Big Game at Sea 



game in hand, and not wishing to take the chance 

 of a gaff, told them to stand by with the harpoon. 

 As he brought the great fish around again, a won- 

 derful sight with its gaudy fins, enormous black eyes 

 and menacing sword, the head boatman hurled the 

 heavy spear into it. The sailfish fairly doubled 

 up under the shock, deluging with water the fisher- 

 men, its sword coming out and striking the boat. A 

 moment more and it might have escaped; but one 

 of the men seized it by the sword, while another 

 threw a rope around it, and the big game was theirs ; 

 in all probability, the first large swordfish ever taken 

 with a rod and reel at least, to the knowledge of the 

 writer. Including the sword, the fish was sixteen 

 feet in length, its splendid dorsal fin three and a half 

 feet high. It was Histiophorus gladius, specimens 

 of which have been seen in these waters ranging up 

 to twenty-five feet in length, and weighing fifteen 

 hundred pounds. Such a fish is a menace to ships, 

 as well as to those who go down to sea in them. 



That such sport would become popular if culti- 

 vated in Southern California waters is doubtful, as 

 there is an element of danger in it to be considered 

 that of being rammed by the fish; and as many of 

 the tuna boats now have from two to four horse- 

 power engines, they would undoubtedly go to the 

 bottom if injured by a revengeful swordfish. Despite 

 this, several swordfishes were landed with rod and 

 reel at Santa Catalina in 1906-7, and the fish has 



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