Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1898-08-03
HOOKING A BIG SHARK.
Experience Of Two Fishermen who FaA
tied with a Monster Ejsb

: I
c tied With a Monster Fish.
1t was a pitch dark night, with
. heavy swell coming up from the in
9 let. We sat on the pier of the shanty
# smoking and listening to the con
S fused sounds of wind and sea. Will
: now and then big wave would be
come visible as it broke near th,
pier. 1t was about half food tide
> the very time for schools of big fsl
S to run in, as they did at night. tc
feed Whenever we wanted to ec
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 bic
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 sha13ty was q
mile and a 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 bluefsh.
Suddenly the fish stopped biting
in the queerest way. l 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 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 nv
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 wonderful" asked my
companion.
What in thunder have l gotta" |
asked in turn.
| couldn't tell. It was going like
a locomotive, and I knew that | |
couldn't check the thing, whatever
it was, if l had a hawser attached to
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 reel
was simply screaming, while the
rod was bent into a semioircle. At
last almost all the line had gone,
when at once the strain relaxed and
the line slackened so suddenly that
the rod straightforward like whip
Reel in quick y whispered John.
Its coming this way. And sure
enough it was coming, Four hun
1red feet astern the black water was
broken into phOsphorescence by it.
It came along as swiftly as it had ,
gone II ~ oFner erection q rev +, /.
minutes ago, and it left wake Of
light behind as it came We could :
lot see just what it was, but we did
lot need to speculate long, for al ,
most instantly the big fish was +
llongside, and then we saw that it +
vas a shark, and a big one. He |
visited his tail violently as he again $
cit the strain of the line which | I
lad by this time reeled in. For a ?
moment he showed his full length +
IS he turned on his side, and then g
We saw that he was as long as the ],
'oat. a
Without wasting time, l let the r
eel go and gave him all the line he b
wanted, hoping he would take it and 1
% off, but the big fish was angry c
nd didn't intend TO be off. It
The phosphorescence which fol- r
owed him showed up his motions
learly. He swerved off, swan C
Witty in a big semicircle, headed 9
traight for the boat with great
ashing of the water and, with ter
ific speed and force, struck his head
gainst the side of the small craft. t:
)nly by throwing all our weight on C
be gunwale did we escape being Ii
apsized. AS it was, we shipped half "
boatful of water The fish cir Il
led off again and made another W
ush at the boat. This time I had a
he line twisted around my hand and t,
managed by sheer strength to guide 7
he dangerous fellow round the bow n
f the boat. The strain snapped the n
inc, and the shark sank slowly be- "
ow the surface. Chicago Inter il
ocean. a
Straight Tip.
Have you ever studied political q q
conomyG' asked the long haired =
assenger as he laid down his news !
4 I Il |