THE TELLOWTAIL OF CALIFOENIA 



in the North Atlantic states. I have seen the bay of Avalon^ 

 ordinarily as smooth as glass, turned into a miniature mael- 

 strom by seemingly ten thousand fishes, and all over twenty 

 pounders. They came in like a raging band of wolves and 

 tinted the waters of the beautiful crescent a golden hue. The 

 roar of the waters quickly attracted the attention of the towns- 

 people, and men, women and children ran for lines and rods,, 

 and then for the beach. 



I was one of the fortunates who secured a boat and drifted 

 in the midst of the utterly frantic school that was driving a large 

 shoal of anchovies in upon the shore, charging into the mass, 

 glutting themselves, killing from mere blood lust and frenzy,, 

 utterly crazed with excitement and lost to all sense of security as- 

 they surged along the surface to catch the smaU fry that made 

 loud 3plashes, the combined sound of which produced a roar 

 as of the sea breaking on some distant beach, while the waters of 

 the bay were converted into silvery foam, as though a weird 

 windless storm was tearing along the surface. 



The yeUowtails drove the anchovies in upon the beach where 

 they formed a solid mass into which the insatiate wolves, for 

 such they seemed, plunged. The anglers rapidly increased in 

 numbers, and casting out from the beach had strikes on the in- 

 stant, as the open water was ahve with big fishes racing up and 

 down with the speed oi light. In a short time twenty or more 

 yeUowtaUs had been landed and were threshing about on the 

 beach, the situation being rendered more animated by the shouts, 

 and cries of the victorious anglers on beach or wharf or in boats, 

 and by the continual augmentation of numbers with fishing 

 tackle of aU sorts and kinds. Thp anglers in boats were being 

 towed this and that way, the big fishes breaking the heavy 

 hand-lines, taking hooks, or fouling other lines. As I looked 

 downward as I played a fish I could see three or four lines be- 

 neath me belonging to other boats, all approaching ultimate 

 and fatal confusion. 



I had landed in a short time three or four yellowtails, then 



i5t 



