ed and
lost. Fish over 1000lb. have been captured by other means, while it is
probable that the weight may in some cases run up to nearly 2000lb. The
tuna is gregarious and visits Catalina from June to September in large
shoals, when the flying fish, which seem to be its favourite food, also
appear. In the winter it probably goes south along the coast of Mexico.
A shoal is sometimes seen quite early in February or March, but as a
rule they do not appear till the middle of May at the earliest, and,
even when they do appear at this time, they do not stay long.

The rod and tackle are very important. The American tuna rod is an
excellent piece of workmanship. It is made in two pieces, the tip and
the butt. The tip, according to the rules of the Tuna Club, must not be
less than 6ft. long, and fits into the butt just above the reel. It is
made of split cane, but with no steel centre, and is very strong and
stiff, bending a little only to the very strongest pull. The butt is
built very stoutly, and there is no regulation as to its length, but it
is usually about a foot and a-half long, and in fishing is allowed to
rest in a hole under the fisherman's seat, so that the rod is controlled
with the left hand alone, leaving the right free. The advantage of such
a stiff rod lies in the fact that a very strong strain can be put on the
fish. It could easily be tested, and I should imagine that a strain of
ten pounds could be maintained, increased to considerably more in the
case of a tired fish. With a salmon rod a strain of about three pounds
is the utmost that can be maintained. The cost of such a rod is some L3,
or $15, and it can be bought in New York, or in Catalina Island, or Los
Angeles.

The reel is also very important, and also costs 15 dollars, for it must
hold 1000 yards of line. The winder is of the winch form with two
handles, for tuna fishermen maintain that they must have this form to
enable them to reel in with sufficient force, thus getting some command
over the line. The cylindrical knob of our salmon reel is universally
condemned. To the reel is attached a strong piece of leather which can
be pressed down by the thumb on the line so as to act as a brake, and is
very simple and efficient.

The line is a peculiarly American production, known as cuttyhunk line,
made of flax, immensely strong, very light and cheap. I know of no line
so suited to its purpose, or which, as I have said before, forms such
excellent back