364 Big Game Fishes 



The boatman deliberately knocked the ashes 

 out of his pipe, rolled up his sleeves, looked 

 around the points of the compass, and then taking 

 his place by my side picked up the line, while I 

 went forward, took the oars, and prepared to enjoy 

 his agony. At that precise moment the boatman 

 attempted to haul vigorously and broke the line. 

 It was cowardly, but I could not resist remarking, 

 " You don't seem to understand these big fish," 

 to which there was no answer. The fisherman 

 couldn't do it justice and stood silent, merely 

 looking at me. 



This being a sockdolliger, it is an easy matter 

 to estimate its weight, which was between five 

 and six hundred pounds ; at least the great hali- 

 but of these waters (Hippoglossus hippoglossus, 

 Linn.) is known to attain this weight, and so far 

 as mere size and strength are concerned, ranks 

 with the tarpon, tuna, the great South American 

 arapaima, and other huge fishes. It was very 

 evident that could a medium-sized fish be found 

 and hooked in shallow water, it would afford no 

 little sport. As to the actual maximum size of 

 this fish, Nilsson reports one from the Swedish 

 coast which weighed seven hundred and twenty 

 pounds ; and Gloucester fishermen have a record 



