FISHING THE PACIFIC 



FISHING BOATS AND THEIR EQUIPMENT 



From 1933 to 1936 I thought I would be damned par- 

 ticular if I had my choice of the kind of fishing boat I 

 wanted. I felt at the time that, although not an absolute 

 necessity, it was fairly important to have twin motors and 

 that the boat should be from twenty-eight to thirty-two feet 

 in length if you really wanted the ideal craft for quick 

 maneuvering. 



But since that era I have caught large fish out of rowboats, 

 skiifs, dories, sampans, commercial boats, boats used for fish- 

 ing at Guam and the Philippines by Naval officers during the 

 war. I have also fished from various pleasure craft that had 

 never been intended for big game fishing— so now I've 

 changed my mind. I believe that the important thing is to 

 have a clearheaded hand at the wheel, one who will keep cool 

 and knows how to handle the boat. He should, of course, 

 have had some fishing experience, but I believe if he knows 

 enough to follow instructions he can operate the boat satis- 

 factorily by taking orders from an experienced angler during 

 the fight. I do not mean to imply that topside controls, twin 

 motors, twin rudders, and high-speed engines are not assets— 

 they certainly are. But I'm convinced that the ultra-modern 

 fishing craft with its plethora of luxurious appointments, in 

 use off so many Atlantic coast ports, is not absolutely essen- 

 tial to an angler's success in taking fish. 



I still prefer a thirty-foot boat for hght-tackle fishing and 

 fast handling, especially if the water conditions are fairly 

 smooth and if you can return to port every night without too 



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