APPENDIX 371 



of the islands. Taken with 6-ounce or g-ounce rods, 6-thread 

 or 9-thread hnes. Bait, fresh sardine, smelt, or Wilson spoon, 

 though when hungry the yellowtail will strike at anything, and 

 a large i8-inch flying-fish is the best bait for large specimens. 

 Affects waters alongshore, deep or shallow; can be found out 

 at sea under kelp islands when the angler can cast a sardine. 

 The hook, No. lo, should have a short wire leader. Pound 

 for pound the yellowtail is the hardest fighting fish around the 

 islands. Two hundred feet of Hne is sufficient. Trolling or 

 still-fishing. Season: April to December 15, changing year by 

 year. 



TACKLE 



The rods referred to above are made of split bamboo, noibe 

 wood, a species of South American greenheart, American green- 

 heart, ironwood. The author prefers spHt bamboo, all things 

 considered, but uses greenheart and noibe wood. The speci- 

 fications of the Tuna Club are now followed by many makers, 

 and such rods are for sale at Avalon by the various dealers. 

 The rods are all single sticks, that is, the tip is long, not jointed, 

 the butt being short, intended to fit into the belt socket of 

 leather, shown in the illustration, or in the heavy rods, into 

 the seat socket. 



The angler can, of course, use any kind of a rod, but to have 

 a chance for prizes in the tournaments, they must be of a cer- 

 tain size as given. 



REELS 



The reel is a most important feature in sea-angling. A poor 

 reel is impossible, as after a long play it will "bind," or "go 

 to pieces." There are a number of reels in use, but I think it 

 is no disparagement to other makers to say that the sea-fishing 

 reels of Edwin Vom Hofe are mostly used here, for the reason 

 that they have stood the test of tuna fishing for twenty-five 

 years. Three sizes are used, one for small fishes, one for yel- 

 lowtails, and fishes up to 60 or 100 pounds, and another hold- 

 ing 600 feet of No. 21 thread hne for the leaping tuna and the 

 Santa Catahna swordfish. These and other reels cost from $5 

 to $75, and are shown in plates facing pages 58 and 59. 



The rod is important, but the reel is still more so, as it must, 



