A Sportsman 317 



to the extremity of the hne, but it fortunately turned, 

 enabling me each time to take in slack, and I finally 

 brought it to gaflf after half an hour's fight. On the 

 same day my hook was taken, evidently by a still 

 larger one, that made a straight run oflf, carrying 

 away all my line with startling rapidity, upon whom 

 my attempts at checking up made no impression. 



Off the Catalina Island — which lies a few miles 

 from the California coast opposite Los Angeles — the 

 tuna is oftentimes found in profusion during the 

 summer months, and is undoubtedly the largest game 

 fish in the sea, and is often found much larger than 

 the ability of a rod fisherman can possibly overcome, 

 running up to several hundreds of pounds, and even 

 a thousand pounds has been given as a maximum. 

 When struck it goes off with great speed, with occa- 

 sional leapings from the water, and slashes about in 

 a manner indicative of great power. The favorite 

 bait used at the island is the flying-fish, employed 

 with a special rod and reel, and a thousand feet of 

 line. A tuna of two hundred pounds may be ac- 

 counted as the limit, and requires several hours of 

 hard work to fetch in. It is in reality a huge horse 

 mackerel, and worthless for food, and is thrown away 

 for the sharks and other fishes to consume. 



The jewfish, or large black bass, is plentifully 

 caught also at the island, and, being of less fighting, 

 qualities than the tuna, is brought in weighing sev- 

 eral hundred pounds, after hours of dull, heavy work 



The yellowtails are more plentiful about the Cat- 

 alina Island than elsewhere, and although worthless 

 for food are perhaps the very gamest fish in the sea 

 for their size, and run up occasionally to fifty pounds. 



