THE MARLIN OR SPEARFISH 



We found but one party fishing there and 

 they arrived home at suppertime empty 

 handed. 



I told "Shorty" to find out from their 

 boatman where the marlin were trading, for 

 several fish had been taken during the week. 

 The jealous boatman gave "Shorty" the 

 wrong advice by telling him the fish were to 

 be found in shore. 



We started the following morning bright 

 and early and zigzagged the whole length of 

 the island but found only one fish lazily 

 sunning himself on the surface. Try as we 

 would we could not persuade him to look at 

 any bait. 



We trolled for ten weary hours. I say 

 weary hours for it is a strain to troll a flying- 

 fish bait weighing a pound at the end of one 

 hundred or more feet of line held by thumb 

 pressure only, for one must be ready to give 

 line if one has a strike as the fish pick up 

 the bait and move off before gorging it. That 

 is the theory but not my experience, for the 

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