Bluefisb and Blue Waters 193 



until there is a strike, or the squid has passed within 

 the limit of good water. The prowling blues feed 

 outside the surf, hence the squid should strike the 

 water well beyond that point. 



The amateur squidder frequently makes fast the 

 home end of the line about his waist, or to some bit 

 of wreckage, or other convenient hold, and neatly 

 coils the line upon the ^sand. Experts term this 

 " lubberly," and hold the coils in one hand, a thing 

 which no novice should attempt. For the heave, a 

 right-handed expert holds the line in that hand at a 

 point his preferred distance above the squid, which 

 is started slowly swinging around his head. When 

 nicely going, the speed is increased till the whirling 

 tackle fairly whistles ; then, at precisely the right 

 instant, the final heave is given. The squid hums 

 seaward like an arrow, the line hisses after, and 

 when everything is as it should be, the squid 

 plunges into the water ahead of an almost straight 

 line. Expert heaving is a beautiful thing to watch, 

 but the ambitious novice will do well to practise a 

 bit before posing in front of a seashore crowd. 

 I once saw a blooming, blond Briton in a blatant 

 bathing-suit hook himself about the only place 

 where a big hook could enjoy a fair chance, where- 

 upon the plaudits of a mixed audience rendered a 

 swift retreat, a surgeon, a file, and a few other things 

 stern necessities. 



A squidder should wear stout gloves, but many 

 enthusiasts gamely tackle the job bare-handed and 

 learn about the scarifying power of sharp sand and 

 a straining cord. To pull a fighting blue through 

 the surf is no easy task. Quite frequently the 



