The free press., 1895-12-05
SHARK HUNTING.
An Established Industry in Long
Island Waters.
Every Part Of the Fierce Fish
is Utilized.

J profitable in portions of the Great
South Bay, says the New York Sun.
1t is a common thing for single
boats crew to kill half dozen sharks
IN day. The body of the shark was
supposed for years to be worth little
as an article of commerce, and for
this reason sharks were allowed to
live unmolested. Now it is under
stood that every part of the body of
the shark has value. The skin is
worked up into an excellent imitation
of alligator skin, from which pocket
books, travelling bags, belts, ETC., are
made. The flesh and bones of the
shark are eagerly sought by the fer
tilizer factories on account of the
amount of phosphorous they contain.
One of the best CLUES yet discovered
can be made from the backbone, but
owing to the strong odor for which
no remedy has yet been found, shark
glue is not yet marketable article.
The manner of capturing tho shark
is interesting. A day on which the
wind is blowing good stiff breeze is
the best for shark hunting. A shark
rarely feeds on day when the sur
face of the water is smooth. The
shark hunter puts out to the deep
channels where the man eaters feed.
The fishing boat is generally of fifteen
tons burden. If the tide is running
strong enough to scatter them, several
bushels OF bunkers are thrown over
board at the stern of the boat.
Strange as it may seem, shark will
will not touch food that is not in mo-
ton or has not q semblance of being
alive.
After the fishermen had thrown
overheard enough bunkers to attract
the sharks to the neighborhood of the
smack, long ropes with air-tight kegs
are run out over the sides of the ves-
sci. On the under side of each keg
is swivel ring, and to this four
strand hemp rope, several feet long is
| attached. A steel hook foot long
and made after the fashion of regu-
| lar bluefsh hook, is baited with big
| bunker. A chain connects the hook
and rope, to prevent the shark from
biting the line. The keg on the sur
face of the water sways and gives the
bait on the hook life-like appear
ance.
, The shark hunters watch the keg as
boy watches a bob for nibble. A
shark never nibbles. If he takes the
bait it is done with a rush, and the
keg disappears beneath the water for
some minutes. In the first mad rushes
the shark is allowed to have what the
sailors term leeway. That is, little
rope is given him gradually, to pre-
vent him from running and spalshin G
SO as to scare ali other sharks within
half mile. An excited shark rushing
here and there and cutting the water
with his tail will generally spoil the
fishing in that particular place for the
rest of the day.
After shark has been hooked the
line is hauled in slowly by two or
three pair OF strong arms. Shonld
the shark show signs of not being
completely exhausted, great care is
taken not to excite him and start him
on another wild plunge. When once
he is hauled to the side of the boat he
is lanced. Then the carcas is hoisted
aboard and skinned. The skin is
buried in a salt bath, while the rest of
the body is dumped into a pen under
the deck. After catch of several of
the big fellows the stuff is unloaded
at fertilizer factory, and the skins
are shipped to New York.
The Spanish shark is one of the
hardest species of the family to catch.
They usually measure from seven to
eleven feet in length, and have hide
as tough as leather. This quality in
the skin of the Spanish shark larger
money value than any other shark.
The Spanish shark will seldom bite at
bait that has the least semblance of
suspicion to them. The varieties
mostly taken now are the shovel nose,
the hog snout and the dog fish.
The capture of shark is a blessing to
the net fishermen, for as the sharks
become fewer the damage to nets is
lessened. A good-sized shark can dc
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