The Blackfisb 279 



taken in shallow water, affording sport of an 

 exciting nature. I have often seen the clumsy fish 

 charging schools of sardines with all the zeal of a 

 bass. 



If sharks were to be included among the game 

 fishes, some remarkable tales might be told of 

 experiences between Florida and California ; but 

 probably Mr. Edwin vom Hofe holds the record 

 in this field of sport, having taken a six-hundred- 

 pound saw-fish with a tarpon rod and line. Such 

 catches with rods suggest an enumeration of 

 strange creatures hooked while fishing for true 

 game. While fishing for the eastern horse-mack- 

 erel off Boon Island, north of the Isles of Shoals, 

 I hooked a sunfish (Mola), but it was accidental. 

 On the Florida reef while trolling for barracuda 

 I once caught a small hawk's-bill turtle. In 

 Avalon Bay I hooked a sea-lion, which took my 

 bait, and I played the large animal for several 

 moments. I thought I could bring it to the 

 boat, but the sea-lion evidently disagreed with me 

 and brought the proceedings to a close by darting 

 among some boats and breaking the line on an 

 anchor rope. Few swimmers even can make head- 

 way against a man with a light rod and line. Other 

 catches in California, which are often made by 



