The Yelkwtail 147 



north end with casting or still fishing. In the 

 latter the boat is allowed to drift and the yellow- 

 tails kept alongside by chum, short casts being 

 made of thirty feet. In this way at the grounds 

 off Ship Rock I have seen yellowtails hooked 

 almost as soon as the line struck the water. 

 Perhaps the most satisfactory method of yellow- 

 tail fishing I have observed was from the beach 

 at the Isthmus, the shallow bay preventing sulk- 

 ing, the rushes and by-play being confined to 

 lateral movements. 



The yellowtails are omnivorous feeders, taking 

 sardines, flying-fishes, smelt, anchovies, and squid 

 as occasion offers, and in this way they are often 

 " chummed " up and caught by casting, the boat 

 being allowed to drift. The remarkable clever- 

 ness of fishes has often been noticed. Certain 

 individuals will attach themselves to the wharf at 

 Avalon at times, and one of the morning pas- 

 times is to feed them by tossing over bait. A 

 handful of sardines will sometimes attract a 

 number which rush at them, picking up the 

 fishes with avidity, invariably not noticing the 

 hook which has been skilfully introduced into 

 one sardine. It is only the extremely patient 

 fisherman who can catch such fish. One veteran 



