The Republican journal., 1898-07-21
anchor line l, to raise the fish, began
throwing bait from a half tub which we

| had IN the boat. l failed to bring mack
erel to the surface, but the harbor pollock
came about the boat in schools. Arrang-
ing our lines conveniently we baited our
hooks with squid and threw over. To
our disgust the pollock and an occasional
dogtish took our bait the moment it struck
the water. This was not at all pleasing
to us but it appeared perfectly satisfactory
| to the guls, which simply gorged them
/ selves with these fish. which as we threw
them away drifted down to leeward.
This continued for an hour or so, when
Simpson, who seemed to regard dogtish
and pollock as necessary evil and had
been taking them in most philosphically.
suddenly started up in animation
THAT is no pollock he said, as he
skilfully turned a big fish which was max
ing frantic side rush. The fish was
evidently heavy and smart, for his line was
humming through the water, as the fish
darted from side to side despite his efforts
to keep it headed straight in After an
| unusually frantic rush and struggle for
liberty the fish turned for the boat, when
some four feet away it sprang out of the
water, then with quick pull Simpson
! brought it headlong into the boat 1t
,, was mackerel, and beauty, one of the
largest | had ever seen. 1t was astray,
however, running at the head of school
of menhaden, and fully fifteen minutes
passed before we got another. Then a
| school appeared in the bait and they began
biting in good earnest. Fac b line out was
struck at the same time and the entangled
fish were rushing in all directions. For
few minutes we had them as fast as we
could handle our lines. They were all
large fish, and as fast as one was slat off
into hoo
be taken in. Upon throwing out. the
shining jig would be seized before it
reached the water.
We could plainly see the mackerel.
Thousands were dashing about under the
boat. Instantly they disappeared, and
from far down in the clear water we saw
huge gray form shoot upward to the
surface. 1t was an enormous shark, and
the mackerel were flying before it for
their lives.
Look out for your linesn' shouted
Simpson, but too late The monster took
hook after hook, its sharp teeth cutting
the lines like a knife One of them held
for moment and the shark allowed itself
to be drawn slowly upward, until seeing
the boat near, it turned, parting the
tough linen lines as though they were
cobwebs.
Well, said my long companion, as
he stretched himself and yawned, hes
gone, and we might as well stop fishing
and eat something. We shan tsee another
mackerel about here for a good half hour
Tell you what they don like the looks
oil That fellow any better than We But
we were destined not to be SO easily rid
OF our troublesome neighbor, for imme-
diately we saw its sharp fin cutting the
water swiftly not Thirty feet away; and
worse still, the monster was headed
straight for our boat. A shout of warn
ing came IRON the boats about us as the
big fish spr3ng bodily from the water and
landed almost aboard OF us. AS the shark
darted under our boat, simpson, who had
started up and seized an oar, gave it a
powerful thrust in the side.
Finishing our lunch we resumed fishing.
After half hour S unsuccessful work the
mackerel began biting again, bur the
SHARKS and dogtish evidently considered
,,, ;,,S,;,l,l, fo1ll--a1 ~. ~, = -
""o ~ N'i i'olS ioiloNe" ny thtse "olNts
anu tigers Oh lne deep. AT III CLOCK the
TIDE turned, and as the current slac lened