The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1899-11-28
SPORT WITH SEA FALCONS.
Natives Of Porto Rico Use Trained 70
moras for Fishing.

morae fot fSnlnE
Porto Rico has devised new meth
Cd Of fishing that will prove interest
ing to sportsmen. The fishermen in
many localities are using trained re-
morss for fishing. These queer crea-
lures are regular falcons Of the sea,
and their captors use them very much
the same as falcons were used in the
middle centuries,
Their bodies arc eelshsped, but
with peculiar head over which a
skin like bag is drawn. This baggy
skin is drawn up tight to the body at
will, so that it offers no resistance to
the water when swimming, and it can
be spread out so that it makes a wide,
fiat surface. This surface is full Of lit
tie suckers, which enable the fish to
stick to an object with the tenacity of
a bulldog.
The nature of the remora is to at
tach itself to hard, flat surfaces to Sc
cure its food. 1t has learned that by
attaching itself to large fishes just
near the mouth it can pick up a good
living without making any exertion.
When a shark secures its prey the
parasitic remora secures all the small
pieces before they can be gobbled up
by its host. When it once attaches it.
self to the shark or whale it cannot
be loosened by the big creature, and it
steals ride through the water until it
is ready to seek another host. In its
wild life in the sea the sharks avoid its
presence and seek to kill it whenever
the two come together, but the re-
mora is too quick for its antagonist
and is rarely caught.
The remora is frequently found
four and five feet in length and is of
great service to the native fishermen.
They are caught by the Porto Ricans
in various ways. Sometimes they will
attach themselves to the bottom of the
small boats and by dropping over
board little food for them they can
be induced to remain there until the
boat reaches shoal water. Then the
fishermen suddenly jump into the
water and turn the boat over on its
side, and before the fish can detach
itself they grab it. When it finds it
self caught the remora refuses to yield
up its hold on the bottom of the boat,
and no amount of pulling can break
its hold when jerked straight up. But
the fishermen have found that by
few side twists the suckers can be lift
| ed with ease.
When taken off the bottom of the
boat the captured fish is put in a tank
of water, where it isfed and cared for.
In time it learns not to be afraid of
its captors. But it must 60 through
a serious ordeal that tries its friend
ship to a degree. A small iron ring is
fastened into its tail near the end.
This is painful but not serious oper-
alton. 1t takes two weeks for the
wound thus made to heal up. But at
the end of that time the fish RECEIVERS
some of its friendliness for its captor
who has daily fed it. When the iron
ring has been in the tail for couple
of months the first training of the
fish is attempted.
BY this time it does not hurt the
fish to pull on the ring and it can be
lifted up by it. A light but very
strong braided cord is fastened into
the ring, and the remora is taken to
the fishing grounds for its first les
son. When plunged overheard its
first effort is to attach itself to the bot
tom of the boat, and a net has been ar
ranged under the boat to prevent this.
The remora has been fed very sparing-
ly for week or two before it is given
its first lesson, and it is very hungry
when it goes into the water.
Finding itself baked in trying to
attach itself to the bottom Of the boat
the creature swims out and looks for
- =
other prey. If shark, large turtle
or porpoise happens to be in the Vi
cinity the remora will make asdive
for it and attach itS suckers to the
under side Of itsIbody. Then the fish
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