FISHING THE PACIFIC 



must have been a most unusual fish. It seems strange that no 

 one has ever taken a striped marlin between these weights 

 with all the striped marlin that are caught. We know the 

 biggest are off Chile, with Peru second. 



The bait used for marlin off Chile consists of strips from 

 the bellies of oceanic bonitos and the hooks are 9/0 or 1 0/0. 

 These fish are so easy to hook down there that the late Cap- 

 tain Bill Hatch remarked to me on his return that it was like 

 feeding a dolphin. The tackle at the very heaviest should 

 be 24-thread with a i6-ounce tip. The 15-thread and 10- 

 ounce tip is about the proper size for the experienced angler, 

 but he can also take fish in 9-thread line with a 6-ounce tip. 

 On the other hand they are so heavy for this size tackle off 

 Chile that a lot of time will be wasted in trying to catch them 

 with it. The leader may be no longer than 15 feet and for 

 cable I prefer the lightweight that would test no heavier than 

 250 pounds. The great majority of the marhn off Chile are 

 seen tailing and it is then that the bait should be presented. 



Glassell, Lerner and I have never trolled in these waters. If 

 we want to catch one, we simply stop. As already stated, the 

 trolling bait slows you down so much you waste time on 

 your swordfishing. Personally, while I know you can raise 

 striped marlin in these waters, I believe that with so many of 

 them around you have just as good chance of finding one on 

 the surface as raising one with bait. 



It is very hard for the average angler to pass them up, but 

 the swordfish angler must remember that stopping to bait, 

 fight and catch a marhn means wasting that much time when 

 he might be sighting and perhaps hooking a swordfish. I've 

 seen twenty-two tailing striped marlin in a day's fishing off 



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