A CALIFORNIA BASS. 



water, and the line went hissing over bulky in proportion. Above, tl 



the gunwale of the boat. Myoarsman was a rich mahogany; below, white 



had cast off the anchor float, and the and gray; its eyes as' large as ti 



moment I secured the line we went of an ox, blue- and express^ 



whirling away beyond the fish with a One such fish was glory enough 



big white wave at our bows. It was for one day, and. after killing it. Wi 



some moments before I could gain a hauled up the anchor and town! him 



foot on the line, as every pull seemed into port an operation that took us 



to arouse the fish to fresh exertions; an hour and a half. Later it was 



but finally, by a great effort, I held it hoisted on the beach and tipped the 



and gained a few feet. scales at 343. 



The rushes of the great fish were The fish was the black sea bass, or 



extraordinary. I have taken many jewfish, the StereolepU gigus ol 



large sharks, in various waters, but ence, a distant cousin of the bass that 



never had such a hand-to-hand strug- gives the angler such royal sport in 



gle as this big bass gave me. It fresh-water lakes and stream 



would come directly in with a rush, Later in the season I saia one ol 



then turn and dash away with an im- these fish taken on a rod, with a 21- 



petuosity that was irresistible; then strand cuttyhunk line. It weighed 





THE JEWFISH— STEREOLEPIS GIGUS. 



dart from side to side, fighting for its about 160 pound-, and only 



life with a vigor that soon completed cumbed after a struggle ol 0\ 



my discomfiture, so that I took a turn hours. 



about a cleat and declared myself This fish is can-lit at the isl 



beaten. San Clemente and Santa ( atalina 



For half an hour this fish amused the year round, though as a sport 



itself at my expense, and I gained principally in the summer, when 



upon it only by the humiliating meth- latter place is thronged with visil 



od of taking a turn and hauling in In the winter they school, 



foot by foot. Finally I had the fish often caught as fast as tl 

 in sight, and a vision of black and pj .,.,,. 



white dashed by, whirling the boat tutkm.writ 



a 1 , 1 j t 1 1 If vour u-wti-li wa> ■ i ." I 



around. Another struggle, and 1 nad f America '1 1- t : . 1 



the black sea bass at the surface, n^y^onvoU 



where it rolled over like a whale, of California. 1 



deluging us with water with its pow- rocks. mdecpv 



^rfnl tail 



eitul tai1 - n ,. 4l and a weight ul 



Ihe game was well worth the i, )( „i n-i, ... 



struggle, and, as I had been told, ,un t J 



1r»r»V^H 1iW» a cricrp ntir black baSS It 



looked like a gigantic uiacK iwa. 11 small enough • 



was nearly six feet in length and in ti . 





