450 FISH ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF. 



these fish are to be taken off the Queensland coast, 

 and along the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, which 

 runs for quite 1250 miles along" the N.E. coast of 

 that continent. * The limits of these pages will not 

 admit of our giving a description of the fish and 

 fisheries of this marvellous Australian marine aquarium 

 for such we may truly call it. In our chapter on 

 the ocean however we have given a short account of 

 this and other great coral reefs. Nowhere, however, 

 are these natural wonders to be seen in greater perfection 

 than on the Great Barrier Reef. 



Passengers on board coasting steamers anchoring 

 off their ports of call, can often beguile the time they 

 are detained in harbour by bringing out their hand- 

 lines, and can frequently obtain very fair fishing, 

 in many parts of the world. They will find that a 

 supply of fishing tackle will well repay its cost and 

 the trouble of carrying it. But more especially, per- 

 sons making voyages on board sailing ships can 

 at times obtain excellent sport in mid-ocean, in tropical 

 seas, when dolphins, bonitas, albicore, and other 

 fish are seen frequently playing round the ship in 

 numerous shoals; but very strong lines and hooks, 

 attached to copper wire traces, will be required. 

 Large-sized spoons would probably be very effective. 

 Indeed as a rule in all waters nothing does better all 

 round than the spoon; but a good bait is readily 

 made with a piece of raw pork skin five or six 

 inches long by two or two and a half inches wide, 

 through which the hook is passed twice, so that the 



* The Great Barrier Reef of Australia : Its Products and Potentialities. 

 by W. Saville Kent, Ex-President of the Royal Society of Queensland, 

 published London 1893, imperial 410 (splendidly illustrated), p. 302. 



