Fighting a Swordfish at Night 3 



launch Juanita, George Michalis, skipper, and 

 an eighteen-foot launch owned by Felice Jose 

 Presiado, or " Mexican Joe," who had, as first 

 mate, a little boy, Joaquin Arce, and as a mas- 

 cot, the small tuna hound Trixie. We had a 

 chef, Mr. Jim Bates, two light skiffs, and very 

 soon, a tame goat, an eagle, and " many ex- 

 periences on land and sea." The guests were U. S. 

 Senator Frank Flint, ex-Governor George Pardee 

 of California, Stewart Edward White, and 

 myself. 



We reached the little indentation which is 

 called a harbor by courtesy, on the 8th of Sep- 

 tember, and quickly had the camp in shape. The 

 men and the kitchen were located at Mosquito, 

 the anglers selecting a second canon to the north 

 for tents and sleeping bags. 



The three previous years had demonstrated 

 San Clemente to be a real angler's paradise, at 

 least in July, August, and October. Often each 

 of the six anglers would have a yellowtail of 

 from twenty-five to thirty-five pounds hooked on 

 a nine-ounce rod and nine-thread line at the 

 same time, the sport being fast and furious. 

 But now something had happened. Yellowtail 

 were scarce, not so large, and in their place, 

 as though to fill the void, big, long, lithe sword- 

 fish paraded up and down the coast, and in 

 places the game whitefish, up to eight or nine 

 pounds, swarmed. In a word, the fishing was 



