The Cavalli Family 313 



occasionally caught by still-fishing in the bays 

 with bait of beach-fleas or cut clam. The tackle 

 should be very light and the hook small, Nos. 6 

 or 8, on fine gut snells. When hooked it is a 

 game-fish of more than ordinary cunning and 

 cleverness, and one of two pounds will tax the 

 angler's skill on a six-ounce rod. They can be 

 taken in the surf of the outside beaches of the 

 islands, on the flood tide, with beach-flea bait, by 

 casting it into the schools with a fly-rod ; and this 

 is the best form of fishing for this grand fish. 



The hooked pompano frequently breaks water 

 among its other manoeuvres to escape the angler, 

 and as a leaper at other times has quite a reputa- 

 tion. I have often had them leap into my boat, 

 both when anchored and moving, but usually 

 when sailing near a school. The name pom- 

 pano is probably derived from the Spanish Avord 

 pampana, a " vine leaf," owing to its shape 

 resembling somewhat a leaf of some kind of 

 vine; the books say a "grape leaf," to which the 

 pompano has a remote resemblance if the 

 extended fins are taken into account. There is 

 another Spanish word pampano, more nearly 

 resembling pompano in sound and spelling. It 

 means " a young vine branch or tendril," and if 



