with a strong yellowish tinge; tail, yellowish buff. 

 Scales small, with the head bare, except a small patch 

 on the cheeks. Pectoral fin on a level with the eye and 

 small; ventral under the center of the pectoral; caudal, 

 slim and forked. The dorsal fin is double, the front 

 being very small with spines and the second half more 

 than twice as high; dorsal and anal fins continue in a 

 low membrane to very near the tail. Body, eliptical 

 and very small at the base of the caudal fin. 



Tackle and Lure Same as for salmon or albacore. 



THE CALIFORNIA SWORDFISH 



(Tetrapturus mitsukuri) 



By many anglers for large and exciting game, the 

 California swordfish is pronounced the king of all game 

 fishes. Certainly they put up a very determined and 

 exciting fight. In size they average about 180 pounds, 

 though one has been taken at Catalina by W. C. 

 Boschen that weighed 355 pounds. When a swordfish 

 is hooked its rushes are desperate, even reckless, and 

 at times dangerous to the angler. In its determined 

 efforts to free itself from the impaling hook, it threshes 

 the waters into foam, repeatedly leaping into the air, 

 where the sunlight scintillating upon the purple of its 

 back and silvery sides adds the charm of color to the 

 excitement of the contest. It is safe to say that there 

 is no fish, either in the salt or fresh waters, that is so 

 constantly on the surface and in the air during its 

 struggles for freedom as is the California swordfish. 

 Thirty, forty and even fifty clean leaps into the sunlight 

 by the one fish have been recorded in its desperate 

 struggle to baffle the skill of the angler. 



The snout of the swordfish is continued into a long, 

 sharp bone, which measured from the back of the 

 mouth is about one-fourth of the length of the fish from 

 the mouth to the base of the tail. The under jaw is 

 also a sharp projecting bone about half the length of 

 the sword. The dorsal fin rises sharply from the top of 

 the head to a height nearly equaling the depth of the 

 body, the latter part curving downward and continuing 

 along the back to nearly the center of the body; tail 

 divided into two long, slim forks; second dorsal and 

 anal near the tail and nearly opposite each other; ven- 

 tral fin below the terminal of the first dorsal; pectoral 

 fins rather long and located close to the gill-covers; 

 two long, slender feelers projecting from the center of 

 the throat just below the base of the pectorals; eye 

 very large and bright dark blue. 

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