Big Game at Sea 



She took a three and one-half pounder, a four and one- 

 half, and a five and one-half pounder in about forty 

 minutes, the largest towing the boat around and 

 around in its splendid play ; and when they were in the 

 boat this gaffing diplomat, who had never given me a 

 chance to cast, congratulated me on my companion's 

 skill, and so convinced me that I had really had a- 

 share in the honor, that we rowed a mile to the 

 Canada shore that Bill might fittingly celebrate the 

 famous catch, the record of that and many seasons, 

 and incidentally weigh the fish. 



While Massey was a perfect boatman his true 

 genius was most apparent when he hauled the boat 

 into some quiet cove, on Stave Island perhaps, and 

 cooked a fish dinner of yellow perch, black bass, and 

 on rare occasions a small muskellunge. Perhaps 

 twenty anglers had agreed to meet here, and the 

 boatmen were cooks and attendants about the tables 

 that bore viands fit for the gods. 



In Florida I had four boatmen for a number of 

 years whose individuality is strikingly fixed upon my 

 memory. The fishing ground was way out on the 

 reef, and I found the men there when I arrived, on 

 a key of about twelve acres of sand about a foot 

 above high-water mark. Where they came from no 

 one knew. One, I was told by an old reefer, was an 

 ex-pirate, and he certainly looked it; the others were 

 " warious," and all were wreckers and fishermen, the 

 bravest men I ever met. Ex-pirates, perhaps, but to 



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