The Mackerel Family 283 



ten or twelve pounds in weight. It does not 

 rank high as a food-fish, having rather dark flesh 

 of a strong mackerel flavor, rather too pungent to 

 be agreeable, but it is liked generally by sailors. 

 There is another fish of the Atlantic coast 

 (Gymnosarda pelamis), of the mackerel family, 

 that is known as the oceanic bonito. It may be 

 distinguished by its stripes being horizontal, 

 instead of oblique ; it is rather rare. 



The bonito is taken only by trolling with a 

 small fish for bait, or a block-tin, bone, or shell 

 squid, from a sailing vessel, and with bluefish 

 tackle. It is frequently caught by the Key West 

 fishermen when trolling for kingfish with a bait 

 of bacon-rind. It is a powerful fish, and withal a 

 very game one, being a swift swimmer, and must 

 be handled very carefully when hooked. The 

 line should be a heavy one of braided linen or 

 cotton, and a foot or two of brass or copper wire 

 should be used as a snell to withstand its sharp 

 and numerous teeth. A Sproat or O'Shaugh- 

 nessy hook, No. 7-0, is about right when bait is 

 used, and one of similar size with artificial squids, 

 or spinners. 



I was once trolling in the vicinity of the Dry 

 Tortugas, and in a short time took four bonitos 



