THE GAME FISHES OF THE WOELD 



head : I hooked one and played it for several hours, and it was 

 only stopped when the sixth boat fastened on and pulled against 

 it. This procession towed it an hour before we again reached 

 land from where the shark had towed me and my companion in a 

 one hundred and twenty-five pound skiff. I held on to the 

 line during one of these rushes to see what the shark would do, 

 there being several boats around topick me up, and in a down- 

 ward rush, the shark almost pulled the skiff under water against 

 its broad flat bottom. 



The largest shark found at Santa Catalina is the Bone shark, 

 which attains a length of from thirty to fifty feet. This, of 

 course, is harpoon game, and dangerous from its habit of strik- 

 ing terrific side blows with its tafl. The Bay of Monterey is a 

 famous locality for these big sharks. 



Many of the'dog-fishes, small sharks, are good game. I have 

 seen scores of them in the surf on the CaUfornian coast at night, 

 presenting a marvellous appearance, as they seemed to be fire- 

 bodies in a fire, due to the wonderful phosphorescence here, 

 winter or summer. Up to two or three hundred pounds nearly 

 aU the CaUfornian sharks can be taken with the tuna or CataUna 

 swordfish rod and line, and some really gigantic sharks have been 

 mastered with the rod. When they are larger, a harpoon is 

 desirable, and a sport of another adventurous kind is had. 



In English waters there are many small sharks and dog-fish, 

 which are often a nuisance. When they are in numbers, the 

 angler may as well change his tackle, add a wire trace or leader, 

 and with rod of medium size fish for the vermin that has ruined 

 the fishing. 



One could hardly include in the vermin the small jumping- 

 shark, known in south-eastern England as the tope, without 

 offending some sea anglers, as the tope has its followers and 

 affords no little sport, especially in Heme Bay where some famous 

 catches have been made, and tope up to sixty pounds taken 

 with rod and reel. This in a general way might be construed 

 into tuna or tarpon tackle, a sixteen-ounce rod with six hundred 

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