334 Big Game Fishes 
I at times fished from a small craft known by 
the euphonious title of the “ Bull Pup,” under the 
command of a genial character of the reef, “ Long 
John.” I frequently hooked a fish on the edge 
of the coral in fairly deep water, which bit the 
hook in two as cleverly as I could have cut it 
with a file, though it was only when I fished with 
the small 1/o hook described in angel-fishing. 
I believed the unknown to be a small shark, but 
my Conch boatman, Long John, said it was a loro 
verde, a fish which had a beak like that of a parrot, 
— was, in fact, a parrot-fish. Acting on his sug- 
gestion, I changed the hook, putting on what he 
termed a “grunt hook,” which had a leader, or 
snell, of silver guitar string. This hook was what 
is known to dealers as a number five, spring steel 
blackfish hook, and while small, was stout and 
inflexible, almost impossible to break. With this 
and a very light line and pliable rod I continued 
fishing, landing first, as though to show what 
bizarre game there was over this remarkable 
coral wall, a porcupine fish, which when brought 
to the surface expanded to a perfect ball covered 
with spines, and when cut loose sailed away on 
the sea like a balloon. 
I next hooked a fish which made so gallant a 
