New-York tribune., 1906-04-15
FREAK FISHING.
DiHca!fiCs and Dangers in Catching
STARTS IN Gulf Of MericO.

The Florida fishing season Is now in full swing.
hay'u~ begun officially April l. and the dis
ciprs Of Izaak Walton are pulling in tarpon.
kin-ii~h and jewish in the regulation manner.
hut for many amateurs freak fishing has tho
greatest charm-to pursue devilfish with sail or
motor boat, bait sharks and gaff them Is
much sport To say the least, such freak work
varicr tn" monotony of tarpon or kinsfish anE-
linz affords great danger and excitement and
occasionally leads up to that champion OF sea
demons a 14-foot s;twdsh, which viii wreck a
toat if hc can. Some of the Carnivorous fish
Icigh up 10 five thousand pounds more than
two tons at least. So says Edward Nom Hotc,
of New York, an expert in such pursuits Mr..
Vom IIofc captures dcvilhsh at Punta Rossa
and southvarl his largest weighing over one
thuueaud pounds H says ne finds them in
groups of FROM three Il ten, floating on the sur
f...e with IT,, tide feeding FISH for which they
e,a-n t., tlv under water with vaupireiike mo-
tibn cf their huge wings
MI Nou I.fcs views the hamTncrhcad
shark would Indicate that it is 4 nlrnr7al. like
The whale rather than fish. \ female which
weighed upward OF 1900 pounds, he says when
cut open ys- found to have tWcuty-tiv" young
sharks Within weighing from three To- four
pounds each The hammcrhc2ds are found on
o., bottom They laited for with fish heads.
the hooks and lines being cast overheard in
churu II blood Mr. Vom Hofc uses small.
stout r4po for his hshline when angling for AL
kinds of sharks. Attached is q brake made Of
rounded wood. split in twain. which prevents
the rapid running Of n" rop" from burning the
hands The rope is Coilcd on the bottom OF the
boat When the hlnmerhead Is hooked. the
boat is Lcachcd soon possible and the
shark worked toward the shore As soon as the
hammcrheld approaches within distance he is
gated and dispatched
Thero is no finer sport than u angle for small
sharks with rnd and reel ara hook specimens
y.-iclinE uUd,r three hundred pounds one Is
f-irly s.if- i'm handling small sharks II armed
,.ith "a good STOUT fish knife having six inches Of
hI4de. or even strong gan. The main thing
Is % ,,ct huf, or gaff home through the throat
the vital spot. before taking the fish into boat
or oH u wharf. otherwise they will ncrcely attack
the angler ana may snap off hand or foot
Fish bites sarnew hat poisonous and a
shark bite dangerously fish in swapping
tn hand win often leave a toothpoint under the
skin. causing a serious sore Immediate cauteri-
zatiou is c.ssary for such wounds. No per-
son should 20 fishing for shark without a stick
of caustic (nitrlte Of silver in his pocket.
IN fishing for large shark the harpoon becomes
mans good friend and must be hurled with
deadly accuracy before the great FISH is taken
aboard. In Florida the rope is passed ashore II
ro'!lii' ana Inc Sh:ltk dragged 10 the betch
where there is room To XIII him let him die
naturally. At the tackle is rigged to the
boom and the shark hauled up to il: where his
throat is cut The wise angler who hooks a big
shark from Il row boat. with weapon but
discraetly cuts the lire if he cannot get his
tackle ashore. y large shark will. when mad
dencd attack a rowboat ana smash it.
SUCH a shark. weighing nearly thousand
pounds would readily make kindlins wood of a.
~owhoat with his tail and Jaws