The Cavalli Family 313 



occasionally caught by still-fishing in the bays 

 with bait of beach-fleas or cut clam. The tackle 

 should be very light and the hook small, Nos. 6 

 or 8, on fine gut snells. When hooked it is a 

 game-fish of more than ordinary cunning and 

 cleverness, and one of two pounds will tax the 

 angler's skill on a six-ounce rod. They can be 

 taken in the surf of the outside beaches of the 

 islands, on the flood tide, with beach-flea bait, by 

 casting it into the schools with a fly-rod ; and this 

 is the best form of fishing for this grand fish. 



The hooked pompano frequently breaks water 

 among its other manoeuvres to escape the angler, 

 and as a leaper at other times has quite a reputa- 

 tion, I have often had them leap into my boat, 

 both when anchored and moving, but usually 

 when sailing near a school. The name pom- 

 pano is probably derived from the Spanish word 

 pampana, a '' vine leaf," owing to its shape 

 resembling somewhat a leaf of some kind of 

 vine ; the books say a " grape leaf," to which the 

 pompano has a remote resemblance if the 

 extended fins are taken into account. There is 

 another Spanish word pampano, more nearly 

 resembling pompano in sound and spelling. It 

 means "a young vine branch or tendril," and if 



