The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-06
MONSTER FISHING.
.rorthern Angling That Beats Tar
pom Hauling.
washington Star.l

(NdSninSlou SNdrt
,-ou. begins the season for monster
ING along the Atlantic coast from
Is-LII7 scotia TO the Chesapeake capes
- snortsman who wades out into the
nv 70 catch the big fish that swim
80 i'm the break" of the waters
LINED to sniff at the mention of tar
or tuna catches, for the outfit used
,ba men who go after these great
~ lie clumsy and murderous when
L-a-,narc5 with the light, graceful. tap
IN rods thin lines and tackle of the
rorthern fishermen
The northern fishing IS sport in every
,.1se This fish must be fought usual
=. without the aid of a boat. They
INST be- killed by the rod. because the
-,-kIe is 100 light to handle them by
--sin strength, and they must be landed
a. rad water, and generally by the ang-
- himself for most of the surf fisher
men disdain the use of a gaff hook.
In addition, the northern fisherman
must wade often chest deep into bois-
,srous surf in order to cast his line
N the proper spot.
virhty fish are landed every. season.
BUt th.. facts are not published broad
rasr The big fishing" of the Atlantic
beache@ IT, one of the best kept of sport
The striped bass, king of salt water,
lads the list, There are several scores
of rich -portsmen in New York, Bos-
TN Phila delphia. Baltimore and Wash
jrgton vino fish for this beautiful fell
ow and none other through almost all
the year. refraining only for a few
months 10 winter. Every one of these
men dreams of monster weighing
more than 100 pounds. Many Of them
have caught fish weighing more than
half a hundredweight. Jim" Flynn of
Nassau street, New York. known to
every sportsman in the country, lost
one that. being caught subsequently in
a seine with Flynns hook still in his
Jaw. was found to weigh sixty-five
pounds.
An expert fisherman has Just left
New York on an Investigating tour,
commissioned by a half dozen rich
anglers who want him to find a SPOT
where there are striped bass weighing
100 pounds or more They have told
him that they are tired of thirty and
forty-pounders. They want real fish"
The expert already has found one place
where. as he reports striped bass
rom ten to twenty pounds are thicker
than feas on a dog" This is off New
Brunswick n. s., but he is not sure
that any bigger bass can be found
there and intends to hunt further
10 fifteen pounds are taken along the
northern beaches every season by the
striped bass anglers who go after the
big ones. They rarely record these
catches. To really interest them. a
bass must weigh at least twenty
pounds
Channel bass. or red drum, the huge
FISH that can crush oysters in their
strong jaws. are also hunted by the
sportsmen who look for big game. They
range larger in size than the striped
bass. but are not quite as game. How
ever. they are strong and determined
fighters. and as they not uncommonIy
weigh more than 100 pounds. their cap
ture tests the mstba of man and rod
Last year G. p. Morosini 1r-, soE of
the New York banker. caught one on
Edgemere that weighed sixty pounds.
And these great fish are taken with
rods that save for the heavy reel seat
and ferrules. would weigh not more
than ten ounces-s Except for quality, the
lines. shells and hooks used are such.
as are used generally for the ordinary
angling for salt water fish weighing
from three to four pounds
Surf fishing is the method followed
most. The angler wades out into the
sea and casts his bait TO the spots
where he expects that the big fish are
feeding. Trolling with worm or crab
bait from boat that is sculIed slowly
over likely places. is another almost
equally popular method. Still fishing
from an anchored boat is third form
Of striped bass fishing. but il is more
popular with the anglers who are after
the ordinary run of small bass than il
is with those who look for the big fell
lows.
Surf fishing is the most exciting OF
them all. The angler has not only the
hsh, but the sea to fight. And in the
broad backed surge that ever rolls and
tumbles toward him there swim huge
things that he is not fishing for, but
must battle with when they choose to
take his hook. Sharks and skates and
stingarees hunt along the surf just as
the monster striped bass and channel
bass and bluefish and weakfish do.
mus Morosini and John Du Til of New
York. standing waist deep in a leaping
tumble of sea one morning on Long
beach, Lond Island. hooked eight great
sharks. The biggest of them was more
than i've feet long.
Ihey were fishing without gaff hooks
and had no choice but to work the saw
age creatures until they were played
out Then they reeled the fish in till
'ney could reach them, and, suddenly
selzlng them by the tail, ran them up
ne beach. The biggest one being thus
seized by MOrOsini. turned like light
Hng and bit at him furiously. He
Jumped away. and was barely quick
enough TO save his legs. The shark
wIe away a great piece of his water
IIOoI "aders. and the fra gment is pre-
served as a souvenir in the Morosini
AoIhe IN Riverdale now.
45Ht and dangerous than the shark.
ne Is extremely like the skate in APP
IeaIanoe. but at the end of his long
..p.Hy tail he carries a keen thorn like |
.le spur Of a game cock. The swift
a1@ with which he can thrash that |
mined tan around is astounding. Its !
Mouon Is hard o-follow as the snap |
rHs OF the lash of a transfers whip. |
s s 'Re aim is as accurate. Southern |
,,ueih'n declare that the thorn is as
rsslioin'us as are the fangs OF snake. !
- LI'S is not 50. But the thick nasty /
sIIe with which the ray is coated can.
aue mo- doubt often does not need such |
q. however. for il is cruel enough |
- US'i and makes wounds that may |
u'Pn.e the victim for life. The spur
~, ~ 'Ar '3ll of a full grown specimen |
- a'tS three or four inches in length |
o-d Us luil of tiny wicked barbs that |
S., Incredibly tenacious. Thrust the |
sFrU. through piece of tissue paper |
i- '0r otrbS will hold so well that it 1
~ impossible to withdraw Il without |
-f"E the paper all TO pieces.
Is The tail is whipped around with |
,.oehye quite equal to it's swiftHess.
III. lively stepping around on the /
-, '- the angler is necessary when |
A.. MOSS a stin=aree. a fish that can |
NJ MS weapon deep into the plank /
). o'ai with one swoop is not likely /
~ uldN' much account Of wading boots |
OF human shinbones. Therefore the |