ROD FISHING IN THE SEA. yy 



I tried, and I had not been fishing many minutes before 

 I rose, and struck, a "cahg." A few more fish were taken, 

 but, as they were small, I determined to go still further 

 south, and fish about fifty or sixty yards from the rocks. 

 Accordingly " the boys" bent to their oars, and away we 

 shot from the Carrig to Table-land point. I was fishing 

 with two flies to one rod, and to the other an artificial 

 Devon bait, and I may as well say that with the latter I 

 only took one fish (and that a very poor one) during 

 three hours' fishing. As we rowed away I let out more 

 of my fly line and shortly had my reward, for I 

 felt a tremendous pull, and the line ran off the 

 reel at lightning speed. " Easy, boys," and whilst my 

 wife reeled up the trolling line I played my fish, 

 which was making the rod (a strong two-handed green- 

 heart rod of Farlow's) bend in a way to try the temper of 

 the top piece. My trace was one which I had used for 

 trout fishing, so I had to humour my fish, which for ten 

 minutes or so seemed to be making for every point of 

 the compass. Foot by foot I got him in, and, as my 

 wife sat ready with net in hand, there was a great splash, 

 and I saw that there was more than " a him" — there were 

 two fish on. Short work it was to bring them up to 

 landing distance, and the net being quietly put under 

 them, two exceedingly large mackarel were taken out of 

 the water and dropped into the boat. The ten minutes' 

 playing those two mackarel on somewhat fine tackle was 

 as good a bit of sport as I ever experienced, and to such 

 anglers as have not fished for mackarel with the fly and 

 rod, I can only say " Do so once and you will do it 



