The Leaping Tuna 63 



her 2 is for a similar purpose. Draw the knot 

 tight and cut the ends. Number 3 is a good 

 knot for fastening line to the swivel, one 

 easily made and as easily unfastened. Num- 

 ber 4 is an excellent knot to conjure with, giv- 

 ing easily to facile fingers. Number 5 shows a 

 knot easily untied by jerking the end of the 

 loop. 



The leader, or snood, in tuna fishing should 

 be six or seven feet in length, of phosphor- 

 bronzed wire, and the next ten feet of line should 

 be doubled. This will save many a fish, as 

 in a long struggle the line is liable to chafe 

 off on the back of the fish. To the leader is 

 fastened a Van Vleck hook, supposed among 

 tuna experts to be very killing ; but a 10/0 

 O'Shaughnessy is equally effective a small 

 hook for so large a fish. There should be at 

 least three strong brass swivels between hook 

 and line. The bait is a large flying-fish, which is 

 hooked in various ways according to fancy. The 

 tuna almost invariably strikes at the large black 

 eye of the flying-fish, hence many hook the bait 

 through the lips, barb up, and sew up the mouth 

 to make the fish run smoothly. Others sew 

 the hook along the body and have the point 



