Long Valley advocate. (Lardo, Idaho) 1904-1907, 1906-09-13
THE BEST OF SPORTS
GREATEST CHARM FOR THE
ANGLER rs FREAK FISHING.
Varies the Monotony of Ordinary Pur-
suit of the Finny Tribe-Taking
Small Sharks with Rod
and Reel.

Izaak Walton are pulling in tarpon,
kingfsh and Jewish in the regula-
ton manner, but for many amateurs
freak fishing has the greatest charm
to pursue devil fish with sail or mo-
tor boat or bait sharks and gait
them is much sport.
To say the least such freak work
varies the mOnOtOny of tarpOn or
klngfish angling, affords greater dan
leads up to that champion of sea de-
mons-a 14-foot sawtish, which will
wreck a boat if it can. Some of the
carnivorous fish weigh up to 5000
pounds, or more than two tons, at
least So says Edward Vom Hofe,
of New York, an expert in such pur-
suits
Mr.. VOm Hofe captures devil fish
at Punta Rosa and southwark, his
largest weighing over 1000 pounds.
He says he finds them in groups of
from three to ten, floating on the
surface with the tide, feeding on fish,
for which they seem to fly under the
water with a vampirelike motion of
their huge wings.
Mr.. Vom Hofe's views on the ham
merhead shark would indicate that it
is mammal, like the whale. rather
than fish. A female which weighed
upward of 1900 pounds, he says, when
cut open was found to have rs young
shark within weighing from three to
four pounds each. The hammerheads
are found on the bottom. They are
baited for with fish heads, the hooks
and lines being cast overheard in
a churn of blood.
Mr.. Vom Hofe used a small stout
rope for his fish line when angling
for all kinds of sharks. Attached is
a brake made of rounded wood, split
in twain, which prevents the rapid
running of the rope from burning the
hands. The rope is coiled on the
bottom of the boat When the ham
merhead is hooked the boat is
beached as soon as possible, and the
shark is worked toward the shore.
AS soon as the hammerhead an
proaches within distance he is gated
and dispatched.
There is no finer sport than TO
angle for small sharks with rod
and reel and hook specimens weigh
ing under 300 pounds. One is fairly
safe in handling small sharks if
armed with good stout fish knife
having six inches of blade or even
a strong gaff. The main thing is
to get knife or gaff home through
the throat, the vital spot, before TAX
ing the fish into a boat or on
wharf, otherwise they will fiercelv
attack the angler and may SNAP off
a hand or foot.
Fish bites are somewhat poisonous
and shark bite is dangerously so.
A fish in swapping the hand will often
leave tooth point under the skin.
a serious sore. Immediate
cauterization is necessary for such
wounds. No person should go fish.
ing for sharks without a stick of
caustic nitrate of silver) in his
pocket.
In fishing for large sharks the bar.
poon becomes mans good friend ard
must be hurled with deadly accu.
racy before the great fish is taken
ABOARD. In Florida the rope is
passed ashore, if possible, and the
shark dragged to the beach. where
mere is room to kill him or let him
lie naturally. At sea the tackle is
1gged to the boom and the sbaYl-
hauled up to it, where his throat is
'ut. The wise angler who hooks -
Dig shark from a rowboat. with ~
Weapon but oars, discreetly cuts tile
Inc II he cannot get his tackie
A large shark will. uhoy