PERU 



and now we know they're inshore. We rarely find them more 

 than five miles out and usually in the afternoon. The day 

 was Friday, April 13, 195 1, and I was never feeling less 

 superstitious. 



At any rate I gave no thought to the date as we worked 

 around a striped marlin. We thought we would catch one 

 and release him, as we needed the workout. This fish refused 

 to strike and acted strangely. Most of them really like the 

 bait in these waters but he kept running away from us. After 

 we had baited him four or five times he went down and I left 

 my bait in the water without taking it in. About three minutes 

 later we picked him up again. The crew told me in their 

 Spanish that they thought it was the same fish. I was not too 

 sure. For it is extremely difficult to tell the difference between 

 the striped marlin tail and the black marUn tail when they are 

 just protruding above the water. You have to get a good look 

 at to really distinguish them although the black marlin usually 

 do not stay up as long as the striped marlin— the tail goes up 

 and down and under water much more often. However, 

 some horrible mistakes have been made and some good 

 anglers have hooked some big black marlin on light tackle. 

 This particular fish came up behind the bait, followed it, then 

 took it almost indolently. When I saw that dorsal fin I knew 

 he was a black marlin and I could not believe my eyes or my 

 luck. I gave him the usual treatment. As they take the bait 

 they turn and you let the line run. In New Zealand you wait 

 for the pause. Hooking black marlin off Peru has been pat- 

 terned somewhat after New Zealand procedure although I 

 do not let them run as long after the pause as is customary 

 Down Under. 



79 



