Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-05-26
HOOKING A BIG SHARK.
Experience of Two Fishermen Who Bat.
tied With a Monster Fish.

tied With a Monster Fish.
1t was a pitch dark night, with o
heavy swell coming up from the in
let. We sat on the pier of the shanty,
smoking and listening to the con.
fused sounds of wind anG sea, while
now and then big wave would be-
come visible as it broke near the
pier. 1t was about half food tide,
the very time for schools of big fish
to run IN, as they did at night, to
feed. Whenever we wanted to go
fishing in the night, we used to lis
ten for the sounds made by the feed
ing fish as they splashed and leaped
on the surface.
On this night we located II big
school by this method and, selling
our rods and tackle, jumped into "A
smaller boat than we would had we
taken time to chose. The fish proved
to be farther out than we thought,
and the light in the shanty was a
mile and half away before we
dropped anchor. But we had man
aged to get into the very middle Of
the school, and for a time we had
splendid sport with big bluefish.
Suddenly the fish stopped biting
in the queerest way. let out foot
after foot of line, thinking that the
school had moved only short dis
lance and that my bait might strike
them. But for a long while there
was no sign of fish. Then at once
something struck the bait and start
ed off with such a burst of speed
that the reel line cut and burned my
thumb. The rod whipped the water,
and the sudden pull dragged me to
one side before realized that had
a fish.
what have you got, in the name
of all that's wonderful9'' asked my
companion.
What in thunder have l got9"
asked in turn.
| l couldn't tell. 1t was going like
a locomotive, and knew that
couldn't check the thing, whatever
it was, if had hawser attached t.
it. The ten ounce bethabara and the
strong bass line might as we'll have
been twig and piece of thread.
Both of us sat peering into the
black vagueness astern, and my rec
was simply screaming, while the
rod was bent into a semicircle. Al
last almost all the line had gone
when at once the strain relaxed ant
the line slackened so suddenly tina
the rod Strengthened out like whip
Reel in quick!" whispered John
''It's coming this way" And sur,
enough it was coming. Four hun
dred feet astern the black water wa,
broken into phosphorescence by it
It came along as swiftly as it hat
gone in the other direction few
minutes ago, and it left a wake o
light behind as it came. We coult
not see just what it was, but we di,
not need to speculate long, for al
most instantly the big fish wa
, alongside, and then we saw that j
was shark, and a big one. H
twisted his tail violently as he agar
felt the strain of the line which
had by this time reeled in. For
moment he showed his full lengtl
as he turned on his side, and thel
we saw that he was as long as tn
boat.
Without wasting time, let tn
, reel go and gave him all the line h
wanted, hoping he would take it an
, be off, but the big fish was angr,
and didn't intend to be off.
The phosphorescence which fol
lowed him showed up his motion
clearly. He swerved off, swar
swiftly in a big semicircle, heade
straight for the boat with grea
. flashing of the water and, with tel
rifle speed and force, struck his hea
against the side of the small craft
Only by throwing all our weight o
! the gunwale did we escape bein
y capsized. AS it was, we shipped hal
. a boatful of water. The fish Gil
cled off again and made anothe
. rush at the boat. This time ha
\ the line twisted around my hand an
y managed by sheer strength to guild
= the dangerous fellow round the DO,
& of the boat. The strain snapped tn
q line, and the shark sank slowly b,
a low the surface. Chicago Int
y Ocean.
n Straight Tin