CHAPTER X 



THE SMALL GAME FISHES 



THE fishing about the Channel Islands, espe- 

 cially San Clemente and Santa Catalina, is so 

 essentially associated with big game fishes that 

 the army of small ones is often lost sight of. This is 

 a misfortune, as, if the rod is reduced in weight, or 

 the Three-Six or a trout rod employed, rare sport may 

 be had when one wearies of fighting large game. 



There is a little fish, called the blue-eyed perch, 

 found here, which can be seen in the tanks of the 

 local aquarium, that is as fine a game fish as a trout; 

 yet the little perch is not over two or three pounds in 

 weight. He is an egg-shaped fellow, a rich brown of 

 gray in color, with a beautiful light blue eye, so expres- 

 sive that he will fascinate you as you watch him. You 

 may have noticed the difference in the eyes of fishes 

 as to their expression. Some, like the sardine and 

 the sunfish, never move the eye; it is staring, black, 

 and stolid. The barracuda, mullet, yellowtail, alba- 

 core, tuna, bonito are all staring-eyed fishes. But 

 this little perch has the faculty of moving its eyes. 

 They follow you as the fish moves along the tank, 

 and this gives him a very intelligent expression. 



I can wish you no better luck than to go up to White 

 Rock, just this side of Long Point, with some old 

 and experienced boatman, and spend a morning fishing 

 for blue-eyed perch. You must anchor and "chum" 



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