334 Big Game Fishes 



I at times fished from a small craft known by 

 the euphonious title of the " Bull Pup," under the 

 command of a genial character of the reef, " Long 

 John." I frequently hooked a fish on the edge 

 of the coral in fairly deep water, which bit the 

 hook in two as cleverly as I could have cut it 

 with a file, though it was only when I fished with 

 the small i/o hook described in angel-fishing. 

 I believed the unknown to be a small shark, but 

 my Conch boatman, Long John, said it was a loro 

 verde, a fish which had a beak like that of a parrot, 

 was, in fact, a parrot-fish. Acting on his sug- 

 gestion, I changed the hook, putting on what he 

 termed a "grunt hook," which had a leader, or 

 snell, of silver guitar string. This hook was what 

 is known to dealers as a number five, spring steel 

 blackfish hook, and while small, was stout and 

 inflexible, almost impossible to break. With this 

 and a very light line and pliable rod I continued 

 fishing, landing first, as though to show what 

 bizarre game there was over this remarkable 

 coral wall, a porcupine fish, which when brought 

 to the surface expanded to a perfect ball covered 

 with spines, and when cut loose sailed away on 

 the sea like a balloon. 



I next hooked a fish which made so gallant a 



