The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-06
THE TIGER OF GAME FISH.
The Barracuda a Bigger and Better
Fighter Than the Salmon.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.


From the San Francisco Chronicle
SANTA CATALINA, CAL, May 20.-"Look
out! Shove her up in the wind or it will
haul me over" This from a red-faced fish
erman bending over the stern of the flying
boat and clinging to the taut line with des-
peration.
Up shot the yacht in the wind, and amid
the thunder of the beating sail a big fish,
the gamv barracuda was coaxed aboard
A salmon in the Restigouche never made a
better fight, and our red-faced friends face
grew redder. Now the fish was high in the
air, shooting several feet like an arrow.
glistening and cleaning like molten silver,
while the crystal drops flew away, veritable
gems in their irrideScence. Now he was
under, dashing toward the boat; now away,
bringing the line up with a sounding thud,
diving deep into the blue sea, ugly, vicious
desperate, cunning and maddeneJ. all at
once But the hook is good and the line
strong, and finally the long, 1.-THE, animated
arrow is lifted quickly and dances its last
''heel and toe' upon the deck-a beauty
over four feet long, heavier and stouter
than many.
1--WE tackled barracuda" said the fisher
man, who was a lawyer when at home, "in
about every water where they live, but that
chap gave me the best fight | ever had. 1t
wouldn't have taken much more to have
pulled me over"
Barracuda fishing is to Southern California
what blue fishing is to the east and, as has
been suggested, a good big stocky fish is
capable OF producing sport, and in its
breaks, dives, and struggles reminds one of
the salmon.
The season for barracuda is fairly in, and
thousands of the beautiful creatures, with
their sharp fangs and brilliant ewes, are
taken to market and sold in all the towns in
Los Angeles county.
The barracuda is, to those who never see
it except on the bill of fare, fish some
what resembling pike or pickerel, rang
ing from 4 to 6 feet in length, with
pointed snout, wide hideous mouth, armed
with fang-like teeth, long, tapering body,
blue black, with iridescent tlnts, grading
off into cleaning silver below. The fish,
known to science as the SphyrBnG bdrra-
cudd, is arrow shaped, powerful, agile and
savage, the tiger of its kind, and delicious
when well cooked, which means broiled
over hot Goals 1t has wide geographical
range, but is met with in the greatest num-
bers on the edge of and in the tropics The
writer first fished for it in the Gulf of Next
co, north of Yucatan and along the Florida
reef, near Havana, where it is much larger
than here. The Southern California fish
averages 3 or feet in length, is slender,
to and 6 feet and over, and is very heavy.
The boat has fallen away again and three
lines are out. The trade wind has freshened,
and gunwale under, we are taking every
thing as it comes, going SO fast that the
cleaning bats, with their fringe-like tenta-
cles, ever and anon leap out of the water,
so that it would be a very prosaic barra
cuda who could resist it.
Last year, said another of the party,
las was just off the point of the island
yonder, had most curious experience
with fish. | had just taken one in and
baited, and was about to throw over, in
fact was swinging my bait when | saw
something fash, and then received knock
on the side of my head that about laid me
out. In fact, did drop into the bottom of
the boat, and with me went a big five foot
barracuda. He had either seen my bait or
accidentally jumped from the water and
taken me fairly on the side of the head"
That's nothing" began the man at the
helm, but here vicious jerk came on line,
and a second later a cleaning, silvery
arrow sprang into the air, shook itself
violently, and fell back to rush this way
and that. The fish was in sight, It's sides
cleaning, when suddenly the line slackened.
HES gone, by the eternal" shouted the
fisherman, hauling in the line. NO. he
isn't vet, and here he held up his hook,
and upon it was the head and about six
inches of the late barracuda. Its eyes were
still cleaning, and it had hardly realized
that its body had disappeared what does
this meanW asked the fisherman. Sharks"
replied the skipper; 1--WE had a school fol
low me for a whole day and take about half
the fish l caught Sometimes one barra-
cuda will take hold of another, but that's
rare"
The barracuda is to our mind the best
edible fish in these waters, but, like the
quail, it is often ruined in the cooking.
1t should be broiled over hot Goals, ard
can be served in many ways, with native
white wine or condiments to the taste
In many waters the barracuda is not fit
to eat. Around Havana, in the immediate
vicinity of the city, it is often poisonous to
many. Old fishermen considered this due
to copper in the water, the flesh turning
green when cooked, but the reason is to be
found elsewhere. On American shores it
is always one of the finest game and food
fishes.