Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-11-12
A FISH STORY.
A Seventy-Pound Sea Monster Hooked
BY an Angler in the Narrows.

BY an Angler in the Narrows.
When Joseph Garland was little
boy, in ST. Johns, n F., ne used to
go with his father out on the banks
Of Newfoundland His father was a
fisherman, and, touse Garland's own
expression, when he was baby he
was put in a fish barrel.
Garland recently started on his
vacation. OF course, the only way
to properly spend a holiday, accord
ing to Mr.. Garland, was to go out
fishing. So he got little catboat,
and on Monday morning promptly
walked down to the pier at Fort
Hamilton, and, after hosting his
sail, shaped the course of the little
craft across the channel. he sailed
about for a little while, and then he
anchored his craft right in mid
channel He put his hook and line
overheard, and was waiting for a
bite. 1t did not come that day.
The next day he came back again.
This time he tried fishing a little
nearer the shore. The luck was the
same. Not bite. And so it was
the third day and the fourth and the
fifth. Saturday was the last day of
Mr.. Garland's vacation. 1t was his
last day to play fisherman. So Mr..
Garland started out bright and
early. He fished all day and not
bite.
1t was shortly after six o'clock p.
m. The little catboat, with Mr..
Garland aboard, was anchored a
short distance off Fort Hamilton.
Mr.. Garland had his line overheard.
There We're two good-sized hooks at
tached to this line and the bait used
was CLAIMS.
Guess I'll go home now and give
it up said Mr. Garland, and with
that he started to haul in his line.
The line would not bulge. Now
that is tough, said Mr. Garland;
no fish and now I'm going to lose
my line and hooks at the end of it
all.
He pulled as hard as he could, be-
ieving that his line was anchored at
the bottom of the bay. Mr.. Garland
pulled SO hard and fast that he be-
came exhausted
''Oh, if / only could get that line
off, he said.
just then there was a pull at the
other end Of the line. It was pull
that reminded hun of his boyhood
days, when he ana Father Garland
used to fish on the great banks.
''Hol theref said Mr.. Garland,
that's whale!'
He began to pay out his line as
fast as the fellow at the other end
could carry it off. Suddenly there
was stop. Their the we'll
experienced fisherman began to haul
his line in slowly.
Holy smol1ew he exclaimed, as
he looked over the stern of his little
craft and saw the monster. Then
he thought a moment, and what he
did he thus tells
II was afraid | might upset the
boat il | should attempt to haul The
fish aboard So ! picked UP a stick
and struck the fish terrific blow on
the upper lip That took the wind
clear out of him Then l made fast
nav fishing line in the stern of the
boat and got her under way and
headed for Fort Hamilton wharf
There had a job getting the fellow
ashore. There was still some life in
him. | hired q coal cart and had
the fish carried home, and here
he is I"
The fish weighs little over 70
pounds, and had another fish in its
mouth. It is 50 inches long and
measures 30 inches around the body.
The fish, so old fishermen say, looks
very much like an overgrown sea
bass. Mr.. Garland says It might be
a cross between a giant sea bass and
a hum fish N. Y. World