to this time the efforts OF the oc-
topus had all been directed to escap-
ing. Now, however, it changed it's
tactics. Turning upon its pursuer, II
laid hold of him by the arm, wrapping
its tentacles about his body as well and
tried to fasten its beaklike jaws in
his face.
Here was predicament The hum
ter hunted with vengeance. Try as
he would, the man could not shake of
the creature, which clung to him with
clammy, vicelilke grip, but by 2
liberal use Of club, he saved himself
from being bitten until his cries for as
sistance brought friends to the scene,
who killed the fish with q knife.
70 Measure Fixed Stars.
Prot. Holden communicates to San
Francisco paper what he calls the very
important discovery lately made at the
Lick observatory by Prof. Campbell.
~ ;e ar ;ncen;ous method for mensur-