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ZANE GREYS BUG CATCH Noted Novelist Tells of His Capture of a 418- Pound Broadbill Swordfish. Since early in June I have been roaming the sea nrcund Catalina Island in search of broadbill sword-fish. It is a hard game, running fifty to seventy-five miles a day, perched oii top of a rocking boat, peering over the water for the dark sickle-shaped fins that afford such a thrilling sight to a sea angler. Sun and wind and glare and heat, they hurt the eyes and burn the skin and crack the lips. Day after day this becomes at times almost unendurable. Yet it is only one and the least of the obstacles to overcome in catching a big broadbill. The hardships and difficulties are what put broadbill swordfishing in a class by itself in my opinion, the- supreme test of an anglers determination, endurance and skill. So far this season I have been outwitted and beateu by nine swordfish. My battles with hooked fish have ranged seven hours and thirty-five minutes, six hours and fifteen minutes, one hour and twenty minutes, one hour and five minutes, forty-five minutes, thirty minutes, ten minutes and the remaining two fisli parted company with me in a few moments. Five of these swordfish broke my line and tlie others threw the hooks. I have hooked nine fish out of eleven strikes. My brother, R. C. Grey, has hooked two Swordfish, one of which he fought for six hours, and lost, and the second one broke his line on the strike. Xot an easy matter, is it, for an angler to come home to Avalon after such experiences and keep his mouth shut. Perhaps that would be the wisest way, but I cannot do it. I have to tell my experiences, partly because I am irrepressible and partly because I want to share my troubles and my joys. What makes such confidences rather unprofitable is the fact that so many listeners look skeptical. But even an unlucky fisherman like myself cannot forever have bad luck. On July 21 I had another- story to tell. We sighted a big broadbill, circled him with a barracuda bait and on the first pass he took it. I hooked this fellow. The hook stayed in him and nothing broke He was a surface fighter, making us chase him all over the ocean. He would run a hundred yards one way and when Ave caught up witli him and I got back the line lie would run some other way. In the next hour I fought him hard, pulling him near enough for Captain Boerstler to gaff. He lunged and straightened out that gaff. The run he made then seemed to be his farewell stunt, but, wonderful to realize, nothing broke and again we caught up witli him. Perhaps in half an hour I got him near the boat again. This time lie took gaff and gaff rope, and almost took Captain Bocrtsler also. My boatman had jierve to gaff that fish, wagging his sword not six feet from us and looking as if he meant to Rim the boat. I had stood up to throw oft my drag and be ready for anything. So I could see plainly. The fish was cluse and a few inches of his dorsal fin showed above the surface. He looked fierce, but apparently not so very large. He made a tremendous splash, deluging us with water. Then he took the longest and hardest run of the fight. I gave him up u thousand times. But he stayed on. After that we chased him miles, it seemed to me. We could see the gaff rope shining behind him. Xext, lie went down and down. 500 feet. When he stopped my labors increased. He seemed anchored solid. Inch by inch, foot by foot, I pumped hiin up and in perhaps half an hour of very hard work I brought him to gaff again. This time Captain Boerstler held him. But not until I had lassoed his big tail did I let out a yell. Then my boatman left me standing there, while he nearly broke his neck to put up Jiis sword-fish flag. It was funny and certainly excusable But every moment 1 expected that broadbill to wake up and pull away from me. We could not lift him aboard and "it took four hours to tow him to Avalon. He weighed 41S pounds. Zaue Grey, iu New York Suu.
