FISH. 



Some Remarks on the Fish oj the Country. 



Lovers of sport in the shape of sea fishing will not be disappointed 

 in this respect on visiting South Africa, as the Cape seas actually 

 teem with a truly wonderful variety of the finny tribe, which not 

 only afford excellent diversion in their capture, but also offer a vast 

 field of interest for the observation of the naturalist, as numberless 

 specimens are still nameless and unknown to science. Some idea 

 may be formed of the enormous quantities of fish frequenting these 

 waters when it is quite a common sight to witness tons upon tons 

 stranded after the graving dock at Cape Town has been emptied of 

 water;* and it is literally the truth to say that during certain 

 times of the year it would be difficult to shoot an arrow from 

 some of the landing stages without impaling some sort of fish, but 

 more particularly those of the mackerel tribe. Whatever Cape 

 Town may ultimately become, it is certainly not the liveliest city in 

 the world, and without in the least depreciating its very beautiful 

 surroundings, it is possible for one to tire of visiting the many places 

 of interest in its neighbourhood, and of constantly viewing the stupen- 

 dous grandeur of Table Mountain and its "table cloth." At such 

 times the monotony of existence may be happily broken by the 

 excellent fishing in the environs ; and of the numerous favourable 

 places for the enjoyment of such, none can be recommended so 

 much as around Penguin Island, ten miles out in False Bay, or off 

 the Roman Rocks, near Simonstown. In favourable weather in 

 either of the localities mentioned, monsters — bearing almost every 

 conceivable colour and imaginable shape — may be hauled up with 

 surprising rapidity. Of course, it must be understood that deep-sea 

 lines are alone to be used. Excellent sea- worthy boats may be hired 

 for about twenty-five shillings per diem at Kalk Bay, a station on the 

 Simonstown Railway, about an hour by rail from Cape Town. But 



* On February 14, 1889, according to the Cape Times, no less than 128 tons of fish 

 were taken from the graving docks. 



