ALBACORA 93 



Hemingway stands as the most distinguished of fishing 

 writers, but Philip Wylie is only slightly less famous. 

 The honor roll of famous fishermen covers more than 

 one profession, though. Some old-timers still boast of 

 how they learned where the fish were while running rum 

 during the years of prohibition. Others, who are just as 

 skillful, were coast guardsmen stationed along the shore. 

 The society of fishing men and women cuts through lots 

 of ice and more than one quick slug of whiskey, too. 



The blending of unmethodical sport with disciplined 

 science is not so strange as it might seem at first. Today's 

 finest fishing people are all advocates of conservation. 

 Neither Lou nor I ever kill a fish unless it is to be used 

 for food or for scientific examination. After enough 

 years of catching everything that swims — except for 

 Bosco — ^the edge of excitement that comes from indis- 

 criminately hauling in fish has been dulled. A few years 

 ago when Lou and I originally stumbled across a sea- 

 going scientist, we were immediately fascinated. Stum- 

 bled is perhaps not the right word, but fascinated is a 

 decided understatement. 



We were on a fishing trip to the Bahamas, and one 

 particularly bright afternoon, as we sailed into South 

 Bimini harbor, we saw a man go riding on a shark. As 

 we watched, he jumped from a small boat into the mid- 

 dle of a school of huge nurse sharks which were lying 

 close to the surface of the water. With quick, long 

 strokes the man swam to the side of the most imposing 



