The California Weakfish 31 1 



fish seized the enormous bait and poised like a big 

 barracuda, gulping and trying to swallow it. This occu- 

 pied several seconds ; then, when the gastronomical feat 

 was an accomplished fact, it felt the slender wire leader 

 and suspecting that something was wrong, turned and 

 zeeee-zeee-zeee ! sounded the click, like a blare of silver 

 trumpets. One hundred, two hundred, three hundred 

 feet of line went hissing, screaming from the reel before 

 the rush was stopped, and then the fish came dashing 

 around the boat in a great circle on the. surface, present- 

 ing a fine spectacle of strength, beauty, and size. 



There are those who do not care for large game a 

 fifty-pounder does not appeal to them, and I confess 

 that a four- or five-pound small-mouth black bass meets 

 my fancy best ; yet there is a fascination about taking a 

 large fish ; if this were not so it would not have passed 

 into song and history that the largest fishes always es- 

 cape. As I held my rod stiff and played gently upon 

 the leather pad, mentally figuring on the chances, I half 

 believed my fish was one of the " biggest " and would 

 escape, as I was experimenting with a very fine line not 

 equal to the task. The Chinese fisherman has an es- 

 pecial god for fishing. You may see it : a bunch of red 

 firecracker-like paper, pinned to the cabin or its wall ; 

 and I fancy something of the kind was around about, as 

 the particular saint that has charge of all anglers was 

 very kind to me and I saved my catch. He made a 

 brave fight and had I forced him the line and I would 

 have parted company long before ; but I handled him 



