The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1906-08-25
THE BEST OF SPORTS
GREATEST CHARM FOR THE
ANGLER is FREAK FISHING.
Varies the Monotony of Ordinary Pur-
suit Of the Finny Tribe-Taking
Small Sharks with Rod
and Reel

The Florida fishing season is now
in full swing, and the disciples of
lzaak Walton are pulling in tarpon,
kingfish 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 gan
them is much sport.
To say the least such freak work
varies the monotoDy of tarpon or
klngfsh angling. affords greater dan.
ger and excitement, and occasionally
leads up to that champion of sea de.
mons-a 14.foot sawfish, which will
wreck boat II 1t 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 vampirelike motion Of
their huge wings.
Mr.. Vom IIofe's views on the ham.
merhead shark would indicate that it
is a mammal, like the whale, rather
than fish. A female which weighed
upward Of 1900 pounds, he says, when
cut open was found to have 20 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
churn of blood.
Mr.. Vom Hofe used a small stout
rope for his fish line when angling
for all kinds of sharks. Attached is
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 ap-
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 a good stout fish knife
having six inches of blade or even
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 a
wharf, otherwise they will flercely
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 a tooth point under the skin,
causing a serious sore. Immediate
cauterization is necessary for such
wounds. No person should go fish.
ing for shfrks without stick of
caustic nitrate of silver in his
pocket.
In fishing for large sharks the bar.
pooh becomes mans good friend, and
must be hurled with deadly accu.
racy before the great fish is taken
aboard. In Florida the rope is
passed ashore, II possible and the
shark dragged to the beach, where
there is room to kill him or let him
die naturally. At sea the tackle is
rugged to the boom and the shark
hauled up to it, where his throat is
cut The wise angler hooks a
big shark from a rowt~. with no
weapon but oars, discree i cuts the
line If he cannot get his tackle
ashore. A large shark will, when
maddened. attack a rowboat and
smash 1t.
Such shark, weighing nearly 1000
pounds, would readily make kindling
wood Of a rowboat with his tail and
jaws,