TALES OF FISHES 



Wild and beautiful Clemente — ^the island of caves 

 and canons and cliffs — ^Ulac and cactus and ice-plant 

 and arbor-vitse and ironwood, with the wild goats 

 silhouetted dark against the bold sky-line! 



There came that day of all days. I never be- 

 lieved Captain Dan, but now I shall never forget. 

 The greatest day that ever befell me! I brought 

 four swordfish to gaff and whipped another, the 

 biggest one of the whole trip, and saw him tear 

 away from the hook just at the last — ^in all, nine 

 hours of strenuous hanging on to a rod. 



I caught the first one before six o'clock, as the 

 sun was rising red-gold, dazzling, glorious. He 

 leaped in the sun eleven times. He weighed one 

 hundred and eighty-seven. 



After breakfast we sighted two swordfish on the 

 smooth sea. Both charged the bait. I hooked one 

 of these and he leaped twenty-three times. He 

 weighed one hundred and sixty-eight. 



Then off the east end we saw a big swordfish leap 

 five times. We went out toward the open sea. 

 But we never got anywhere near him. I had three 

 strikes, one after another, when we were speeding 

 the boat. Then we shut down and took to slow 

 trolling. I saw another swordfish sail for my bait, 

 and yelled. He shot off with the bait and his dor- 

 sal fin stuck out of the water. I hooked him. He 

 leaped thirty-eight times. How the camera did 

 snap during this fight! He weighed two hundred 

 and ten. 



I had a fierce strike on the way in. Too fast! 

 We lost him. 



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