Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-26
FREAK FISHING.
Difficulties and Dangers in Catching
Sharks in Gulf of Mexico.

From the New York Tribune.
The Florida fishing season is now in full
swing. having begun officially on April l,
and the disciples of IZaak Walton are pull
Ing in tarpon. kingfish and Jewish In the
regulation manner, but for many amateurs
freak fishing has the greatest charm-to
pursue devlfsh with sail or motor boat.
or bait sharks and gaff them is much sport.
To say the least, such freak work varies
the monotomy of tarpon or kingfish ang-
ling affords great danger and excitement
and occasionally leads up TO that cham
pion of sea demons, a fouryeen-foot saw
fish, which will wreck a boat If he 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 pursuits. Mr..
Vom Hofe captures devllfish at Punta Ros-
sa 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
water with vampirelike motion of their
huge wings.
Mr.. Vom Hofe's Views on the hammer
head shark would indicate that 1t Is a
mammal, like the whale, rather than a
fish. A female, which weighed upward OF
1500 pounds, he says, when cut open was
found to have twenty-five young sharks
each. The hammerheads are found on the
bottom. They are baited for with fish
heads, the hooks and lines being cast over
board in churn of blood. Mr. vom Hofe
uses a small, stout rope for his fishline
when angling for all kinds of sharks. At
tached is brake made of rounded wood.
split in twain, which prevents the rapid
running OF the rope from burning the
hands. The rope is cooled on the bottom
of the boat. When the hammerhead Is
hooked the boat is beached as soon as pos
sible and the shark 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 weighing under 300 pounds. One
Is fairly safe In handling small sharks II
armed with a good stout fish knife having
six inches of blade, or even a strong gam
The main thing is to get knife or gan home
through the throat, the vital spot, before
taking the fish into boat or on a wharf.
otherwise they will fercely attack the
angler and may snap of hand or foot.
Fish bites are somewhat poisonous and
shark bite dangerously SO. A FISH in snap
point under the skin. causing a serious
sore. Immediate cauterization Is necessary
for such wounds. No person should go
fishing for shark without a stick of caustic
nitrate of silver in his pocket.
In fishing for large shark the harpoon be-
comes 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 possible, and the
shark dragged to the beach. where there
is room to kill him or let him die natu-
rally. At sea the tackle Is rugged to the
boom and the shark hauled up to It. where
his throat is cut. The wise angler who
hooks big shark from rowboat, with no
weapon but oars, discreetly cuts the line IL
he cannot get his tackle ashore. large
shark Will, when maddened. attack row.
boat and smash 1t.
Such shark, weighing nearly one thou
sand pounds, would readily make kindling
wood OF . rowboat with his tai and jaws.