Part 28

Body, rounded, tapering rapidly to the tail, which is strongly forked, but not so much as the albacore; pectoral fins, short and placed opposite the eye; dorsal fin, double, with saw-like ridges from the second dorsal and the anal fins to the tail, the same as in all of this family. Color, dark blue on the back, with a metallic luster; sides, silvery white, with dark longitudinal lines. Weight, from six to twelve pounds.

=Tackle and Lure=--The light tackle specifications of the Tuna Club, given for albacore cannot be improved upon for these fish.

SPANISH MACKEREL

(Scomberomorus concolor)

This is another of the =Scrombidae= family. It ranges north to Monterey Bay, where it makes its appearance in September, remaining until November, when it goes south to the Santa Barbara channel; remaining in these waters and about Catalina Island during most of the winter. This fish is called bonito by many of the Catalina anglers, which is a misnomer, as it is a much slimmer fish than the bonito.

The pectoral fins are small and located a little above the center of the body and close to the gill covers; front dorsal starts just above the base of the pectorals and extend along the back for a distance a little more than the length of the head, and nearly meeting the second dorsal, which is about the same width as its heighth; ventral fins, a little in front of the pectorals and rather small; front of the anal fin under the back of the second dorsal. Back, steel blue; sides, silvery. Oblique lines, of the darker color of the back, running forward and downward to a little below the lateral line.

Weight, usually from nine to twelve pounds, though they occasionally attain a weight of eighteen pounds.

=Tackle and Lure=--The same as for the bonito.

THE CHUB MACKEREL

(Scomber japonicus)

The chub mackerel, the smallest of the =Scombridae= family, approaches very closely the true mackerel of the East. It is hard to find a fish of any variety more delicious than a chub mackerel, caught from the yacht and placed on the broiler as soon as it quits flapping. They are occasionally found as far north as Monterey bay, but their real range is from the Santa Barbara channel south. With reasonably light trout tackle they put up a gamy and interesting fight.

Back, bluish green, mottled with irregular darker streaks, some of which pass below the lateral line; first dorsal fin quite high, and about the distance of its height in front of the second dorsal; second dorsal and anal about the same size and nearly opposite each other; tail forked, but not so broadly as the bonito. Weight, from one-half to three pounds.

=Tackle and Lure=--Trout tackle and spoon will furnish interesting sport. But they will take any lure.

THE YELLOW-TAIL

(Seriola dorsalis)

The yellow-tail belongs to the family =Carangidae=, the same to which belong the pompanos, and is one of the gamiest of sea fishes. In fact, it is generally said by experts who have fished for all varieties and in all waters, both salt and fresh, that the yellow-tail of Catalina is the gamiest fish, pound for pound, that swims. Whether this be true or not, it is certainly one of the hardest and most persistent fighters found anywhere and furnishes the angler with rod and reel from an hour to two hours of lively sport before he can bring it to gaff. One well-known writer on angling subjects says: "It never knows when it is dead." While the average catch will run from ten to thirty pounds, specimens have been taken weighing sixty-five pounds. It is occasionally met with in Monterey bay, but its range is from the Santa Barbara channel south, where it is caught the larger portion of the year.

Grayish blue on the back; sides, a dull silver, with a yellowish buff stripe along the lateral line; fins, green, with a strong yellowish tinge; tail, yellowish buff. Scales small, with the head bare, except a small patch on the cheeks. Pectoral fin on a level with the eye and small; ventral under the center of the pectoral; caudal, slim and forked. The dorsal fin is double, the front being very small with spines and the second half more than twice as high; dorsal and anal fins continue in a low membrane to very near the tail. Body, elliptical and very small at the base of the caudal fin.

=Tackle and Lure=--Same as for salmon or albacore.

Order, ACANTHROPTERI.

Family, SCROMBIDAE

Genus Species Common Names Range ------------- ------------- ----------------- --------------------------

Thunnus thynnus Leaping tuna {From Coronado Islands {to Monterey Bay.

{microptera Yellow-fin {Irregular visitors to the { albacore {waters of Catalina Island Germo { {and adjacent mainland. { {alalunga Albacore From Point Conception south.

Sarda chilensis Bonito From Santa Barbara south.

Scomberomorus concolor Spanish mackerel From Monterey Bay south.

Scomber japonicus Chub mackerel From Point Conception south.

THE CALIFORNIA SWORDFISH

(Tetrapturus mitsukuri)