The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-14

ing for tuna in Block Island Sound While
for months the sound is the home of the
tuna, 1t is at all times the home of the shark
None has any consideration fer sand sharks
but the big blue shark is a dangerous Gus
toner. Mrs. T. Elwood Allison of walling-
ford. Delaware county Pa, is one of the
most enthusiastic anglers that come to
Block Island.
Membership in the Atlantic Tuna Club is
restricted to men, so that Mrs. Allison Is moo
member. Still. as angler she will give
most of the club members a tidy run for.
their money
One day this season she caught sixty
eight pound tuna. On the following day she
hooked tuna that taxed her strength and
endurance. The fish fought fiercely for two
hours. 1t fought to get away from the
hook and to keep away from the sharks.
Never saw the sharks so thick" said
Capt. Dodge in describing the struggle. Il
thought Mrs. Allison would bring her fish
alongside and the sharks seemed to have
the same idea. ten foot blue shark was
the boldest of the band. He came right up
to the boat. 1 drove the lance into MIN six
times and could see the gashes l made He
came back each time if he liked lance
thrusts.
After a fight lasting just two hours Mrs
Allison brought her fish alongside drove
big shark closed his jaws on the tuna. All
that l got aboard the head and a bit of
the nape. That bit of the tuna weighed
thirty-eight pounds, so I calculated the
whole fish must have weighed fully ninety
pounds. If man had caught that fish he
would have needed a bracer. Mrs. Allison
needed one, too, but all she took was a
drink of cold water from a thermos bottle"
Cunning for Sharks.
Two Of the most enthusiastic fishermen
in the club Edmond II. Guerin and Mon
sieur Desroches mill owners OF woon-
socket. On the second day of their fishing
this season they took rf1es with them. Mon
sieur Desroches explained that the sharks
were so numerous and came close to the
boat that he could lean over the rail and
scratch their backs Both Frenchmen upon
reaching the club after their second day
OF sport said that they had fired repeatedly
at the sharks but apparently without eff
feet
The sharks are drawn to the scene be
cause the hunting is good. Unuammelled by
hook and line the tuna has nothing to fear
from the shark; he can keep out of harms
way. But with a hook, or two hooks sunk
in his jaws and with nothing to chew on
except a couple of strands of piano wire
and these attached to a line that is always
taut, he is more or less at the sharks
mercy. Still he is bitten, but seldom ex-
cept when ready for the gaff.
The tuna is attracted by the bait. But
tuna anglers do not use bait. A stout hook
is inserted In the jig. The jig is painted
with aluminium. In its erratc course
through the water the painted jig looks like
fish and the tuna snaps 1t up. He takes
more readily to the single than the double
hook Jig but the latter naturally gets
nrmer grip on the fish The tuna win
break away quite often from a single hook.
but hardly ever from a double hook. But
where the boat is there is bait. Every
power boat has well. This well has lot
OF sand cells in it. They escape through
holes i'm the bottom OF the well and so at
tract the fish. When a tuna has been hooked
the boat keeps under way at the rate of
five TO six miles an hour and keeps circline
until the fish has been brought alongside
or has escaped.
Banner Season for Tuna.
This has been the greatest tuna fishing
season i'm Block Islands history. There arc
a hundred or more power boats in the
two harbors of the island Twenty-Five Of
these boats are in the employ of the At
lantic Tuna club. The cost per day for
boat is s25.
The catch with rod and reel is very small
of course. i'm comparison with the hauls
MADE Nv the COHrncfclhl HSnefUeUs Inc
latter landed 10000 pounds Of tuna on the
dock Of the old harbor one day this season
The fishermen are still catching tuna los
the ton with hand lines. Like all varietic-
Of FISH, almost the tuna shifts his ground
frequently Tuna have been caught within
a quarter of mile Of shore. Twenty
tuna have been taken inside the old harbor
buoy I'm a day. The buoy Is about a mile
and a quarter from shore.
As the FISH were plentiful this season. 50
were the sharks They We're numerous
twenty or thirty miles offshor1 II tho boats
went so far. or close inshore when fisher
men trawled for mackerel At times they
followed the boats into the old harbor. Sew
eral sharks were harpooned at the mouth
OF the harbor.
The largest shark ever caught by a Block
Tslard fisherman was harpooned by Capt
Edwin Dodge about ten miles offshore. H
was swordfishing, but had seen none when
n monster shark ran alongside. The sea
tiger weighed 900 pounds. He was placed
On exhibition and the first night brought
In $50 in 10 cent admissions. The members
Of the Atlantic Tuna Club look forward TO
another brilliant season next year. When
the new clubhouse Is ready the membership
will lump The president Zenas w. Bliss
is a many sided man. He is doctor. has
several college degrees is n business man.
a sportsman and is a former Lieutenant
Governor Of Rhode leland