64 
by cutting the light line in some way. 
An hour passed,.during which I hooked 
a 227 pound jew fish on the hand line, 
and wore myself out with it, my com- 
panion finally bringing it in. Shortly 
the Major had a good bite and hooked 
his fish, amid aloud screaming of the 
reel, during which the skipper took the 
oars and guided the boat as the jew fish 
towed them away and began one of the 
pluckiest fights I have ever seen. The 
oarsman managed the boat well, but in 
a few minutes the big fish had carried 
them five hundred feet away, and I 
could hear the ominous clicking of the 
Major’s reel as it fairly screeched out 
the tuneful music; then I saw the rod 
bend and sometimes almost disappear in 
the water. The big fish made some 
fine runs out and down; 
times he rushed around the kelp, finally 
becoming entangled in it. 
a tin can buoy aboard, and this was now 
cast over with the rod lashed to it, and 
left floating while the fisherman re- 
turned to the launch, where I had in 
the meantime hooked three or four jew 
fish, some on the rod, caught a hundred- 
pounder on the hand line and lost all 
my tackle. Having rigged up a grap- 
nel, they returned to the small boat, 
hooked the kelp and pulled itup. Then 
I heard the shriek of the Major’s reel 
again as the big fish made a desperate 
run, taking 100 or 200 feet of line. 
Checked by skillful work, it began to 
sulk and laid like a rock on the bottom 
in fifty feet of water. 
Inch by inch it was brought up, then 
would make desperate rushes and sulk 
again, the very prince of sulkers. For 
‘two hoursand a-half the fight continued, 
the shrieking reel, the hissing of the 
line alone breaking the stillness; then 
the small boat moved toward me, and a» 
shout announced that the deed was 
and several 
There was 
The American Angler 
done, and the big 
had succumbed to 
fish of 158 pounds 
a light rod and a 
veritable thread of a line in the hands 
of one of the most skillful wielders of 
the rod California has ever seen. 
We hauled up anchor and steamed in 
with three fish: one of roo pounds, one 
of 158, and one of 227 pounds. We had 
struck ‘a school of jew fish, and had we 
been well equipped with bait and tackle, 
could have taken in many hundred 
pounds of black sea bass. Fishing for 
this fish is not likely to become popular, 
owing to the hard work entailed. 
Taking the yellow tail is the sport par 
excellence in southern California waters. 
The fish ranges from 15 to 89 pounds, 
25 being a good average; and ona light 
rod it affords much sport, fighting from 
first to last with all the energ’y of a bass, 
and only giving in when killed. Two 
or three catches of 20 or 25 pounders is 
work and enjoyment enough for one 
day, and one would satisfy the average 
fisherman. 
The extent of the schools of yellow 
tail at Santa Catalina in summer is al- 
most beyond belief. The fish color the 
water for acres, while the albicore and 
other big fish often beat the blue waters 
into foam for miles. 
There are times when the yellow tail 
refuses any bait, however tempting it 
may be or scientifically handled. At 
such times one can often plainly see 
great shoals of them beneath the boat 
and almost touch them with the line, to 
no purpose. When, however, this 
game fish concludes to feed, they be- 
come quite ravenous, often chasing 
smaller fish upon the shore by their 
pursuit. At these times they can be 
taken with a throwline from the shore 
with often no other bait than a strip of 
white cloth. 
In June and early July the waters — 
