2o8 Fish Stories 



like the weed. I could see possibly sixty feet down, and as 

 I looked, the blue of the ocean was intensified, and by tear- 

 ing the weed apart I made the most marvelous mosaic 

 imaginable: sapphires of all sizes and shapes, represented 

 by the blue of the ocean, set in various forms — a fascinating 

 lattice, through which I could see fairy-like jellyfishes, 

 forms of great delicacy and grace, all floating beneath this 

 living umbrella. 



Hardly had our baited hooks descended ten feet before 

 we had hooked yellowtails ranging from twenty to twenty- 

 five pounds. Every move of the fish could be watched, 

 from the time it took the bait until twenty minutes later, 

 when it came to the gaff. They appreciated the importance 

 of the umbrella, as in every instance they attempted to run 

 for it, winding in and out, hoping to break the line ; and to 

 see so large and beautiful a fish, not five feet below, moving 

 about against a blue background of great brilliancy, was to 

 see one of the sights of one^s life. 



The next patch of weed that we stopped near was a point 

 of attraction to numerous long-finned tunas, and by a system 

 of chumming, we collected many about the launches weigh- 

 ing from fifteen to thirty pounds. Their broad backs were 

 the color of chocolate; and I noticed that they carried the 

 long side fins at an angle of 45°, but, apparently, did not use 

 them in swimming, though of this I was not certain. With 

 them were bonitos (skipjacks), and occasionally out of the 

 deep blue depths would come the yellowfin tuna ; a splendid 

 game fish which has been added to the Santa Catalina list 

 of game fishes during the past three years. 



From one to another of these floating islands we passed, 

 and late in the afternoon found one eight miles offshore, in 

 the very heart of the '' doldrums." As we ran quietly up, 

 several large fishes, which we supposed were yellowtails, 

 waved their fins and disappeared. As we moved on, and 

 the bait passed the island, z-e-e-e ! broke on the air, the reel 

 screamed, the lithe split bamboo bent and swayed almost to 



