Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1947-01-01


done only by pumping. line.
1t took long time to reel up three
or four hundred feet of line
against this objecting, aquatic
Molotov. From the gallery came
whispers of bets as to the size of
this salmon. Fifty pounds or there
abouts seemed most likely to be
in the money.
The Captain with his landing
net-21s feet in diameter-was
standing at attention but joined
in the guessing game about the
weight of the salmon. He upset all
calculations, however, when he ex-
claimed: That's not a salmon
it is a-a-a sturgeon! And by Jim
miny Crickets-he is hooked by
the tailT'
And so it turned out to be-a
turgeon-about four feet long
and ID pounds in weight. It was
said that my catch was a most
unique event. The Captain. who
had lived around Coos Bay for
many years had never heard of
anyone ever catching a sturgeon
on trolling line.
The sturgeon is a monstrosity
among other fishes. It has a long
prolongation of it's snout but this
is rounded and not hard and sharp
like that of the sailfish, sword
fish, etc. 1t has no real mouth, but
instead wide hole surrounded by
thick rim of soft mucous mem
brane is located well back under
the head. In front of this orifice
and running crosswise is a cow of
wormlike growths, evidently lures
for. small fish. Its internal anat-
omy also differs from other fishes
and is constructed so as to make
a powerful vacuum cleaner mech
anism to suck up food from the
sea bottom. Hard knobby ridges
along the back and sides of the
tough hide remind Of pineaples.
The upper half of the tail reaches
much farther back than the low
er half. All in all the sturgeon is
repulsive character. If you had
to take him off the hook yourself
it would be with the same degree
of elation a boy feels when a
skunk is caught in his trap. My
former appetite for caviar, even
if it comes all the way from the
Volga, I fear, is ruined forever.
1t was snap diagnosis that this
particular sturgeon mistook h e
copper colored Johnson 3-inch sal
mon wobbler for an appetizing
little denizen of the deep to be
knocked down and stunned from a
swat of the tail and then sucked
up from the bottom at leisure, as
had been done on innumerable oc-
casions and without accident here
tofore. But this little sardine had
in tow a nasty sharp hook which
happened to be turned just right
at that moment to penetrate the
tough skin and by SO doing maxi
ing me candidate for a congress
sional, piscatory medal.
In the next two hours two more
salmon tangled up foolishly and
fatally with my Johnson lure. One
brought in IA and the other 9
pounds of chinook. But in spite of
determined effort on the part of
myself and the rest of the gang no
one could top the score made by
my fishing pal-the Champion Sal
moness of that day.
The sea became more restless
about 3 p. m. and the captain de-
cided to move up into the bay, be-
hind the jettie,s. 1t was high time,
because some of the fishermen's
cheeks were turning ashy gray
and handkerchiefs were being
swished across foreheads although
the weather was too cool for any
ordinary perspiration. Some of US
knowing ones winked a little back
and forth. Fortunately we were
behind the protecting jetties be-
fore anyone suffered threatening
gastric crisis.
Returning up the bay a flock
of gulls were seen lowering low
near the water. The skipper said
that meant a school of "stripers"
and hurried to the spot. The idea
is that the big fish will kill or