the Sierra Santa Cruz 



with a rod and heavy sinker, landed one ; but I could 

 not conceive the difference between this and the hand- 

 line. 



Coursing, wheeling in every direction, the boats 

 went, always looking for this silver ignis fatuus that 

 was down somewhere, and every boat which passed 

 within hailing distance exchanged signals. 



" How deep? Ten fathoms, or twenty out? " 



Then " Doc " would adjust his line to the new 

 conditions, and so on the handline, always the hand- 

 line, I would have a strike and play the dashing band 

 of silver in its countless rushes in and out. 



I confess to what may be an unreasonable preju- 

 dice against the handline, and wishing to be per- 

 fectly fair, concede that to any one who enjoys hand- 

 line fishing here was the sport of sports; and that it 

 is enjoyed at Santa Cruz, Capitola and Monterey is 

 shown by the fact that hundreds flock to these shores 

 and enjoy it, and, strange to say, they get nearly 

 all the fish, the rod catches being in the minority. 

 Doubtless if every one fished with a rod, to give the 

 game a square deal, as they do in Southern California, 

 the result would be different. 



The water was still smooth, yet a ground swell 

 was coming in out of the west, telling of storms at 

 sea, and on the crest of the waves rode the fairy-like 

 physalia, and under the surface countless and gigantic 

 jelly fishes with amber and deep chocolate and laven- 

 der radiations. Some with tentacles twenty or thirty 



333 



