Big Game at Sea 



a truly astonishing sight that has bewildered more 

 than one angler and filled him with all the symptoms 

 of buck fever. The fish has jumped in wild fear, 

 like a bucking mustang, and when in mid-air endeav- 

 ors, by a convulsive side movement and opening of 

 the mouth, to fling out the hook a trick often suc- 

 cessful. At this stage of the game, the angler, if 

 he has himself well in hand, will drop his rod 

 point, keeping the line fairly taut and out of 

 the water, but not at such a tension that a violent 

 swing of the massive head can take it unawares and 

 break it. 



Into the water, perhaps upon its back, the monster 

 drops, and the thumb is now pressed upon the leather 

 brake while the fish makes its first rush usually the 

 most vehement and terrific tearing off one hundred 

 and fifty or more feet of line with incredible speed. 

 Here many fishes are lost, especially tunas ; the angler 

 presses too hard upon the brake, and the line breaks. 

 The pressure should be governed and tempered by 

 intuition, and in this regulating the brake, while the 

 fish is making a terrific rush and the reel is screaming, 

 lies much of the skill. It depends upon the angler 

 how soon the rush will stop ; but the moment the least 

 sign of slowing up comes the thumb should be pressed 

 vigorously, the fish stopped. Now the right hand 

 springs for the first time to the handle of the reel, the 

 butt is placed in the leather socket, and the subsequent 

 operations depend upon circumstances. The fish has 



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