SANTA CATALINA ISLAND SWOEDFISH 



Dr. Pinchot lias written his impressions of this night adven- 

 ture, which were published in Colliefs WeeTcly of April 6, 1912. 

 The following is a brief extract from the article, bearing on it : 



' I struck with all my might, but the huge fish, hooked, as we saw later, 

 in the bony side of the jaw, paid no attention. Joe backed water, I 

 reeled rapidly, and we were within fifty feet of the swordfish before he 

 discovered what was wrong. Then out of the deep he came. Then rush 

 followed rush, leap followed leap. High out of water sprang this splendid 

 fish, then lunged with his lance along the surface, his big eye staring as 

 he rose, till the impression of beauty and hthe power was enough to make 

 a man's heart sing within him. It was a moment to be remembered for 

 a Ufetime. 



' Then the fury over, the great fish started away. As rapidly as a 

 man could row he towed our skiff a mUe straight down the coast. As soon 

 as the swordfish showed himseK after the strike, the launch was sent back 

 to camp for Dr. Charles F. Holder, who knows more of big game fishing 

 at sea than aU the rest of us put together. But Dr. Holder never had 

 happened to take a swordfish or seen one taken. Indeed, I doubt whether 

 two dozen, all told, have been caught in the history of angling in the 

 Catahna waters. So the launch disappeared in the failing fight, and 

 scarcely had it done so when the swordfish turned and towed us out to sea. 



' The utmost efforts of Joe with the oars and myself with the rod 

 barely sufficed to keep us within reasonable distance of the rushing fish. 

 Darkness was falliag fast, and by the time we were three miles out in the 

 channel I confess to many a wish and many a look for the launch. Sunset 

 was gone when it came. Joe, wisest of aU sea dogs, had been Mghtiag 

 matches behind my back and holding them in his circhng hands for the 

 launch to see, and so it found us. The tide was running strong, the wind 

 rising against it, and the sea picking up. I welcomed Dr. Holder's 

 arrival with distinct satisfaction. Afterward Joe asked me whether I had 

 been nervous. I gave myself the benefit of the doubt, and told him " No, 

 because the launch was with us after dark." " WeU," said Joe, " the skiff 

 would have stood a great deal more sea than the launch. The only thing 

 I was afraid of was that the machinery of the launch would break down 

 and the current carry her on the rocks at the Hook. We could always get 

 in with the skiff, if there did not come a fog. 



' Straight into the rising sea went the swordfish, and there was nothing 

 to do but foUow him. For a time the crescent moon shone thinly over 

 the dim shape of the island, then moon and island disappeared together, 

 while the great fish with a strength I could neither break nor check, dragged 

 the boat against wind and sea. An hour went by, and then another, yet 



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