The herald., 1895-08-25
FISHING AS
A SCIENCE -.- ALSO, SOME
NEW METHODS
BY SENIOR X

Any one who has been within fifty
miles OF Santa Catalina this season has
heard of The nice fishing. and noticed the
great interest taken in rod and reel fish
ing by lovers Of the sport, and it has been
demonstrated that we have as game fish
and fishing as that found in any other
portion OF the country. Ten years ago a
rod was not known in Santa Catalina, and
when the writer carried over veteran
rod that had done service in many parts
of the country he well remem bers the
look of scorn which which Mexican Joe,
tho authority on Santa Catalina sports,
regarded 1t. A rod was machine and
In the second place would not hold
yellowtail of twenty POUNDS, that was
then only caught on an eastern "cod
line," and even then often broke the
line; but today Joe, as the guide and oars
man of Mr.. J. Neale Plumb Of New York,
is as thorough a convert to rod fishing,
and is handling some of the finest rods,
the property OF his patron. ever brought
into California. and it would probably
take a large inducement to get Mexican
Joe to take a yellowtail on handline.
Mr.. Plumb, perhaps the finest a!l-around
fisherman on two continents. has intro
duced many eastern methods into our
waters and given the delightful art of
roo fishing an impetus that will so far to
induce some of the men who 60 to Flor
ida every year to come to California.
Mr.. Plumb has engaged Mexican Joe for
the season and his fishing boat, La Cav
iota. is q model to copy, and is arranged
after the aesign Of boats made by eastern
and experienced anglers. 1t has arrange
ments for two rods, ali ice OK, boxes for
bait, side awnings for covering fish. II
comfortable chair seat and fishing board.
and every convenience found in the ia
nous ST. Lawrence river boats.
The fisherman sits facing the shore and
trolls with two rods, each having differr
ent arrangement, according to the state
OF the affairs under water or at the sur
face, and when the fish is brought along
side it is gaffed or taken in the net
the latter preferred by the wise man.
Such fishing is delight to the thorough
sportsman, and experience has shown
that our game fish, take them under all
conditions, are the equal if not the super
lima forms an effective background for
such sport-the lofty island with its beau
tif.l hills. its deep canyons that wind
away to be lost in the soft haze; the soft
velvet covering OF its slopes; the contrasts
of grays and green's; the intensely blue
9
edge with beds of kelp; the perfect days
| that follow one another. all form and
| constitute q background found in no fish
| ing country in the world, and it Is no
| wondei that eastern sportsmen are in
fatuated with it.
on h. beach waiting for bait catchers.
| Yot have breakfast at TIE Cate Delmon-
| CO, a little 4x9 canvas restaurant. which
the sign tells you is a branch of Delmon-
| ico's Of New York, and yet it is doubtful
if you can get chilli con carne in the New
York Delmonico at O'Clock in the,morn-
| ing, but this Delmonico Is run by the
early fishermen, and at 3 or O'Clock al
! most every morning you Are sure to meet
some congenial spirits. There will be J.
Neale Plumb Mexican Joe, J. M. Beard.
Harry Elmer Phelps, John Cline and
breakfast is over. Vincent has the bait
and before the sun comes up over the dis
tant Sierras you are pulling along under
the deep shadows of the Santa Catalina
mountains. The ocean is still asleep and
as far as the eye can reach is sea of
| big rish breaks the surface, but the only
| sound is the musical drop OF the water,
| the gurgling of the pebbles on the beach
we are passing beyond where the little
green canyon winds upward like "a climb
| ing river to pe lost in the high Jog.
The water is an indescribabl blue and
ever changing. and as the boat turns the
Seal rocks it plnnges iuto sea of chang
ing green. You have your rods out. the
fifteen-strand lines baited with big
smelt. and 1t is not long before the strike
comes. A sndden tighte ming of the line.
then the shrill and wslcome music Of the
reel that rises in the morning air, send
ing the blood through your veins at rae
ing speed. Away goes fifty or sixty feet
of line, despite the leather brake. as the
magnificent fish makes his initial rush.
IT depends upon the fish how much line
you lose. l have known an eighteen
pound yellowtail to make better fight
than thirty pounder. Ten, twenty
fiftv. one hundred feet is off, and you are
still lingering the brake, when he stops
so that you can reverse the music and
reel in. and then comes athes fight. You
gain ten feet, and the garney fish rushes
aSay with twenty. He nights for every
foot, now putting on tremendous strain,
making the line hiss and vibrate like the
perhaps, and you fail to catch up. Then