The Mystery of Swordfish Reef. Arthur W. Upfield

stood leaning back against the stern rail, watching the other launches, the receding coast, and Wilton, who was pushing outward to either side from amidship a long pole from the point of which fell a light rope line. To these lines were attached brightly painted cylinders of wood which, when tossed overboard and dragged by the lines, darted beneath and skimmed over the surface like torpedoes gone mad. Teasers, Wilton explained to Bony, and then came aft to join him.

      To the end of the cord line on the drum of the huge reel fixed to the butt of the rod, which in turn was swivelled to the edge of one of the two angler’s chairs, Wilton fastened one end of a twenty-foot long wire trace. At the other end was the hook, almost the size of a man’s hand. On the hook he placed one of the recently caught bonito, further securing it with a section of cord. Finally he slipped the bait-fish over the stern and it dropped back some thirty odd feet and skimmed the surface like a small motor-boat, escorted either side by a darting teaser.

      “D’you see, Bony, the bait-fish and the two teasers look to a shark or swordie just like a small shoal of fish following the launch for protection,” Wilton explained. “Now you sit here with a leg either side the rod. That’s right. You leave the rod resting on the stern rail. This spoked wheel at the side of the reel is the brake, and you must remember that you can easily put on brakage enough either to break the line or the rod. Just you work it for a bit, and try it for yourself. Have on only sufficient brakage to resist the water on the bait-fish.”

      “Oh! Ah, yes! I see! I’ve mastered it. What else?”

      “It’s the angler’s job to watch his bait-fish and the sea on the stern quarters. It’s our job to keep watch on the sea for’ard and on both beams for a fin, or for shoal fish where it’s likely a swordie will be.

      “All you’ll see of a swordie will be his fin sticking above water and cutting it like a knife. When you see one you yell out “fish-oh”, but for crikey’s sake don’t lift the rod or do anything with the line or reel. Let him come after the bait-fish. Let him take it, and the moment he does you whip off the brake and prevent the line over-running by pressing on the revolving drum with your left hand. Have a glove on, of course. Anyway, before then I’ll be with you, and if you do just what I tell you, and don’t get excited, we’ll get him.”

      “A fish may come after the bait-fish any second?” pressed the thrilling Bony.

      “Any second. And you may have to wait only a minute or as long as a week.”

      “All right.”

      “Now just you have a practice with that brake, and when done troll the bait-fish at that distance astern. I’ll go for’ard and see what I can see.”