FISHING THE PACIFIC 



water and away from the boat? The fact is, of course, that the 

 term "foul-hooked" is misleading. Instead of being nasty to 

 the fish, it is nasty to the angler. 



I can give you still another laugh. The statement has been 

 made to me that swordfish anglers catch broadbill reluctant 

 to strike by dragging the bait across the fish's back, head, or 

 dorsal fin and thus foul-hooking him. In my judgment the 

 odds would be a thousand to one against the success of such 

 a trick. It is practically impossible without having the fish 

 strike the bait. If you were able to foul-hook one in this 

 manner, you would simply be in for another dog-on-the- 

 leash fight like the one I had with a small fish at Montauk in 

 July, 1940. 



Legends and old wives' tales have their uses. They help to 

 provide informed and reasonable anglers with comic-section 

 entertainment. 



THE ROD 



Next in importance to the line, a good rod is the most essen- 

 tial piece of fishing equipment. If your rod breaks, your fish 

 is automatically disqualified. The finest and, by all odds, the 

 most satisfactory rods I have ever seen or used are those made 

 by the Tycoon Tackle Company of Miami, Florida, of 

 which Frank O'Brien is president. One of the best anglers in 

 the U.S., on either light or heavy tackle, fresh water or salt, 

 O'Brien has embodied in these rods many of the ideas he has 

 gained through personal experience. The rod tips made for 

 39- and 54-thread these days all weigh up very heavy because 

 of their hardware. With the modern roller tips, high guides, 

 heavy ferrules and locking attachments at the butt, the 



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