The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-09-12
PERILS OF SETA::zE. FISHING
A FEROCiCUS SEA MONSTER
SMASHES ROW9OA9 70 ATOMS.
for Devil Fish in Gulf of Mex
leo Is Great Sport-Harpoon Mans
Best Friend in Seeking to Capture
Big Specimens.

The Florida fishing season is now
in full swing, having begun officially
on April /, and the disciples OF lZaak
Walton are pulling in tarpcl, kingfish
and Jewish in the regulation manner,
but for many amateurs freak fishing
has the greatest charm-tO pursue
devil fish with sail Or motor boat or
bait sharks and gaff them is much
sport.
To say the least, such freak work
varies the monOtony Of tarpCn or king
fish angling, affords greater danger
and excitement and occasionally leads
up to that champion of sea demons
a fourteen-foot sawfsh, which will
wreck boat if it can. Solie CT the
carnivorous fish weigh np to 5000
pounds, or more than :wo tons, at
least. So says Edward VOm HOfe Of
New York, an expert in such pursuits.
Mr.. Vom HOfe captures devil fish
largest weighing over LOCO pounds.
He says he finds them in groups Of
from three to ter floating on the sur
face with the tide feeding on fish,
for which they seem to fly under
water with a vampire-like motion of
their huge wings
Shark Is Mammal.
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 800 pounds, he says, when
cut open was found to have twenty
five young shark within weighing from
three to four pounds each. The ham,
merheads are found on the bottom.
They are baited for with fish heads,
the hooks and lines being cast over
board in a churn of blood
Mr. Vom HCfe 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 rum
ming of the rope from burning the
hands. The rope. is cOiled on the bot
tom of the boat. When the hammer
head is hooked the boat is beached as
soon as possible, and the shark work
ed toward the shore. As soon as the
hammerhead approaches within dis
lance he is ga&ed and dispatched.
There is no finer Sport than to angle
for small sharks wild rod ard reel and
hook specimens weighing under 800
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 gait
home through the throat. the vital
spot, before taking the fish into boat
or on a wharf, otherwise they will
fiercely attack the angler and may
snap off a hand Or fOot.
Fish Bites Are Poisonous.
Fish bites are somewhat poisonous,
and shark bite 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 fishing
for sharks without q stick Of caustic
(nitrate of silver in his pocket.
In fishing for large sharks the har-
poon 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.
il 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 who
hooks a big shark from a rowboab
with no weapon but oars, discreetly
cuts the line if he cannot get his
tackle ashore. A large shark will,
VIXEN madderad attack n "o"rh""1 -