The Wrangell sentinel., 1935-09-06
FISHERMAN USES GAFF HOOK
TO LAND 12-F00T OCTOPUS

The fondness that a 12-foOt oc-
topus had for redsnapper proved his
undoing Sunday afternoon when the
particular redsnapper he sought for
dinner proved to be hooked on
setline manipulated by Bill Han
sell, according to the Ketchikan
Chronicle.
Hansell caught the sea monster
while fishing near Blank inlet.
Hand trolling had proved unfruit-
ful so Hansell had turned to still
fishing. The octopus set up
struggle that lasted for an hour be-
fore he managed to kill it and at
one time it threatened to upset or
crawl into the skiff which Hansell
was using.
Sunday Diversion
Angling off Blank point as a
Sunday afternoon diversion, Han
sell thought that his line was
snagged on a rock on the bottom
and attempted to clear it by rowing
around in a circle. If it was hooked
in a waterlogged timber or fouled
in rock this would clear it, he
figured. He kept a strain on it as
he roWed, turning in wide circle.
Finally it seemed to come free and
he hauled in. 1t came up all right,
even easier than he expected. His
victim, the octopus, was bringing
it up!
The strain on the line had irked
him and he evidently was inYesti-
eating to see what it was all about
When the big fish came in sight
over the stern OF the skiff, HanselI
saw it liberate the redsnapper
which was still hooked to the line.
The octopus started to go down but
the fisherman beat him to it. Hur-
riedly picking up his gait hook,
Hansel gated the octopus and the
fight started.
Eight siX-foot arms started into
the skiff from various directions,
each of them whipping itself firmly
onto the boat and feeling farther
for more to get hold of. The fisher
/.
having only one gait hook. But he
conceived the idea of getting the
monster ashore to kill it. That nee
essitated rowing. He was some dist
ance from shore.
New Form Of Attack
A number of halibut hooks on u
piece of gear gave him an idea
With the hand that was not engaged
holding onto the gaff hook, he got
hold of the hooks and, one at a time
with his free hand, started hooking
the octopus tentacles and flashing
the lines to the boat sides anu
thWarts. He managed to get three
of them firmly hooked before lie
mad to let go the gait hook. This
new form of attack also made the
octopus change his tactics. He bent
every effort to breaking away.
The three hooks remained firmly
fastened, however, and Hansell
started rowing. 1t was an hour later
that he reached the beach. By that
time one halibut hook had torn
from the flesh Of the octopus, which
kept up the struggle and, as a sec
ond hook was working free, Han
sell took up his gaff hook again and
got hold of the monsters head.
Saves Piece for Bait
Sculling his skiff to shallow wa
ter-one hand at the oar and the
other on the gaff hook-he brought
the exhausted fish ashore. 1t was
all Hansell could do to drag the oc-
topus up the BEECH to a settlers
garden where what remains of him
is serving as fertilizer today.
Hansell had won his fight and he
had his trophy. But he didn't know
what to do with it. So he helped the
settler cut up the body for his gar
den, saving only one small piece
for bait to go out and finish the
fishing trip he had set out on.