[614606]

Bought the book, " Hemingway on Fishing ", was disturbed to find out that he would go out fishing for sharks with a submachine gun. Not only did he use it, but shot himself with the gun and never quite recovered again.

Despite the fact that he wrote about great fishing tales along with Zane Grey, I think that these " zealous " sportsman are a thing of the past, similar to Tiger Hunting and Elephant hunts.

Could the above be true, or just a rumor or misconcpeption on my part?

 

[Capt. Marc]

Rooster,

That was then and I believe it was probably true. Back then conservation wasn't much of a thought. The early writters (Grey, Farrington, Heilner, etc) really were the founding fathers of sport salt water fishing. About the same time, the IGFA began and things started to turn around.

One book you should look for (used) is "Fishing with Hemmingway and Glassell" by s. Kip Farrington Jr. 1971.

Let me know if you have any other questions on old fishing books. It is a hobby on the off season and I have a bunch.

Capt. Marc

 

[spygull]

You have to judge Hemingway in the context of the times in which he lived. He was an innovator and along with guys like kip farrington. helped bring the sport of big game fishing to where it is today. Sure there were excesses but you dont have to go too far back to see the same practices takeing place. When the Bayshore Shark tournament first started in 1962. The standard practice was to bring everything back to the dock for weigh in and then load the carcasses into a waiting garbage truck. Most offshore boats carried harpoons in the event we encountered a finning broadbill, we'd make a couple of passes with a rigged squid and if he didnt take we'd button hole him and take him to Whitecap in islip. I saw guys stick everything from sunfish to basking sharks. They'd bring them ashore for a photo opp. and drag them back out to sea the next day.
Today we know better (I hope). Hemingway was a man who lived life to the fullest. He drank too much, skrewed around too much, did whatever he wanted to without regard convention, and could be a royal pain in the ass. I dont know to many guys that don't envy the life he had and wish they had the balls to do the same thing.