A BOOK OF FISHING STORIES 



ming slowly down along the smooth waters of the Island, so 

 tame that they pay little attention to the launch as it crosses 

 and recrosses them, so that the angler may place his lure in 

 front of them ; and no more beautiful sight can be witnessed 

 than that afforded by this swordfish dashing close to the boat 

 to seize the bait being hauled in, or swimming lazily about the 

 boat. At such times, the great fish, perhaps eleven feet long, 

 is of the intense blue of the ocean, and appears to merge into 

 it like a big tourmaline ; when it turns on its side, tiger- 

 like stripes are seen, a dome-like forehead, big staring eyes, 

 powerful tail and fins, and two rapier-like swords. 



The tackle used for tuna and swordfish is the same ; a rod 

 seven feet or more in length, not over i6 ounces in weight, 

 a 21- or 24-thread line, with a breaking strength of not over 

 48 pounds. This is light tackle for a fish that can tow thirty 

 boats and sixty men, but it illustrates the fine standard of sport 

 established by the Tuna Club in America. 



With the swordfish and leaping tuna are the long-finned 

 tuna, the black sea bass, the yellow-finned tuna and other big 

 game fishes, all coming in from the great unknown at different 

 times, in spring, fall, or summer, to afford excitement to the 

 angler. The black sea bass attains a weight of 1000 lb,, and 

 has been taken with rod and reel weighing 400 lb. or over ; 

 some of the records of the Tuna Club tell the story of the mar- 

 vellous catches which have as a basic principle fair play to the 

 game, all being made on light tackle. Record tuna, 251 lb., 

 Col. C. P. Morehouse, Pasadena, California. Yellow fin tuna, 

 60 lb., Mr. Arthur Jerome Eddy, Pasadena. Record sword- 



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