THE GAME FISHES OF THE WORLD 



One hot day I anchored my dinghy » near a dump of coral 

 heads, hollowed out like gigantic vases, and began to fish, cast- 

 ing out into water fifteen or twenty feet deep, but so clear that I 

 could see the smallest fish. The climatic conditions were not 

 enticing. It was August, and the heat was so intense that every 

 now and then it was our custom to drop overboard, or sit on the 

 rail with feet swinging in the water. The fishing ground was 

 on the outer reef not seventy miles from Havana. I could see 

 fishes of all kinds, and a dozen or more brilliant blue parrot- 

 fishes, known as the sea turquoise, 8carus caeruleus, being of that 

 colour. By tossing bait to the right and left I attracted the 

 attention of the bait-eaters, and had for a moment the parrot 

 fishes to myself. After repeated trials I hooked one of the largest. 

 Knowing the parrot-Uke beaks of the fish, I handled it with care, 

 but confess that its first rush amazed me. I saw it distinctly, 

 and estimated its weight at fifteen or more pounds. I had 

 hooked larger fish that bent my rod with less vigour. As soon 

 as it felt the hook it came to the surface with a bound, turned, 

 and dashed out of sight, my deUcate line melting away as though 

 by magic, the little reel singing a barcarole of its own com- 

 posing. 



The fish took two hundred feet of my line before I rounded 

 it up, then, doubtless, it turned its broad side and fins against me, 

 and bore away and sulked like a salmon ; nor could I move it 

 for a few moments, though I tapped on the rod and tried a variety 

 ofjtime-honoured schemes, the Une trembling, a peculiar thrill 

 coming up, adding to my excitement. Suddenly by its oato 

 vohtion it started and dashed around in half a circle, not allowing 

 me to gain an inch, and again it took a stand ; then started again, 

 and came scurrying in, I reeling at the top of my speed, only 

 to see the living turquoise dart by the boat not ten feet distant, 

 and when the line came taut the reel fau-ly screamed, as all the 

 hne gained, and more, went hissing after the fish. 



1 Any very smaU-keeled rowboat in Florida is a dinghy. H flat-bottomed 

 it is a skiff. 

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