Evening star., 1898-10-27
FISHING WITH A RIFLE.
A Place Where People Shoot and Kill
the Finny Victims.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In the Straits of San Juan de Fuca IS
found one of the largest of the Pacific
fshes-the halibut. the capture of which af-
fords great excitement and sport, especially
TO the young people who are taken out to
witness it.
You want to go halibut fishing, eh?'
said an old fisherman to boy visitor
Well my boy. you can go; and all the
tackle you want is rifle
"A riher' exclaimed the youth. WHO
ever heard of fishing with a rife?"
Well" responded the fisherman, you
bring yours along and I'll show you"
The boys were impressed with the prepa-
rations, which certainly suggested big
game huge line was hauled out of a
hatch and coiled with great precaution,
and finally fastened on a gigantic reel
nearly four feet in length, which crossed
the stern of the boat; from this extended
a powerful handle, the entire arrangement
resembling an old-fashiOned well lift. The
largr hook was baited, and in obedience 10
Instructions the rifles ware loaded and the
boys were told TO make ready to shoot at
the first appearance Of the game.
What shall We shoot at?" asked one OF
the boys after waiting in silence half an
hour.
'.Snoot at?' replied the skipper as though
very muCh aStO0iSneQ at lne QueS llol
why. the halibut. of course; not at me.
Jest as soon as you see the fish pour the
lead into him
His companions began to watch the wa
ter though expecting to see the fish fly
out, and were thus engaged when kissing
sound came from the direction of the fisher
man, and the big line was seen running
slowly but surely over the side of the boat.
The fisherman watched 1t carefully, and
when about twenty feet had been myste-
riCusIy taken M seized the line. and as it
cams taut gave II a vigorous jerk.
For q second there was no response, as
though the fish was astonished; then the
line was terked from his hands so quickly
that his arms We're buried in the water. and
the coil seemed to leap into the air like a
living thing. Coil after coil, yard after
yard, slipped over the side. and ii became
evident that the entire line would be eX-
hausted unless something was done
With big thick gloves the fisherman now
grasped the flying rope, and lying back,
hung upon II. He finally succeeded in stop
ping the run, and hauled the line in few
feet: but the fish made a vigorous rush
that took it all away again, and then the
boys saw that II was rising.
Hes climbing" said the red-faced fisher
nan; stand ready
Higher and higher came the line, and sud-
denly, in a mass OF foam, a huge bat-like
form was seen tapping upon and beating
the water. churning it into foam.
Now shouted the skipper.
The boys sprang to their feet and began
firing at the squrming target, over nine
feet wide not one hundred feet away. They
undoubtedly struck IT, but a number of
shots had been fred before any appreciable
effect was noticed: then the huge fish be-
gan TO slowly swim around the boat, finally
plunging downward.
II was then that the skipper released the
line and sprang TO the big reel windlass
and began TO wind up the game-a most
laborious operation, in which all Joined
forces and It was only after a struggle
that the fish was brought to the surface.
dead its tremendous weight OF nearly s0U
pounds requiring the windlass to lift it.
The great halibut-of the northwest coast
sometimes attains a weight OF 1000
bounds. and il Is dangerous game to at
tempt to land in small boat so the ex-
pedient Of killing it with the rife is sue
Cessfully adopted, and many of the largest
fish are killed in this way.