SOME FISH AND SOME FISHING 



following day I trolled with only seventy- 

 five feet of line and struck the fish when he 

 struck me. 



That night a kind sportsman told me that 

 we had been on the wrong track, that the 

 fish were off shore at the eastern end of the 

 island. It seems the kelp-cutter from the 

 potash factory at San Diego had been cutting 

 the kelp, some of which had floated off shore 

 and harboured much bait, and the marlin 

 were feeding on this small fry. 



We were off at seven the following morn- 

 ing and rounded Eastern Point where the 

 sea was breaking on the reef in great circles 

 of white foam. 



We trolled around the point, into and 

 around Smugglers' Cove, a celebrated fish- 

 ing ground, and then made a bee line off 

 shore. About six miles out we found acres 

 of floating kelp with myriads of small fish 

 jumping about, evidently being pursued. 



It was not long before we lost the teaser. 

 A teaser is a flying-fish attached by twenty- 

 [82] 



