The Leaping Tuna 75 



watched the splendid trick ; for trick it was, an 

 attempt to take me unawares, running in on the 

 line to break it if possible in the outrush. Again 

 the fish turned hard by the boat and dashed 

 away, this time inshore, towing us a mile or 

 more, and within fifty feet of the rocks and their 

 beard of kelp where I succeeded in turning it, 

 and now gained so rapidly that I had the fish 

 within a short distance of the boat. The boat- 

 man was fingering his gaff, when, with a mag- 

 nificent rush, the tuna tore from. the reel three 

 hundred feet of line, undoing the strenuous labor 

 of nearly two hours. The fish appeared to be 

 seized with a frenzy. It rushed around the boat 

 at long range, plunged deep into the blue water 

 as though searching the bottom for some obstacle 

 upon which to rub the line, then rising with a 

 strange bounding motion which was imparted to 

 the rod, again charged the boat. 



For three hours I fought this superb fish, 

 during which it towed the boat from near Avalon 

 to Long Point, then several miles in and out, 

 repeatedly charging, never giving signs of weaken- 

 ing, always bearing away with its full force. At 

 the end of three hours I again brought the fish to 

 within fifty feet of the boat, when it again broke 



