22 Big Game Fishes 



shallow water, where we could feast our eyes on 

 its every move. Its bearing off was splendid, 

 and so powerful was the fish that only the oars- 

 man kept it from going out to sea with skiff and 

 men. Slowly it came in, now stopping, beat- 

 ing the water ; now dashing off with all the 

 line gained by strenuous endeavor, shaking its 

 bulky head and every second testing line, rod, 

 and angler. There was no Timoleon in that 

 dancing, whirling craft, to boast of his luck and 

 see it take wings, but three men in good luck, 

 who finally saw the great fish come slowly to the 

 gaff. It circled the boat to the last, and was 

 gaffed, bearing off heavily, bending the slender 

 rod into a bow as it passed the gaffer, still vigor- 

 ous and full of fight, beating the water with its 

 big tail, hurling the foam over us, literally toss- 

 ing defiance in our faces as I unreeled the line 

 to permit the gaffer to slide it in, blazing in all 

 the colors of its kind, as he held it up a moment 

 that we might look upon its splendid proportions. 

 The actual weight of this fish was fifty-two 

 pounds several hours after the capture, and the 

 time occupied in its undoing was nearly half an 

 hour. The bass as it lay on the canvas fish-bag 

 was a picture for an artist ; nearly four feet long, 



