1 82 Big Game Fishes 



hammers, and sulks, all in such rapid succession 

 that the novice is fairly puzzled, recognizing the 

 tokens of several fishes. With difficulty the fish 

 is kept out of the kelp, but finally it rushes along 

 the bottom, making for open water, and you have 

 a clear field in which to play your strength 

 against a very clever fish that shortly demon- 

 strates its game qualities by taking the line in 

 long and continued bursts of speed, which test 

 rod, line, and the finesse of the angler, who wins 

 only by careful work with the reel and thumb 

 brake. 



Finally, after having been repeatedly stopped, 

 the fish begins to come in on the reel, fighting 

 every step, taking long lateral runs to dash 

 alongside with an impetuosity that so demoralizes 

 your amateur gaffer that he misses, and so the 

 fish has to be turned again. This time it is on 

 the surface, its great bands of jet and red, its 

 enormous head and white underjaw, making it an 

 extraordinary object. It lies for a moment flap- 

 ping its big pectorals and rolling its comical red- 

 rimmed eyes at you out of a sea of black an 

 appeal for mercy that is sometimes heeded by 

 certain anglers who flatter themselves that they 

 understand the language of fishes. Fishing in 



