The Leaping Tuna 59 



rarely seen near the mainland of California ; the 

 island mentioned is about twenty miles out to sea, 

 and a natural feeding-ground of the fish in 

 summer, the alert tuna using the open bays into 

 which to drive its victims, the California flying- 

 fishes. The tuna boats of Catalina Island are 

 designed for the purpose, and are mainly stiff, 

 broad-beamed launches, built for three persons: 

 two anglers, who sit side by side in chairs facing 

 the stern, and the boatman, who is helmsman, 

 gaffer, and engineer of the three or more horse- 

 power gasolene engine. Overhead is an awning, 

 which is raised by the gaffer when the strike 

 comes, and each boat has a flag bearing the 

 figure of a tuna, which is thrown to the breeze 

 the moment a fish is hooked, so that interested 

 spectators ashore can tell several miles away 

 whether good luck is in the wind. 



There are two essentials in tuna fishing, a 

 cool, intelligent, and practised gaffer, and per- 

 fect tackle ; with these the novice can be assured 

 that the responsibility for the loss of the fish 

 rests on his own shoulders. As to tackle, I 

 recall one angler who made a practice of never 

 using the same line twice ; at the end of the day 

 he presented it to the boatman. This is unnec- 



