The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-05-26
HOOKING A BIG SHARK.
Experience OF Two Fishermen Who Bat
tied With a Monster Fish.


l. was a nitch dark night, with
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 and sea, while
now and then a 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 big
school by this method and, seizing
our rods and tackle, jumped into
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
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 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
tance 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 mo to
one side before realized that had
a fish.
What have you got, in the namo
of all that's wonderful" asked my
companion.
What IN thunder have l got3" ]
asked in turn.
Icouldn't tell. 1t was going like
a locomotive, and | knew that !
couldn't check the thing, whatever
it was, if / had hawser attached to
it. The ten ounce bethabara and the
strong bass line might as well have
been a twig and piece of thread.
Both of us sat peering into the
black vagueness asteIn, and my reel
was simply screaming, while the
rod was bent into a semicircle. At
last almost all the line had gone,
when at once the strain relaxed and
the line slackened so suddenly that
the rod Strengthened out like whip.
Reel in quick!" whispered John.
Its coming this way" And sure
enough it was coming -Four hun
dred feet astern the black water was
broken into phosphorescence by it.
1t came along as swiftly as it had
gone in the other direction a few
minutes ago, and it left wake OF
light behind as it came. We could
not see just what it was, but we did
not need to speculate long, for al
most instantly the big fish was
alongside, and then we saw that it
was a shark, and a big one. He
twisted his tail violently as he again
felt the strain of the line which l
had by this time reeled in. For
moment he showed his full length
as he turned on his side, and then
we saw that he was as long as the
boat.
Without wasting time, let the
reel go and gave him all the line he
wanted, hoping he would take it and
be off, but the big fish was angry
and didn't intend to be off.
The phosphorescence which fol-
lowed him showed up his motions
clearly. He swerved off, swan
swiftly in big semicircle, headed
straight for the boat with great
lashing of the water and, with ter
rife speed and force, struck his head
against the side of the small craft
Only by throwing all our weight on
the gunwale did we escape being
cnnsized AS il was. we shipped half
a boatful of water. The fish cir
cled off again and made another
rush at the boat. This time had
the line twisted around my hand and
managed by sheer strength to guide
the dangerous fellow round the bow
of the boat. The strain snapped the
line, and the shark sank slowly be-
low the surface.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.