New-York tribune., 1905-02-19
CATCHING AMBER,IACkS.
Sport 4forded by This Fish at
Palm Beach, RIA.

Palm Beach. Fla Feb. Is (speciaD.-The hsiler-
men of this resort have decided TO hoid an s'i'i
lack fishing tournament, and consioeIaO'e ST. .
of money has been raised to purchase me cups anu %
trophies There will be huge silver cup iOf -"
biggest amberjack a valuable prize for the ihose
''jacks'' caught in the course or the touIhdHene to
and a BOBBY prize for the smallest amber TJa'N. 90
we'll as other prizes. Fully hui'ureu i..
will enter the contest. including seNelai Pt
New-YOrkers.
Elaborate rules to govern the amber1acA 'ouria
rnent are being drawn up by committee "IlSn
meets at The Breakers each afternoon. Inc ''i.'o
Of this committee is very much divided up. Oi 'ii
tournament rules would have been ready oy now
The committee works industrousy on the rules LOT
fifteen minutes: then some one buys drink A"~'
gets them started telling fish stories, ana one
brings out another until the afternoon mas o"'A-
died as well the visible supply OF HquoI
The committee landed one rule yesterday-a mas
terpieee of a rule. of which every member Is prouu
It reads: If a fisherman who has entered the con-
test in the manner already prescribed shoulu hooA
an amberjack, and in spite OF the use oL q"
strength and diligence In killing and landing him.
a portion of said amberjack should be snapped on
by a shark. the por~on remaining on the nook may
be preserved until the end OF the contest II within
that time the man TO whom the amberjack rem
nant belongs shall catch said shark and the miss
ing portion of amberjack be recovered the fisher
man will be given full credit for the fish,"
This rule Is the result of an experience which
Charles F. Bingham. of Buffalo. had few days
ago He hooked enormous Jack" and fought
him skilfully for thirty-hve minutes He was
working him in shore, where negro was waiting
to gaf1 him. when big hammerhead shark slipped
In, and with snap guped down two-thirds OF
the fish. From the size OF the portion which re-
mained the hook, the amberjack was one OF the
largest ever caught Since this disaster Mr..
Bingham has been fishing industriously for that
hammerhead. He has caught half dozen, but so
far has found trace OF the missing ambertack
portion
The Palm Beach amberjack record has already
been broken this year by John B. Caldwell. OF New
York. who landed ninety-two pound fish a few
days ago. The big fellow hooked Off the
Breakers pier a steel structure which extends
1900 feet into the ocean just north oe the
bathing beach. Caldwell used short. stout. bam-
boo pole ana had lively blue runner for bait
The ninety-two FOUNDER was evidently fresh and
put up a most stubborn fight. Again and again he
made for the open sea. running out many yards
of line. only TO be drawn back the minute he let
up his express train gait Caldwell finally wore
him out, but landing could not be effected until
the great Jack" was nearly dead.
In the memory Of the oldest beaChman there has
not been a year In which Jacks plentiful
or so large as this year. The beach has the fish
ing craze with vengeance. and the golf links
are deserted for the pier I'm the morning. when
the best fishing Is had Men who have never hshed
before get the fever The old ambeTjack guard
frown the newcomers who crowdIng their
pier and initiate them in fashion less
severe.
Frank P. Holran, member Of a New-York Stock
Exchange firm has OF the worst attacks Of
amberjackitls yet developed. He wal dered out on
the pier the other morning declaring that he would
give $50 bill II he could catch big amberjack-