TALES OF FISHES 



apparently very mudi to their amusement. At sunset 

 we got back to the launch and started for camp. 



This was a long, hard afternoon's work for noth- 

 ing. However, it is my idea that experience is never 

 too dearly bought. I will never do some things 

 again, and the harder these fish are to catch, the 

 more time and effort it takes — ^the more intelligence 

 and cunning — all the more will I appreciate success 

 if it ever does come. It is in the attainment of diffi- 

 cult tasks that we earn our reward. There are sev- 

 eral old bonefish experts here in camp, and they 

 laughed when I related some of our experiences. 

 Bonefishermen are loath to tell anything about their 

 methods. This must be a growth of the difficult 

 game. I had an expert bonefisherman tell me that 

 when he was surprised while fishing on one of the 

 shoals, he always dropped his rod and pretended 

 to be digging for shells. And it is a fact that the 

 bonefish guides at Metacumbe did not let any one 

 get a line on their methods. They will avoid a bone- 

 fishing-ground while others are there, and if they 

 are surprised there ahead of others, they will pull 

 up anchor and go away. May I be preserved from 

 any such personal selfishness and reticence as this! 

 One of these bonefish experts at the camp told me 

 that in all his years of experience he had never gotten 

 a bonefish bite. If you feel a tug, it is when the 

 bonefish is ejecting the hook. Then it is .too late. 

 The bonefish noses around the bait and sucks it 

 in without any apparent movement of the fine. 

 And that can be detected first by a little sagging of 

 the line or by a little strain upon it. That is the 



time to strike. He also said that he always broke 



188 



