ECUADOR 



in great numbers and there is wonderful fishing, but that is 

 about as far south as they go. They are all along the Ecua- 

 dorian coast, in fact they can be picked up all the way down 

 from northern Mexico. In Ecuador and Peru they are called 

 gallo and pez de gallo. Puerto Lopez, twenty-five miles from 

 La Plata Island, is one of the most noted hot spots for them. 



The roosterfish in Mexico, Central America and Panama 

 is usually called papagallo. The farthest north that I have ever 

 heard of them being found is occasionally off the Coronado 

 Islands, just across the Mexican line from California. 



On 6- and 9-thread line the roosterfish gives a fine account 

 of himself— particularly on the former. The fight is up to 

 anything one can get out of amberjack with a dolphin 

 thrown in. Usually there are five or six good jumps and some- 

 times this fish will make magnificent runs on the surface with 

 his beautiful dorsal fin raised high like a rooster's comb. He 

 is a real scrapper and of all the game fish in the Pacific I 

 would rate this one tenth as far as fighting potential is con- 

 cerned. He ranks just after the dolphin in my estimation. To 

 watch roosterfish playing around and feeding off the beach 

 is a thrilling experience. I can hardly wait until I take one 

 surf casting. This year (1953) Gardiner Marsh, the great 

 Atlantic caster from Nantucket, took them at Cape San 

 Lucas up to 48 pounds, and he considered that in all his cast- 

 ing experience they were the greatest fish he has ever taken 

 with a surf rod. They really go to town when hooked. Un- 

 fortunately I didn't spend enough time surfcasting in Peru. 

 Otherwise I might have been lucky enough to land one of 

 these beauties. 



The roosterfish might properly be called a jack except for 



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