Evening star., 1961-06-20
ANNUAL COURSE HELD
How to Fish-for Diploma
BY CHARLES COVELL
Outdoor Editor Of The Star


fish without going to college,
but it helps.
Perhaps you didn't know
that fishing was a college sub
ject. Well it is, at least in the
annual course put on here by
the Extension Division of
North Carolina State.
Don't sniff, either, especially
if you fancy yourself a fisher
man. Can you describe, for
example, the anatomical char
acteristics of an Atlantic sail
fish, a blue marlin or a
dolphin?
Probably you know that they
frequent the Gulf Stream but
what exactly is the Gulf
Stream and why do they fire.
quent it? What makes these
waters of fabulous blue so rich
in fish life?
You've heard of farm ponds
and how they can be used to
augment our sometimes meager
supplies of fresh water fish,
but how do you go about stock
ing a farm pond and fertilizing
it so that it will produce catch
able fish for years to Gomez
How About Tackle?
And lastly, do you really
know the fine points of tackle
the difference between spin
ming and spin-caSting, how to
use a fly rod and how to tie
each and every knot that an
all-around angler is required to
use.
Well. these are the subjects
taught in N. C. States sport
fishing school and every year
a large class ranging from rank
beginners to experienced fish
ermen who merely want to
learn new techniques is
graduated.
The staff is cosmopolitan,
ranging from zoology profess
sors like DR.. Bill HaSSler to a.
wildlife specialist like DR..
Robert Jenkins, manufacturers
representatives who demon
strate the latest developments
in tackle, and finally to Hal
Lyman, widely known surf fish
erman and publisher of the
Salt Water Sportsman.
The Hotel Carolinian is the
headquarters and furnishes the
clasSrooms. The first day is
devoted completely to classes
and although there is actual
fishing on each of the other
four days. it probably is the
most interesting.
Lot to Learn
Surprisingly, even for old
hands, there are a lot of things
to learn. Like the Gulf Stream.
This vast complex of eddies so
transparent and blue is bio
logically barren when COM
pared with inshore waters, yet
why is it the congregating
place for such a variety of fish
life?
This is only one of its con-
tradictions. The Gulf Stream
is said to have been the subject
of more research than any
other body of water in the
world. Yet science admits it
knows little about the why's
and wherefores."
The Gulf Stream actually is
part of a great circulatory sys-
TEN that flows generally in a
clockwise direction throughout
the North Atlantic.
Near the center of this great
eddy is a vast area of dead
water known as the Sargasso
Sea. This "Sea" derives its
name from the masses of
golden Sargassum or gulf-weed
that blankets the area.
Weed Spreads Afar
Some of this weed breaks off |
and drifts to all quarters of
the North Atlantic in the Gulf |
Stream, which off our coast
probably should be more prop
erly called the Florida current
since it originates in the Straits
of Florida.
Science believes that pieces
of this weed may grow and
regenerate themselves for hun
dreds or even thousands Of
years. In other words, pieces of
weed seen by Columbus may
still be afloat today. d
AS this weed floats north
ward, life within it forms a
unique community. Flying fish
and slugs use it for nesting,
seahorses cling to it, ShrimpS,
crabs, Slugs, pipefishes and sar-
gassum fishes live among the
weed and stems and schools
of small fish hover beneath.
Thus, though the blue waters
of the Gulf Stream lack the
richness of some others, they
attract host of predatory fish
that slash through the schools
of smaller species and in turn
fall prey to the fishermen.
Tackle Experts Take Over
Classroom sessions come first
and besides lectures on the
Gulf Stream there are others
on the Continental Shelf and
on the species of fish found
off North Cardinals shore.
After that the tackle experts,