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RECORD THRASHER SHARK Yankee Fisherman Catches a Sea Giant in Waters Off Avalon. •rent lish Dispatched with Itullct After llattle of lore Than Three Hours. it is written that there are as big fish in the sea as ever came out of it. In atalina waters we are accustomed to tuna of 100 pounds ami upward: to Marlin. and the true swordfish. of gnat size: and to kill the giant sea bass of 2 H» pounds or more is a common occurrence in the proper season It. fell to my good fortune, and to that of Mr. .1. C. McCoy, of Rhode Island, to have had a suc-cossriil battle royal with a Thrasher Shark, whose size eclipsed anything ever taken on rod and reel of this very rare genus of the shark family. A beautiful morning in late August of this year found us OB my launch, the Mabel F.. outward bound Ironi Avalon on the trail of swordfish. The i-ondilions were ideal — mirror-calm water, deep azure skies that, were unmarred by speck of cloud and a brilliant sun. Gulls swung idly in great circles, watching for bait. Pelicans winged their clumsy flight over the still surface, .and along the sis n s seals played and fished, barking hoarsely the while. I have a ladder, with a seat at the top. arranged on my fishing craft and when after swordfish I sit up in ths cool eyrie as from it I can spot the back fin of a swordfish sunning itself, or surface feeding, from a long distance. Looking down I COOld see all kinds of lined jelly fish floating beneath the surface as though hung; there by invisible threads, and shoals of small frv scuttled away from drifting masses of kelp as we passed by. Startled rook bass finned a rapid retreat into the crystal-like blue depths, and a lazy sunfisli of huge size peered up through its saucer eyes and wagged it- fins ;s though in greeting. Lookng backward I could see our "teaser" flying fish swimming enticingly nl ng. 88 feet behind tin slern. and beyond them Mr. McCoys bait- also a flying fish — glittered as bright silver. I had just settled myself oomfortablv for an hour "on watch" aloft, when Mr. ttcCoy sang out "Strike:" TOO FAST BEGINNER FOR SWORDFISH. "Give him hiine" I called, and this for the reason that the swordfish is a slow swallowcr. Likewise he is extremely shy. If he feels the least drag on the flying fish after he has seized it he will drop it iaataater. The modus operandi is to troll with a big reel so set that the line runs free upon releasing finger pressure. A great manv fishermen find it difficult to do this either holding on long enough for the ■arortfflsa to feel the strain, or letting go so absolutely that the line overruns. In either case it is a swordfish missed Rut my friend had learned his lesson— through sad ex| erienc — and by the time that I reached the deck and got to my wheel and controls the line was running off at a rapid rate ami a huge swirl on the surface rewired where the big fish had turned after taking the halt. Then the line slowed down— stopped— with some 200 feet out. "Now" said I— and Mr. McCoy struck. I watched expecting to see the fish come out of water, as the marlin does this in a most spectacular wav the instant that it feels the hook. Rut nothing of the sort happened. Instead, our fish sounded Down and down— almost straight down he went. "Feel heavy?" I asked. "Tom": was the laconic answer. Then, with 151 yards out. whatever fish wo had hooked— and I knew that it con Id not be a Marlin — started for the apea sea. I followed along at a four-mile gait. Chancing to look at the compass I noticed that we were headed southeast. Minutes came up and slipped by. Still the line headed off the starboard bow. cutting evenly through the water without pause or even hesitation. As we left the Islands shore shore behind the water grew deeper rapidly. And the deeper it grew, the deeper went the fish, until 200 yards were out. leading into the clear green depths at a 45 degree angle. HUGE FISH TAKES FISHERS TO SEA. There had not been — and has not been — a true swordfish. commonly called the "broadbill" — brought to gaff at Avalon this season, though manv have been hooked. By the resistless power of the fish that was making cruise our to the open sea a personally conducted affair, and because his ta tics were so similar. I began to have visions of bringing in the only broadbill of the seaaoa! The first hour passed in following. McCoy- is of a slight build, and though I had the drags both set as tightly as I dared— for the great amount of line that was out and he was fighting for everv iach that he could gain. I could see no hast signs of weakening on the part of the fish. At the end of the second hour wo were six miles off shore, and headed southeast still, as fairly as though on a set course. McCoys left arm was almost numb with the strain and the small of his back caused him discomfort from the continued "Uftksg" at the fish. At the beginning of the third hour we were nine miles out anil a lumpy sea was rBfag Not a sign of the fish giving up: And all this time we had no faintest idea of what we had hooked Our imaginations, of course, ran riot. Course still due southeast. When the fourth hour mark was paasai the fish suddenly changed its tactics and for better than half an hour kept me most actively engaged at the wheel and controls, as it would dash firs in one direction and then another, at high speed, interspersing these dashes with wild lunges and seemiag attempts •« get under the boat. During the long four hours McCoy had not gained 100 feet under the 258 yards mark: This will speak volumes to him who is accustomed to hunting the large denizens of tie- sea. And tie-struggle was beginning to tell licavilv on McCoy. His left hand was badly chafed and the fingers of his right hand numbed. I slipped a socket licit round him ami I ased hismelf ff time to time by fighting from a stand lag position. Kvery little while I fed him from our lunch baski I and gave him water. Al the beghmtag of the fifth hour he got his second wind and I have never seen a man fight a fish as he fought whatever it was that we wei-fast to. He lay hack on the powirtul heavy tackle split bamboo rod with every ounce of strength that he had. Rut all to no apparent effect, as the fish headed releaUessls soatheasi and had settled down again to pursuing the even tenor of his war qeite as though he were not the least disturbed by the terrific strain that McCoy was patting on him. with bath drags set up nearly tight. Wllcnerer the fish wanted line he literally tore it from the reel, as if there were no drags at all. OVER FIVE HOURS OF A STRUGGLE. So passed the fifth hour: and 1 .i opening of the sixth hour round seemed to premise no change in the situation, of which the fish was. M far. absolutely the master. We had long since gtrea up con. rs.-ition. McCoy saving his energies for the fierce battle, and I watching every move of the fish. Suddenly our antagonist began to rise. I p and np he came until I caught a glin pse of a monster body through the seas :i hundred yards away. I knew at once that was not a bro; ilbill. but I could not decided what it was. At last, after a bit of niaiieiivci lag on tioth our parts i get the launch up close eaoagh to drive ray largest gaff in bark of a sage head that was attached to a body whose tail end disappeared ill the depths, so long was it. My turn at fightiag began then, o the Boaster hraged and hauled at the gaff until 1 thought that my arms were being torn from tie ir sockets. Finally. McCoy Mid me my 41 caliber Colt and one shot at the base of the enormous flail like tall put that out of commission, bringing the straggle to an end. "What is if." McCoy almost gasped from one of the fishing hairs into which he had literally dropped. / •Thrasher Shark, and worlds record at that" I had to belay the fish by the tail and make that fast to a bin aft. in order to law it to part, as I eoojld not lift even its head from the water, nor had I the least idea how long it was. Twelve tedieiis miles separated us from Avalon harbor. A roaghtsh sea was raaatag, and with mv big. clumsy tow it took me nearly two hours to make it. Weighed and measured our Thrasher Shark Was 888 pounds and 10 feet nine inches long: The older fishermen here renn tuber one or two of the species having been hooked in the past, but ilthough the J were much Smaller tliev smashed all tackle right and left and depart -d HABITS AND FEROCITY OF THRASHER SHARK. Perhaps it would be of interest to explain the Thrash* r la a few words: He almost always travels in company with a Saw Pish liar, in reality. is another of the Shark species and they subsist chiefly by attacking whales, tearing oat their tongues and eating them: This nimndK fantastic. to say the least, but I have personally- seen frightful battles between the Saw Kish and tin- Thrasher Shark on the one hand, and a full grown whale on the other — in southern European waters. The method of attacking is that the Saw Pish and the Thrasher find a whale and set upon him. the dutv of the Saw Fish being to jab th- iiafortunate sea leviathan in the stomach from utneath. thus forcing him to the surface, and preventing his sounding. The instant that the whales head and shoulders appear above the surface the Thrasher hurls its great weight out of water and brings the terri Me tail down on fhe whales head with stunning f-rce. On a aim day the sound of it can be heard a very hmg distance, and it is l,ke that of a big gun booming. This attack is kept up until the whale is exhausted and its lower jaw drops open. In dash the attackers and tear i ut the ponderous tongue. This they devour and the Whale drifts off to die. The water abOBt the s,-,.n . „f oae of these- titanic battles is tinged red f s an acre or more, and the lesser sharks gather in thousands to the feast. Such. then, is the character of t ie brute that McCoy successfully handled on the regolattoa Titna Club Heavy Tackle, that is used for Swordfish and Tuna, under the club rules. Tine : six hours. — Lawrence Matt in Field and Stream.
