THE TIGER FISH 121 



His teeth debar the possibility of holding him with 

 anything but a specially made cast of steel tracing, and, 

 even when such formidable tackle is made use of the 

 reel must be allowed to run freely, else, if a big fish is in 

 question, the top of the rod may go. 



The method of angling usually pursued is to troll with 

 a spoon bait about an inch long. There must be plenty 

 of small but very strong hooks attached by swivels and 

 rings (no gimp) to the spoon. The mouth of the tiger 

 fish is so hard and bony that it is very hard for a single 

 hook to get a grip, and very careful play is always neces- 

 sary. Fortunately for the angler, the fish always comes 

 with a furious rush, and gulps the bait at once, when 

 the hooks, as often as not, become fixed in the gills, 

 implying his certain capture provided the tackle does not 

 give way. This last misfortune is quite likely to occur 

 should there be the slightest flaw in the line, tracing or 

 hooks. On the whole, I doubt if there be a fish in the 

 world which for its size can put up so game a fight. A 

 five-pound tiger fish may give from twenty minutes to 

 half an hour's hard play, if one is using a twelve-foot 

 trout rod. How long would it take to land a trout or 

 grilse of the same size, using similar tackle ? 



When the fish are not hungry, they will follow the 

 spoon and smell at it ; it is then a good thing to place 

 a small piece of raw meat or a fish-scale on the tail hook. 

 Raw meat or fish alone is sometimes used as a bait, and 

 I once hooked and landed a small one, using a red salmon 

 fly with silver binding ; but though I often tried, I was 

 never again successful in getting a tiger fish to take a fly. 

 Given that they are hungry, numerous, and of fair size, 

 there are few amusements more enjoyable and exciting 

 than the pursuit of tiger fish, and I shall always look 

 back to a dav on the Olifants when I landed a dozen and 



