The White Sea-bass 25 



bamboo, greenheart, or any good wood, is em- 

 ployed. I have used light rods for these fishes, 

 which compare with the striped bass of the East ; 

 in fact, the white sea-bass takes the place of the 

 latter as a sport in Southern California, but I 

 have fished with a much lighter rod for my fifty- 

 pounders than is used for a striped-bass of this 

 weight at Cuttyhunk and elsewhere. As a matter 

 of fair play, the rod should be seven or eight feet 

 long; and if the water was always shallow, longer 

 ones could be used. At the islands where these 

 fishes most do congregate, the water is often ex- 

 tremely deep and blue a stone's toss from the 

 beach, and a sulking fish two or three hundred 

 feet down must often be considered after a rush ; 

 hence the rod must be sufficiently stiff to enable 

 the angler to bring it to the surface. The major- 

 ity of the catches are made in the bays, in fairly 

 shallow water, and as the well-equipped angler 

 will have several rods he can adapt himself to 

 circumstances. The line should be a number 

 fifteen, or smaller, despite the size of the fish, 

 if the latter is to have the advantage, which 

 of course is essential ; and the hook, a 9/0 Lim- 

 erick, or an O'Shaughnessy, or any good hook 

 of this size, with a piano-wire leader a foot in 



