THE GAME FISHES OF THE WOELD 



pared. Many little rivers can be found in I^orth and Central 

 Spain and in Portugal, well worth the adventure with rod and 

 reel, the Douro and upper reaches, the Minho, Mondego, Tagus, 

 Zatas, Guadiana and the many streams rising in the Sieira 

 Morena, Sierra Toledos, Sierra Guadari and Sierra Estrella being 

 more or less alluring to the angler. 



The reader proposing to angle in Spain will do well to read 

 Wild Spain, Bush and Chapman, The Angler's Diary, published 

 by the Field, and Travel in Spain, by the enthusiastic angler and 

 delightful writer already referred to, Mr. Walter M. Gallichan. 

 Angling in Spain has its compensations, as some one has said, 

 ia its scenery, the wild and beautiful mountains and interesting 

 people, and the sea-angler especially will find by following along 

 shore through Portugal around to the ports of the Mediterranean, 

 many locaUties where sport may be had of an exciting character. 

 At certain places the tuna is taken, and the Mediterranean is the 

 headquarters of the greatest tunny fishing in the World, especially 

 at Palermo, where thousands of fishes are taken with huge 

 nets, the hauling of which, filled with the big fish, is a spectacle 

 to remember. Here too, is the great Atlantic swordfish, Xiphias, 

 which comes here to spawn, and is followed by the ItaUans, a 

 lookout being stationed on a tail mast to sight the fish, the men 

 rowing and invoking the saints for good luck. So far one of 

 these great swordfishes of four hundred pounds has not been 

 taken with a rod ; but Dr. Gifford Pinchot, the founder of 

 American forestry, has played one for some time in American 

 waters, and will, I am confident, ultimately land one. Several 

 have been hooked at Santa CataUna, but they were of such size 

 that the launches could not get under way before the reel was 

 stripped. There is a real element of danger here, as this sword- 

 fish is as ugly as a rhinoceros, and charges with as Uttle reason ; 

 hence, when this sport is established, non-sinkable launches 

 shoidd be used. The long series of casualties from this source 

 recorded by Professor G. Brown Goode will justify the caution. 

 The sea-angler particularly will find on the north coast of 

 i8o 



