New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-28
FISHING WITH CAP'N GABE.
EXCITING WORK LANDING BIG STURGEON
FROM THE NETS.

| many fish nowadays?
! well, surgeons runnin' some Capn Gabe took
| seventeen out OF three nets this mornn'"
| Sturgeon? Why didn't know you took them
| in the sea-
| bout the only thing air a-takin nowadays"
WHO is the best for me to go out with?'
| "Well, Capn Gabe. he's a-takin the most hsh.
| Captain Gabe Edwards lives in a large house on
| the bluff overlooking the broad stretch OF sand
dunes that buttress the Long Island coast at this
| extreme eastern point. The Edwards family Is
| notable one In Amagansett- There is something IN
| the blood that makes them fine sailors. surfmen.
| fishermen. AS an old resident said. They take to
| the sea like a duck to water"
The Captain readily consented to take visitor
out to the lifting OF the nets next morning. AT $50
o'clock they were pushing off the sixteen-foot dory.
| the favorite fishing boat Of this coast The SURF Is
| Coarse" as the say, roaring and pounding
| on the strand, but Captain Gabe knows all about II.
| and mounts and rides 1t as easily as trained
Jockey a mettlesome thoroughbred
Captain Ga5e places his guest in the stern' just
| far enough abaft the middle thwart to be beyond
| reach of Billys long arms when rowing, and tells
| him to crouch In the centre OF the boat ana nang
| on Billy takes the middle thwart and the oars
CAPTAIN Gabe pushes off. He watches TIL the last
of the three big brothers breaks. then pushes into
the foam and smother OF 1t, calling TO Billy TO
"Pull pull pulli' All, IL Is done. He has hit the
first oncoming roller just after 1t has broken ana
the second just before. when 1t is wall OF water
mount and Is riding the long swels OF the
Atlantic quite without the line Of breakers. But
to do It requires nice calculation as to the velocity
of the waves and the point where they VIII break.
ITS experience" says Captain Gabe modestly
when he is compmented on his skill "A landsman
might get through once all right. and a surfman
might miscaculate and get swampcd once, but take
II a hundred times and the surfman would come
out ahead"
There are four sturgeon nets the furthest three
miles out.
wen take the outer one first" says Captain
| Gabe 10 Billy. zen breeze UP by-and-by
The sea sturgeon such as the 'Gansett fishermen
are taking weighs from 50 to 200 pounds dressed,
and Is from TO 10 feet long. The nets, therefore,
| must be very strong.
I'VE use a forty-eig strand net" said Captain
| Gabe. with a twelve-inch mesh You can gauge
the strength of 1t better when say that the ordi-
| nary buefsh net has twelve strands only, the
| sturgeon net being four times as strong. our nets
| are seventy fathoms long (i20 feet.
| Presently under the bow futters little white
flag tied to the end OF stick about three feet long,
which in turn is made fast the buoy on the outer
| net Captain Gabe sezes the stick, buoy and ALL
and begins hauling in the rope attached TO It, After
| about five fathoms he hauls harder and up comes
one end of the net to the bottom Then Billy taxes
| hold and they begin hauling in the net slowing
| It in round hlmy mass In the bottom Of the boat
| First to be caught Is sea robin, which the men
| throw back into the water. Then huge skate APP
! pears the ugliest thing in nature with mouth
| like a hogshead. capacious paunch. spike tail
and spines all its back, which cruelty wound
any one attempting seize it. There are dozens OF
| them in the net, and Billy curses them roundly
| as he labors to dlsentangle them Next comes a
dogfish. a species of shark without teeth. with a
| long slender body, black above. white beneath,
which the fishermen dread above everything else
except sharks because it snarls and tanges the
nets So This is completely enmeshed from
tail dead
| Strange that fish will live but a few hours IN
| a net" says Captain Gabe. moment later he
utters exclamation.
| Here's one; quick Billy; the hookr' But skate
has entangled himself close by, perhaps on the
principle that misery loves company and Billy IS
| busy with him.
Hurry Biy!" cries the Captain. Drop that
skate Man alive, here's hundred pound sturgeon
Lively, too quick, the hook before he breaks
| OUT
| great white creature is visible down In the
brine raising huge connection. darting here and
there now under the boat beyond IT, flashing
the waters until they boil like pot. Captain Gabe
gathers up the net in his left hand, and with Biys
assistance gradually brings the brutes head 10
the surface the dory meantime careerng under
their combined weight so that her gunwale ships
water, although the landsman has prudenty
perched himself the opposite side as counter
Presently a wicked-Ooking snout appears ha ana
Ga abb r0n 5n wopen mou the
"Heave ho!' he cries and ne with the hook and
It is big one fully ten feet long and weighing $50
pounds, the men. estimate 1t Is ugly TO- ; ano
sh ST d Fss and hRsSne with head
tail The fandsman expects to see 1t go through the
dozen panks with one blow Of i,s fiukes captain
is e afTha OF b IT sTs al M se
ful blows the STOUT; after that II Is more quiet
By this time Billy. with many obturgations has
succeeded in dsentangling the skate ana STICK
and the Captain pushes until the creature Is safely
in the bottom under the thwarts, and the lands.
his leisure It has snout Ike hogs but haa latter
sharp HAS ans 20 s Scales and three
of lozenge shaped spots Of dull lead Goior along
under Side Of the head and without teeth captain
Gabe says the creature lies on the bottom IKE the
AS a rule the fish dead. or nearly so. when
@ f9 a the AND mak i' W5
| a big founder. shark. several dogfsn and no end
of r k9 d Ad o the to Hf the cnd @ hey m
| in the same manner. only the wind is stronger
c HGM an and iOs se an' he do s &
the other. until she hobs about like cork.
s sS ab to looking ok ' o cwapd the yse that
lies stable and peaceful under It's ShurS s s ,o
| two sturgeon from the third two. and from the
Too Too much tar on that net" Captain Gabe:
IF we hadn't load ia take It in and dry 1t out
especially as the wind is increasing every mo.
| ment and the growing rougher. Captain Gsoe
now takes his place the low thwart. and the TWO
men send the boat homeward at pace that would
win the envy, of many college crew, laying Tor
their landmark pretty cottage on the Dlun.
| By-and-by the long line OF laundering surf Is
| under the bows. Through 1t they must go with tner
| heavily laden boat to make the land. This Is the
! supreme test OF a surfman's skill Ii Is compare
lively easy to get off with light boat, but 10 ride
| In on a roller just far enough behind not TO be
| caught when 1t breaks and far enough in advance
OF the succeeding wave to escape-that requires
| judgment and decision. ~,
Shall stick 70 the boat through everythng?
| the landsman asks
| Now don't you 20 for TO get excited" Captain
! Cabe rejoins. Most men get drowned from losing
| their heads was capsized with man once and
| ne want content to hang on to the boat but must
crawl up IT, roll her over. and duck the rest OF
! us I sang him that his head was enough
| to keep above water. but as he seemed a little
| daft | swan to him and showed him how.
/ Al ILL LIZ. h. hnat (,anfalQ