738 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
make a spring for it. As soon as the fish is hooked the line is swung up over the 
fisherman’s head so as to make almost a complete revolution. It is very necessar}^ 
that the line should be kept taut, as, owing to the fact that the hook has but a slight 
barb, the fish would shake itself loose should the line slacken in the least. As the 
hooked fish is describing this revolution the fisherman swings around to meet it as it 
nears him, bowing out his right arm. When the fish comes between his arm and side 
he closes them up and the fish is caught, unhooked, and dropped into the boat. If he 
perceives that the fish is coming toward him in such a way that it will be difficult to 
hold it in the manner described, he moves out of range and allows it to make another 
revolution, catching it on its return. The fishing must be done in from ten to fifteen 
minutes’ time, as the school soon gets frightened and disappears. 
In line-fishing for other species besides the aku, opae, earthworms, and live fry 
of fish are used as bait. Hooks of varying sizes and kinds, made from ivory, tortoise 
shell, and human and animal bones, are used. Frequently the fisherman, after baiting 
his hook from a handful of opae, bruises the remainder, and, wrapping it up in 
cocoanut fiber, ties it with a pebble on the line close to the hooks. The bruised 
matter spreads through the water when the line is di’opped and serves to attract the 
fish to the vicinity of the hook. 
For bait in uhu fishing the gall bladder of the hee is dried and then cooked until 
it becomes a jelly, which is placed in a small calabash or bowl and tied to the hook 
as bait. A pole is used in this method of fishing. 
In fishing for aama (crabs) from cliffs or high rocks, a long bamboo pole with 
line, to the end of which is tied an opihi, is used. The fisherman dangles this bait 
in front of the crab as it looks out from its home in the rocks, and the animal at once 
seizes it. By a quick jerk the line is swung up and the aama caught. 
In the deep-sea fishing hooks and lines are used without rods, except for the 
aku. Fishing is carried on here to depths as great as 600 feet. The older native 
fishermen are familiar with all the- reefs and rocky elevations for miles in every 
direction from the shore, and know well the different species of fishes to be found in 
each place. Frequently they go entirely out of sight of the lowlands and mountain 
slopes and take their bearings, for the purpose of determining from the relative 
positions of the different mountain peaks the reef or rock which is the habitat of the 
fish they are seeking. 
On Hawaii an ingenious method of fishing for ulua is practiced. A long pole is 
planted on the shore in such a position as to lean decidedly toward the water. On 
the top of this a bell is arranged so that it will swing clear of the top of the pole. 
