s because the dolphin haunts ships and is an omen of
good luck, and probably the most exquisitely colored fish in the ocean.

One day, two miles out in the Gulf Stream, I got a peculiar strike,
quite unlike any I had ever felt. A fisherman grows to be a specialist
in strikes. This one was quick, energetic, jerky, yet strong. And it was
a hungry strike. A fish that is hungry can almost always be hooked. I
let this one run a little and then hooked him. He felt light, but
savage. He took line in short, zigzag rushes. I fancied it was a bonita,
but Sam shook his head. With about a hundred yards of line out, the fish
leaped. He was golden. He had a huge, blunt, bow-shaped head and a
narrow tail. The distance was pretty far, and I had no certainty to go
by, yet I yelled:

"Dolphin!"

Sam was not so sure, but he looked mighty hopeful. The fish sounded and
ran in on me, then darted here and there, then began to leap and thresh
upon the surface. He was hard to lead--a very strong fish for his light
weight. I never handled a fish more carefully. He came up on a low
swell, heading toward us, and he cut the water for fifty feet, with only
his dorsal, a gleam of gold, showing in the sunlight.

Next he jumped five times, and I could hear the wrestling sound he made
when he shook himself. I had no idea what he might do next, and if he
had not been securely hooked would have gotten off. I tried hard to keep
the line taut and was not always successful. Like the waahoo, he
performed tricks new to me. One was an awkward diving leap that somehow
jerked the line in a way to alarm me. When he quit his tumbling and
rushing I led him close to the boat.

This has always been to me one of the rewards of fishing. It quite
outweighs that doubtful moment for me when the fish lies in the boat or
helpless on the moss. Then I am always sorry, and more often than not
let the fish go alive.

My first sight of a dolphin near at hand was one to remember. The fish
flashed gold--deep rich gold--with little flecks of blue and white. Then
the very next flash there were greens and yellows--changing, colorful,
brilliant bars. In that background of dark, clear, blue Gulf Stream
water this dolphin was radiant, golden, exquisitely beautiful. It was a
shame to lift him out of the water. But--

The appearance of the dolphin when just out of the water beggars
description. Very few anglers in the world have ever had this
experience. Not many anglers, perhaps,