CHAPTER IX 
THE YELLOWTAIL 
“The pleasantest angling is to see the fish cut with her golden 
oars the silver stream and greedily devour the treacherous bait.” 
— SHAKESPEARE. 
WHEN the green tones of Southern California 
merge into gray, and the islands alongshore rest 
like emeralds in settings of azure, the yellowtail, 
the gayest cavalier of these summer seas, often tints 
the ocean a golden hue as the vast schools tarry 
in the shadows of the island mountains following 
their short migration. The yellowtail is the fish 
of the people. It is willing to try conclusions 
with the veriest tyro when it is in the biting 
humor, and can be caught with almost anything ; 
but when not excited, when in its normal condi- 
tion, with a bold and unaffected camaraderie it 
disdains the arts of the cleverest wielder of the 
rod and literally defies him to his face, often at 
mere arm’s length. 
I have taken the yellowtail nearly every month 
in the year in the Santa Catalina channel and at 
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