Fighting a Swordfish at Night 21 



One angler counted over fifty-five leaps. Pinchot 

 counted fifty, in his first San Clemente fish, 

 fifteen on the night fish before sundown, and 

 how many times it leaped after night closed in 

 no one knows. This depends upon the hooking; 

 so does the endurance of the fish. The fish 

 herein described was caught with two hooks; 

 one in its mouth, the other exactly in the middle 

 of its forehead, and it was by this hook the fish 

 was played. So Pinchot was literally driving 

 the steed by a single rein, which makes the 

 catch very remarkable. No wonder it defied the 

 efforts, literally, of two men; it was practically 

 free, but for the long, thread-like driving line 

 leading back from its dome-shaped forehead. As 

 to the bad temper of some of these fishes there 

 is no question. They have the strength to pene- 

 trate ships, and the inclination at times, and 

 have often accomplished it, according to au- 

 thentic records taken by the Government. And 

 that the angler takes more risk in playing them 

 in the open sea than with any other game fish, 

 may be fairly conceded. 



