The herald., 1895-05-20
ONE MILLION FISH
rlad Yellowtail and Sea Bass
With Other Exciting Sports
at Avalon
BY PROFESSOR C. F. HOLDER.


Almost any time during the day at
Avalon--which is now full-hedged WIN
ter resort and has delighted large num-
Der of fasteners this winter-one may
see large, powerful boat being popelled
about the bay by big, red-faced man.
He faces the stern and rows backward,
and as the boat moves along he gazes
down into the clear water. Now YOU see
him out by Sugar Loaf; now meandering
in and out among the lines OF hoats'
always moving backward, always glancing
down. For several days he puzzled some
tourists from the far east; but one day.
and TO be accurate last Sunday, they saw
the big man suddenly stop rowing and
shake his hand aloft, and soon from
low. yacht-like launch that was lying
near Sugar Loaf boat with six or seven
men put off and rowed toward him. In
the center of their long double ender
was a great black pile which on closer
Inspection proved to be the biggest seine
or purse net in Southern California, and
then the facts came out-they were sar-
dine fishermen and the mysterious man
was a sentinel or fish hunter He located
the school and signaled :for the net.
In a few moments they were on the
spot and the people of Avalon began TO
gather on shore and in boats. The single
men led the way around the school, the
big boat slowly following and now paying
out the black snuous net that unwound
over the water like sea snake. Out 1t
came until finally it had surrounded over
an acre of surface; then the endsI were
joined and the men began to haul i'll the
ropes that drew the bottom vi the net to-
gether. The interior of the space now
t,o. I;ut, tal strnf, 10
covering 1t; as the men hauled on the
ropes the agitation increased, and it was
seen that an extraordinary haul had been
made. Thousands OF shining. cleaning
small fry began to leap into the air.
Some went over the floats and others
wedged themselves in the net and were
shakeen out in silvery shower by the
occupants OF the boats that surrounded
the big net. AT every haul the commo-
ton increased and soon writhing mass
of fish was alongside and the boats were
headed Tor the steamer acrosss the bay.
The net and its fish reached downward
twenty feet or more and as it moved it
left trail of glittering scales and small
fIy that filed the water like stars and
through which dashed big yellowtall,
sea bass and rock bass, evidently crazed
by the sight. For half an hour this curl
Gus procession moved across the bay, but
the most exciting event was to come.
When the steamer was reached boom
was lowered and the purse of the net
hoisted so that the mass of fish rested on
the surface. Then big net was lowered
into the squrming mass. the men gave
way on the halyards, and cleaning Sill
vef cascade of sardines ran into one OF
the compartments. filing it. AS they ran
in a man stood by and dashed salt among
them. Another net full. more flsh, until
the air resounded with the strange pat
tering sound and the lookers-on were COW
l.,xi
though they had been spangled. Bushels
of fish were lifted out in this way until
the deck looked as though it had been
strewn with newly mnted silver dollars.
With the sardines were jelly fishes of
wondrous hues. sea pigeons that emit
ted a purple ink. masses of.minute ascidi-
ans in chains, crabs, shells and many
more.
While this dipplng-out process was 60
ing on many sardines were escaping,
MANNED and injured, and after them
were vellowtail and sea bass that had
gathered at the feast the great fishes dart
ing this way and that beneath the fleet
of small boats, rising TO the surface to
snatch sardines almost out of the hands
of thefmen who were drifting about.
Fishing lines were in demand, and
soon roar of shouts and cheers arose as
one of the fishermen hooked huge yell
lowtail.
For moment the fish almost pulled
the man out of the boat, then whirled
the latter around, giving a marvellous
demonstration of its strength. Soon an
other line was TAKEN and then another.
and pandemonium reigned. Those who |
had no lines took it out in cheering; 9TH
ers rowed in shore; some tied sardines |
to strings and lowered them down to the |
crazed yellowtails that seized anything |
that appeared. Such sport; such cheer
ing and shouting; such pscatoral excite
ment has not been seen for long time
and was suggestive that the old days of
good fishing and plenty of fish had come
again. When the last netful of sardines
had been lifted:aboard the decks were filed
with them, over three tons of the sivery
creatures living been caught at this sim
gle haul.
The big net was now overhauled, the
men mending it as they went; then it
was piled into the big boat again, salted
down to prevent decay and once more the
mysterious man who rowed backward
started out in his vigil in and out among
the boats. But this was the last haul,
and an hour later the sardines. were
steaming toward San Pedro. where they
are sorted and packed and sent out over
the world-let us hope as Santa Catalina
sardines, and not under French or
Spanish name, as in the case of our
wines.
The yellowtail and sea bass fishing has
opened six weeks earlier this season than
usual and many fine catches are re-
very large sea bass and yellowtail on a
light rod, and passing boat reported five
big yellowtail, showing that these gamey
isI haVQ tn