El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-04

/ pie OF 1Saak walton, IlSnermen sun re-
member the achievements of the last
! Democratic leader, and president Cleve-
lands views upon fishing matters were
regarded as final by true sportsmen.
/ While as a writer he is less widely
/ known than one of the more recent
! presidents. his book upon small fish
/ and the joys of the fisherman is re-
I garded as classic by those who love
| to angle for piscatoriaI treasure 20 the
/ quiet. philosophical manner OF a Wal
| ton
Two Kinds OF Sport.
There are two kinGs Of fishing for
/ sport, each of which has its deVotees,
I although there are not a few men and
even women who find equal pleasure in
/ both. There is the quiet patient fol-
/ lowing Of Z trail in unfrequented
streams and lakes for small fish which
/ call for skill and care in batting and
! sometimes almost infinite time in wait
/ IN. The time of waiting and trailing
gives ample opportunity Tor quiet med
I ltatlon and an appreciation of the
/ scenes surrounding. The true fisher
/ man is always a nature lover
The other kind of fishing is not so
quiet and restfuL 1t calls for vigorous
l action and carries with it the spice OF
I daring, the aliurement of adventure.
! This is the fishing for big game fish
in the open sea which becomes more
popular each year with athletic, active
men. There are many organizations
! devoted to sport fishing and their
activities not only afford pleasure to
| their members but also materially add
10 the scientific knowledge of
habits of fish as well as helping to
prevent their slaughter by improper
methods of capture.
one of the most Important of the
large American fishing clubs is the
TUNA club, of California, which has en-
rolled upon its membership such names
as Theodore Roosevelt, effort Pinchot
Henry Van DYKE (facnar. nd
the late Grover Cleveland. This club
has reduced rod and reel fishing to an
exact science and has had great influ-
ence in introducing light fishing tackle
as sportsmanlil1e movement.
Catching Sea Bass.
There are specially designed launches
for game fishing and the angler is
usually accompanied by one or two
helpers The stern OF the boat is
equipped with two cor 0rtable chair
seats, one fishing to the right and one
to the left For sea bass, the angler
buckles on a belt which has a socket
in front to support his rod He bats
his nook with a six pound white fish
or a piece of AlbacOre and losses it ont
into 40 feet of water After a bite he
plays out 10 or 20 feet more line and
then strikes or pulls. If he hooks his
fish there is a sudden rush and the
boatman steers either to follow the
fish or keeps the angler stern to it un-
til he brings it near enough the boat
to be taken by the gafL II the fish
weighs above 200 pounds it is towed
into shore by the gaff alongside the
boat. If it is under $50 pounds it is
taken on deck. These sea bass aver
age over $50 pounds, but have been
known to weigh soc
What many spOrtsmen consider the
greatest game fish of this country is
the leaping tuna, which comes into Cat
alma Bay in June and remains until
August This fish has been known to
tow boat for 80 miles. The white sea
bass is another fish requiring skill to
land, and the Tuna club offers valuable
prizes to encourage anglers to use light ,
for this fish is so pounds but, in the
Gulf of California, white sea bass have
been taken weighing $50 pounds.
Ocean Sunfish.
A peculiar fish that appeals to many
spOrtsmen is the ocean sunfish, which
is found in temperate waters all over
the world. 1t does not take bait well
and generally is Speared, but some
times is hooked from the side OF q /
gasoline launch by a gaff and toWed /
into shore. To do this is a great feat
This fish is taken off the middle At I
lantic as well as off the Florida coasts l
and in Southern California waters II /
has been known TO weigh 2200 pounds. l
man VINO captured one Weighing naII I
a ton had an exciting time towing il |
into shore, where it measured ten feet /
in height This fish is most extra I
ordinary in appearance 1t has no ap-
precla bic tail, but seems all mead Win /
two large fins pointing up and down 4
It's skin is used as sandpaper and its |
muscles as a substitute for rubber IN (
the center of golf balls.
Squid Fishing Is Dangerous
The taking of giant squi6 is suffi-
GENTLY exciting sport to satisfy the 4
most venturesome man. These monsters |
sometimes measure so feet in length !
The body is barrel shaped with an ar
row shaped tail. It weighs ton or \
more Around its head are ten arms
provided with sucker like devices which !
enable it to seize its prey easily. It /
has a parrot like beak and is provided /
with a good sized bag filled with an
inl6y fluid which IL discharges at It's
enemies thereby clOudiug the water
and making good its escape Squld
hunting is not a popular sport, as there
are few men intrepid enough to ENJOY
trying to capture monster possessing /
10 arms, each of which is strong enough
to take a man from boat and drown
him. One of these creatures mas been
known to throw its arms around q
boat and oyertuTn it. Small squtd are
found in most parts Of the world and
they are excellent bait for a few kinds
of fish.
Almost as formidable as the squid in
appearance, but much less dangerous,
is the California octopus, with its eight
radiating arms and its great tlabby
body which sometimes measures 20 feet
across. They are not likely to attack I
anyone except in self defence and even
then they are comparatively harmless
excepting to frighten the unWary by
their terrifying appearance. The larger 1
varieties of these fish supply the cutie
bone which is placed in the cage for
canary birds.
Woman Angler Gets Prize.
There are many women who are en- |
thusiastic anglers and one of the first 1
prizes awarded this year in country /
wide fishing contest was given to
woman physician who is in the habit /
of devOting her vacation to fishing Her
prize catch was great northern pike,
caught in Lake Mary. Minnesota. It
was Al inches in length and weighed |
16 ID pounds She also caught Il
and a IA FOUNDER during the same sea
son. Her husband. who accompanied |
her. landed over 45 pounds of wall-eyed
pike from the same boat in one morn
ing.
The real trout season begins in June
and in this sunny month the speckled /
beauty seems in more receptive mood
after his long freedom from the actIv-
ity of the fishermans fly The wise
trout fisher matches as nearly as pos
sible the particular insect which seems
most prevalent over the surface of !
the water at the time he is fishing I
This may change from one day to an
other, or sven from one hour to an
other in the same day. Sometimes it is