SANTA CATALINA ISLAND SWOEDFISH 



Mr. T. McD, Potter, Vice-President of tlie Tuna Club, took 

 the third largest swordfish of the season of 1912 and he sends 

 me the following data regarding its play — ^written by Mr. C. V, 

 Barton of the Tuna Club for the Fidd and Stream : 



' Mr. Potter had already taken to-day one swordfish weighing one 

 hundred and ninety-four pounds (his second for the season) and he 

 was now after a third, just to round out the day. Captain Walker 

 pointed the Leona's nose toward the " doldrums " running several miles 

 out from Seal Exjcks, one of the headlands five mUes from Avalon, Santa 

 CataUna. Captain Walker's method was to attach about seventy-five 

 feet of six-strand Une to a small silk or paper kite. The lower end of this 

 kite string was attached to the angler's twenty-four-strand line ten feet 

 from the flying fish bait. The angler paid out two hundred or two 

 hundred and fifty feet of Une, letting the kite 75 feet in the air, holding 

 the end of the angler's line so that the bait, responding tb the frequent 

 jerks of the angler's rod, jumped and " skittered " along the surface in a 

 most HfeUke manner. 



' Mr. Potter now sighted the upper lobe of a tail projecting from the 

 water and Captain Walker skilfully pointed the Leona around so that the 

 skittering fljTng fish bait attracted the monster's attention. 



' Soon the angler felt a gentle nibble at the bait. As the swordfish, with 

 all its terrible paraphernalia of ofience and defence, does not rush upon the 

 bait, and stir up the seven seas in taking it. He " poked " at the bait 

 gently with his sword, then came an inquiring nibble, and the angler paid 

 out line to give the fish ample opportunity to pursue its investigations 

 further. The resistance grew stronger, the swordfish took the bait in its 

 hard, bony, toothless mouth ; a moment's hesitation and the angler 

 struck, and the battle was on. The swordfish leaped from the water 

 repeatedly, circling about the boat in a vain endeavour to rid itself of the 

 hook. 



' The boatman aided the angler to gain Une, while the latter reeled 

 the dangerous slack and brought the fish nearer the launch. They did 

 not want the fish to somid, as that would mean at least an extra hour of 

 hard, heart-breaking work. 



' There was an element of real danger in this stage of the game, as the 

 fish rushed at the boat and the swordsman weighed about three hundred 

 pounds. The angler was doing his fighting standing in the stem of the 

 boat, with the butt of his sixteen -ounce rod in a belt socket, pumping and 

 reeling in for dear life, when the boatman cried, " L-o-o-k out ! " 



' The swordfish was headed directly for the boat, coming on like a 

 torpedo. Mr. Potter said that Captain Walker crouched down behind 



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