Catching Sharks While You Sleep
As told to “Awake!” correspondent in the Leeward Islands
THE alarming cry “SHARK!” generally sends the most stouthearted persons scurrying for safety. For us West Indian fishermen, however, such an alert can often mean meat on the table and a sizable profit.
Capturing one of these man-eaters, though, is no simple task. And I am convinced, after 32 years of earning my living as a fisherman, that the safest way is what I call my “sleeping method.” It is a way to catch a shark while you sleep. Permit me to explain.
Some years ago I began fishing with traps made of wire mesh stretched over a wooden frame. These are hexagonal in shape and are constructed with tapered entrances through which fish and other sea creatures enter, thus becoming trapped. Generally four feet (1 meter) in diameter, the traps are anchored to a heavy stone. I deposit them some two miles (3 kilometers) offshore from my home island of Anguilla in the Caribbean Sea.
However, I faced a continuing problem with large sharks. They would ram my traps, destroying them; and then the sharks would gorge themselves on the released fish. Smaller sharks sometimes penetrated the entrances to these traps and devoured the contents.
Frustrated after waiting for hours one night to catch one of these thieves on a baited line, I began reasoning: Why not set a trap for Mr. Shark and catch him with ease while I myself am peacefully sleeping at home?
I devised a plan for doing this, but my fishing partner was skeptical. Knowing Mr. Shark’s violent nature under normal circumstances, my partner felt that we would be much farther ahead not risking our necks in exchange for a few salvaged fish. Certain, though, that it was not as risky as he imagined, I began gathering equipment to put my plan into action.
A Simple but Effective Trap
The trap itself was a simple one. I took a 20-foot (6-meter) length of steel wire 3/16 of an inch (.5 centimeter) in diameter and fastened it to a stone weighing 40 pounds (18 kilograms). I tied the other end to a large piece of wood that would serve as a buoy. To the other end of this wooden buoy was attached a second length of the same steel wire. At its far end was a large fishhook with fish as bait. Then the stone was pitched to the bottom of the sea near my traps (12 feet [4 meters] below the surface), leaving the buoy floating atop the water. Next, I began rowing ashore slowly, more confident than ever of a big catch if Mr. Shark came prodding around my fish traps.
The following morning my partner and I went out to sea as usual. About 500 yards (460 meters) from the buoy I observed immediately that one end of it was up and the other submerged. Much to our delight, we found half of a five-foot (1.5-meter) shark on the hook. A larger shark had eaten the other half. Since employing my method, I have caught over 500 sharks, including such types as lemon, black tip, bull, brown, nurse and kingfisher. They range from three to 10 feet (1 to 3 meters) in length.
Some might conclude that once the shark is hooked and remains anchored to the large stone, it would be in torment. This is not necessarily so, for one authority states: “The small brain and underdeveloped nervous system protects the shark against feelings of pain or fear, making it extremely difficult for man to produce an effective device for shark defense.”
However, it would be unwise to think that just because a shark is hooked, it is a simple thing to land it while it is still alive. This is definitely not an easy task.
No Job for the Fainthearted
Allow me to relate two of my most trying encounters with 10-footers. The first was with a large blacktip, identifiable by a black dot on the extremity of the fins. Approaching the buoy near the fish traps, I noticed one of these huge creatures hooked to my special trap. My partner warned that we should not touch it, because it appeared to be too big for our little 10-foot boat. By observing the creature through a diving mask, I could see that it was tired and was floating upside down at the bottom.
Despite my friend’s protest, I felt certain that, if it could be surfaced in the same position (with its belly up), we could capture it. With the aid of a long grappling hook, I gently raised it to the surface. Happily, it showed no sign of fight. Soon, the white underside was alongside the waterline of our skiff. Quickly, we disemboweled the shark! This exposed its two layers of liver. And these provided sufficient buoyancy to keep the carcass afloat while we towed it ashore.
Landing a Kingfisher
An example of the dangers involved can be seen from my experience with a 10-foot kingfisher shark several years ago. Upon approaching the location where the man-eater had ensnared itself, I proceeded cautiously so as to make sure that it was properly hooked. Upon observing its size, however, I was somewhat doubtful of my ability to handle this shark all by myself in such a small boat. But the thought of realizing nearly two months’ wages ($700 in our local currency, or $269 U.S.) from a fish of this size emboldened me. After looking over the situation again, I decided to disconnect from the buoy the rope to which the shark was hooked, and then to tow the fish to shore.
Now the hard work commenced. With the monster in tow, I began forcing all my 202 pounds (92 kilograms) into the oars, heading for the nearest bay about 500 yards (460 meters) distant. At first, there was little difficulty. Mr. Shark followed like a lamb. But at about 100 yards (90 meters) from the beach, this fellow started putting up stiff resistance, yanking the little boat in a zigzag fashion and violently churning the water. The more the shark tugged, the more desperately I pulled on the oars.
After getting to within 12 feet (4 meters) of the shore, I leaped into the surf up to my waist, still hanging on to the rope to which the shark was hooked. Wrapping the rope around my waist and arms, I continued straining backward until the shark’s head rested on the sand about two feet (.6 meter) from the water’s edge. After beaching the boat and securing the rope to it, I began searching frantically for something with which to kill the giant fish. Yet nothing was in sight. Running some 450 yards (410 meters), I finally discovered a large piece of driftwood. To my disgust it disintegrated with the first blow at the shark, with the result that the giant began thrashing about in the water and sand.
Desperately, I again ran in search of a weapon, this time at least 600 yards (550 meters). Coming back with a solid wooden club, I managed somehow to conquer the kingfisher. Tired and dragging, I attempted to roll this 650-pound (290-kilogram) giant into the boat in order to transport it to a place where I could get assistance. But it would not budge. As a last resort, I decided to refloat this fellow, towing the shark behind the boat for about 3/4 mile (1.2 kilometers) to a point where further assistance was available.
Useful Indeed
All parts of this dangerous sea creature are edible, except its razor-sharp teeth. In the islands, news of a shark catch gets around quickly and housewives come right to the boat to purchase portions for their meals. Some prepare Mr. Shark in stews, casseroles and steaks. Perhaps shark-fin soup is more to your fancy.
You may be surprised to learn that the liver of some sharks accounts for nearly 10 percent of the entire weight. I have seen shark livers five feet (1.5 meters) long and nearly three feet (1 meter) in width. They had been hung in the sun to drip their precious vitamin-rich oil. It takes about two weeks to extract all the oil. However, if a boiling method is employed, the time is much shorter. Some fishermen prefer to do this in an isolated place because of the offensive odor. On the average, shark livers of this size produce as much as 30 to 40 quarts (28 to 38 liters) of oil. Islanders use it in efforts to combat illnesses such as head colds, epilepsy, pneumonia, rheumatism and a host of other ailments.
No, I have not been bitten by a shark to date, although once, while butchering one, I scratched my finger on a tooth. The pain from that tiny scratch lasted for hours, convincing me that a shark’s bite can spell certain death.
Hereabouts, the cry “SHARK!” is not often heard of late. I assume that we have caught most of the big ones. Or perhaps sharkdom has spread a word of warning about my “sleeping technique.”
[Diagram on page 18]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
SHARK TRAP
BUOY
DISCONNECT SHARK FROM HERE
ROPE OR WIRE CABLE
1/4” STEEL WIRE
12 FT.
FISH POT
BAIT AND HOOK
STONE