Appendices 385 



launch) is quite sufficient, and the hire of one with a man 

 to row it is $3. Two men can fish comfortably from the 

 sternsheets of these boats, and so divide the cost ; or you 

 can hire a boat by the week without a man for a small 

 sum, and row yourself. The boatman supplies everything, 

 including rods and reels ; but I take for granted that the 

 sportsman will bring his own tackle. You will need 

 three kinds of rod : a tuna rod, a yellowtail rod, and 

 a light rod for bonito. If economy must be practised, 

 buy no tuna tackle (which is very expensive), for one 

 boatman at least, James Gardner, has excellent rods and 

 reels. I know of only one man who makes a reliable 

 tuna reel, Edwin Vom Hofe, of New York, and his reel is 

 not yet perfect. Upon this reel must be wound three 

 hundred yards of cutty-hunk line, one hundred of twenty- 

 four ply, and the back line of twenty-one. Unless the 

 reel can hold this amount of wet line it is worthless for 

 tuna fishing. The ordinary tarpon tackle will not prove 

 satisfactory for tuna. Hooks can be bought on the island, 

 and all the tuna boatmen have gaffs, although some of 

 them (the gaffs) are not long or strong enough. You can 

 also buy on the island piano wire, and make your own 

 tuna and yellowtail spinning tackle at a price consider- 

 ably less than half of what is paid for the ready-made 

 article. Cutty-hunk lines are also for sale in Avalon. 

 The rod should not be too stiff, but stiff enough to 

 " pump " the fish when he sulks. 



For black-bass you use tuna tackle. For yellowtail, 

 sea-bass, and salmon (not found at Catalina), I have 

 found the ordinary yellowtail rods much too short and 

 too stiff. I commend a lightish spinning rod of split 

 bamboo, and the line (despite the protests of the boat- 

 men) should be fifteen ply cutty-hunk. The reel should 

 hold two hundred yards of this easily. Beware the 

 dealer who shows you a reel which he says will hold 



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