The Washington times., 1937-02-22

Shark Appetites
Are Varied
Schultz
Continued from 1st Sports Page),

Continued from 1St Sports PageJ
feasting for the shark. The first
period is from early to middle sum-
mer, when salmon are schooling
in myriads outside and about the
entrances Of the harborS. The sec.
ond is in April, when the mullet
assay their perilouS journey sea-
ward for spawning purposes.
Sharks usually run in pairs, the
male with the female. The young
are savageS at birth, and I have
had them snap at my hand while
taking them from the mother
sharks body after I had made q
catch.
The greatest Of predatory sharks
which actually have been seen and
record made of it, are about 40
feet long with a girth Of about
80 feet. Yet, there are monstrouS
creatures roaming the open oceans
that must be at least rs feet long.
These frightful sharks have never
been seen, but many of their fresh
teeth have been dredged UP from
the bottom of the Pacific, some Of
them (the teeth) being as much
as inches acroSS-not jaws.
mind you, but individual teeth!
Many people believe there is
no need for worry about sharks
if porpoises are about. Do not
believe that yourself. ] have
opened a 17-foot shark, which I
personally caught and found a
porpoiSe head within. AS a mat
ter of hard, cold fact, porpoise is
one of the sharks favorite foodsl
Many people are under the in-
preston that a Tiger shark gets
its name from the ferocity and
characteristics of courage of his
land brother. That is wrong; the
Tiger shark gets his name from
the vertical stripes it wears when
young, thus making it's markings
resemble the markings of a land
tiger. The resemblance ends
there, however, as the Tiger shark
gives up the fight earlier than
any other shark and he fights
only when he is desperate. When
the Tiger shark attacks humans
in the surf it is because he is des-
perate with hunger.
It often has been said that
sharks will not attack natives Of
the various South Sea islands.
A myth! have seen natives of
the islands who lost legs and arms
to sharks.
In Arcadia, New Zealand, I wit.
messed the gamest and bloodieSt
fight I ever saw between man and
shark.
Henry Wetherell, about 20 years
old, was attacked by shark while
Wetherell was bathing in the beau
tiful little bay Of Arcadia. When
rescuerS wanted to swim to his
aid, young Witherell yelled warn
ing and was insistent about it.
He was bathing in only four feet
of water when the shark struck
the first time, tearing off one OF
Wetherell's arms. Apparently there
were other sharks, for WetherelPS
warning seemed to carry that idea.
Even so, fellow-bathers went to
Wetherell's aid, but too late. He
was finally dragged to shore. He.
died that night. The fight between
young Wetherell and the shark
lasted several minutes, the equal
Of several days of actual ring
fighting!
It is my contention now, and
has been for years, that shark
fishing with rod and reel and 30
cord line from the beach is ur'
equalled as sport.
When fishing from the beach Tor
shark. I use 16-ounce rod and
a brake reel with 400 yards OF 30
cord irish linen with breaking
strain of IS pounds. At the end
of the line I place a 15-foot leader
to which I attach an eight-ounce
sinker, I use two hooks, each
about four inches long, which I
fasten together back to back.
always use a body harness
with a socket nj front to support
the pole, so that my hands will be
free to work brake and reel: use
fish bait and attach it to the
hooks by a cord line so that 1t ls