312 Life in the Open 



with care, gave line when he wished it very decidedly, 

 played him with caution, and kept down what ebullition 

 of spirits I might have had until the game was in the 

 boat. For nearly an hour this gamy fish fought me, 

 nearly always on the surface, gradually reaching off- 

 shore, coming to the gaff in a blaze of glory, and tossing 

 the water and the spray over the boat in a last defiance. 

 It was nearly five feet in length, an ocean peacock ; its 

 head ablaze with prismatic tints, its sides a rich grey, 

 the belly silver, looking very much like a typical salmon 

 and known to many anglers as the sea salmon ; yet 

 every inch a weakfish, and a fifty-pounder. * 



It would be interesting to see such a fish played on 

 a typical salmon rod, to try the relative qualities of the 

 game. I do not know positively, but I fancy that the 

 white sea-bass would wreck the salmon rod, or make 

 the catch so long that the most patient angler would be 

 wearied. 



There is no more fascinating spectacle than a large 

 school of bass swimming near the surface types of dig- 

 nity, strength, and reserve force ; and the angler should 

 never allow the opportunity to pass, as they are extremely 

 fickle and the season a short one. 



There is still another weakfish in Southern Cali- 

 fornia, called the sea trout, that does not grow so large, 

 found along the mainland shore where the larger bass 

 are rare, evidently giving the surf a wide berth. 



1 Cynoscion nobile. 



