The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-28
BIG ZzAu EAZEE
to Deter
mine the Strength
and Scent Of Sharks

The damage occasioned by sharks to the
fisherman is n factor to be considered.
and so great are their depredations that
they may be counted upon as cutting down
the profits OF the fishing Industry very
considerably. have gone out It day
break to a gil-net with the owner who
found instead of several dollars worth Of
edible fishes. a seven-foot shark complete
ly rolled up in the net, having succeeded
In chewing up that amount Of damage.
1t IS n curious fact that the horse mack
erel or swordhsh viii plunge through
net, merely making a round hole which
can be repaired easily. while a shark the
moment It feels the net, swings with its
tail ike an alligator and rolls cternally.
] upon one occasion rented a valuable
seine IN Florida. and IN the haul was
sawnah. which IN 10 minutes reduced the
net to a fair approximation Of a total
wreck.
The waters Of the Pacific Coast are in
tested by numbers Of sharks Of remark
able size and variety. which. while they
never attack human beings. are more OF
less enemies, preying upon hsh-laden nets,
destroying edible fish. stealing hooks and
lines. and In many ways emphasizing the
fact that they are enemies of the men
who follow the peaceful avocatlon OF fish
ing. The method of fishing on the West
Coast Is principally by the use Of travis,
gill-nets and SENS. / have seen a trawl,
1000 feet long. with q hook every two or
three feet. come up almost entirely
devoted to small sharks which weighed
from so to 80 pounds. The majority
doubtless had escaped. taking the hook
with them, but enough came n to Ill the
boat and discourage a professional fisher
man AS It was. 1t accomplished my OBJ
ject which was to learn 4ae nature OF the
dominant life Of the locality.
very common shark In California IS
the hamuierhead. one Of tic most forbid
ding OF the tribe. 1t can be caught OF
the coast nearly every month in the year
but is most prevalent in July and August
when # win finger Rbou. the nshing
ground and play havoc with the lines. a
prolific source Of profit to the men are
the so-called grouper banks. where the
fishermen set long and valuable travis in
water 200 or 300 feet In depth The
groupers bite readily. and II sharks are
not about come up on the lines in large
numbers: yet I have seen a dismayed
fisherman haul IN the long line to ind
nothing but grouper heads upon the
hooks, sometimes only the lips, and In
many Instances the hoos was taken, bit
ten or as cleveriy us though severed with
g knife Then up from the deep came a
hammerheud quite 10 feet Ia length. eye
Ing us complacently, swimming about the
boat with the utmost contempt for Its
occupants, How many hooks this shark
FAD IN ITS stomach was merely a question
Of counting and its hravado so incensel
she fisherman that he threw over shark
line and later hooked the monster,
which displayed remarkable strength.
towing the boat some distance and exhib-
iting ferocity that was hardly to be ex-
pected- When hauled ashore. after a
struggle Of nearly an hour and hung up as
q warming, tile shark presented remark
able spectacle. Its long head projections,
upon which were perched the eyes, giving
IL diabolical appearance.
1n the history Of Southern California.