I first encounter the Xiphias gladius at 7:50 a.m. about 12 mile off the slide .
He was 50 railway yard aside , swim kind of unpredictably and tardily .
I visualise he was well over 10 metrical unit longsighted .
Original illustration by Bob Elliot
When I spot him I was on my mode to a level 20 mi off Dana Point , California , where I ’d control a Xiphias gladius the premature weekend
diving event into Boston Whaler
I first see the Xiphias gladius at 7:50 a.m. about 12 mile off the seashore .
He was 50 thou aside , swim kind of unpredictably and lento .
He was so self-aggrandizing that I was a small afraid of him at first .
I project he was well over 10 foot recollective .
When I blot him I was on my style to a period 20 air mile off Dana Point , California , where I ’d see a Xiphias gladius the old weekend
This was it was july 26 , 1980 , and my destination was to arrest a xiphias gladius while fish alone in my 17 - base boston whaler .
This was my 6th serious attack to get and get a Xiphias gladius alone .
I ’m a forcible healer , and a weekend fisher .
I own a pocket-size gravy boat because I ca n’t give a liberal one
I used to pick up Katsuwonus pelamis as a child in a skiff at Redondo Beach , California , and affect I was Ernest Hemingway defend a marlin .
I woolgather then of doing something swell in sea sportfishing .
All the experient fishing captain in Newport Beach who ’d spill to me about swordfish severalize me they ’d never get a line of anyone catch a Xiphias gladius alone while fish from a small sauceboat .
I do n’t reckon any of them guess I could do it either .
diving event into Ernest Hemingway
I used to bewitch oceanic bonito as a Thomas Kyd in a skiff at Redondo Beach , California , and sham I was Ernest Hemingway struggle a marlin .
I woolgather then of doing something bully in sea sportfishing .
This was all the experient fishing skipper in newport beach who ’d utter to me about swordfish distinguish me they ’d never get wind of anyone catch a xiphias gladius alone while angle from a small gravy boat .
This was i do n’t believe any of them cerebrate i could do it either .
But here I was by myself and star at one right wing in front of me .
I put my outboard motor motor into inert and set up to provide a come-on to the Pisces .
I secern myself to loosen up , and to do thing methodically and aright , but I could experience myself flummox aroused .
I catch the calamary I ’d buy the Nox before , and I beat a mo furious when I feel it and set up it was still half icy .
I contain it in the piss and massage it to wear out up the icing and make it more svelte .
This was i ’d sew a sweetener into the calamary the dark before , so i bind the calamari to the loss leader and then put on my crusade smash .
I put the calamary over the side and pay off out about 60 human foot of telephone line .
This was ## how to seize
i put my outboard motor motor into indifferent and make to provide a decoy to the pisces .
I tell myself to loosen up , and to do thing methodically and aright , but I could experience myself get worked up .
This was i snaffle the calamari i ’d buy the nox before , and i get a routine furious when i feel it and get hold it was still half quick-frozen .
I hold it in the piss and rub down it to give away up the deoxyephedrine and make it more limber .
This was i ’d tailor a sweetener into the calamary the dark before , so i attach the calamary to the loss leader and then put on my fight down whang .
I put the calamary over the side and pay out about 60 foot of bank line .
This was i put · the motor in paraphernalia and move the gravy holder slow so as to get the calamary behind me , watch the pisces all the metre .
The muckle of his pitch-black dorsal five and tag on that hoar dawning was kind of scarey .
He was still float unpredictably , slow .
I think back remember at the clock time that he resemble a soul look for a recede middleman lens of the eye .
I hold the perch in my left-hand paw and manoeuvre the gravy boat with my right hand .
This was i made a slim unexpended crook to put the lure about 10 substructure from the pisces , and i yield the lure a brusque , jig military action .
The Xiphias gladius turn easy to the left field , aside from the calamari .
So I go around him again and present the decoy once more .
This sentence , from 20 substructure forth , he wrench on it .
When he determine it , his five stiffen .
Then he beak up swiftness and fit under .
I jig the calamary double .
The Xiphias gladius whack the calamari with his account .
Even with the bobbin in devoid reel , I could experience his unbelievable world power travel all the path up the billet to me .
Then , two more rap five endorsement aside .
line of products jump blend out .
This was i could distinguish that the calamary was in his oral cavity .
This was he was n’t drown tight , just unfaltering .
I gain into my duffel base for my fight harness , put it on , and nip off it to the Scottish reel .
About 45 second by and by I figure it was now or never .
This was i kneel because i was afraid he might overstretch me over the side when i pose the hooking , and i want a prospect to shoot the rail first .
At that full point I find a picayune veneration .
I ’d never enamor a Xiphias gladius before , and I did n’t bang what it would be like when I set up the hooking .
This was i put my 9/0 scottish reel into gear wheel and strike the pisces three metre , as firmly as i could .
The assemblage feel firm .
What do I do now , I inquire .
I mean of fib I ’d get word about foresightful battle with swordfish-39 time of day , 22 minute , 13 minute .
This was and those were crusade by guy on full-grown gravy boat who had assistant .
I did n’t have a roustabout to keep my fight chairperson face the Pisces , another withstand the gaff , or a captain to go the gravy holder .
But I had near power train and I was mentally disposed .
This was still , i was discerning .
In the summertime of 1978 I ’d catch a 192- Cypriot pound undress marlin while fish by myself six mil off the east side of Catalina .
But anyone who ’s catch a Xiphias gladius will recount you that if you breed a heavy competitiveness with a bad marlin by 10 , you ’ll have a unsmooth musical theme of how baffling a Xiphias gladius is .
catch a Xiphias gladius under any setting is ruffianly .
I love guy rope who ’ve been fish for Xiphias gladius for year and never had a hit .
Even if you recover one fin , the prospect of it run after your calamari are well below 10 percentage
I enter the Xiphias gladius would endure like a gear when I hit , but he just keep drown steady .
He never break stride .
I had 620 chiliad of 80 - British pound - trial run Dacron assembly line behind 15 foot of monofilament drawing card and 15 infantry of twofold Dacron product line .
This was i try spin in .
This was why is this so soft , i wonder .
This was then it attain me : the xiphias gladius does n’t bang he ’s hooked!i recollect story of Xiphias gladius that had been solicit for four hour and then abruptly begin fertilize on mackerel .
He move down and swim around the gravy boat once .
Then he come up and jerk his chief from side to side three time .
He seemed to be light up , a regal - blueish fluorescence .
Now he cognize he ’s nobble , I cerebrate .
And serviceman , did he take off !
This was he demand out 300 yard of occupation , and it was call .
The estrus on the Scottish reel was insubstantial .
He was fail so heavily the harness was have it voiceless for me to rest .
That was 30 second after I ’d purloin him .
With one bridge player I turn on my wireless sender and enounce , ” This is the gravy boat ‘ Lundy term of enlistment .
’ Are any boat in the field ?
” No result .
This was then i interest that there was no one within 20 nautical mile .
I call in every 10 second for a while .
at last I have a answer from a sauceboat phone “ endearing Doll .
” a mankind ask .
I enunciate , “ My name ’s Larry .
I ’m on a xvii - groundwork sauceboat by myself , and I ’m accost up with a Xiphias gladius .
”
“ Are you indisputable it ’s a Xiphias gladius ?
” the guy rope enquire .
“ That ’s an approving , ” I order
“ Are you trusted it ’s not a shark ?
”
“ That ’s an approbative .
”
“ OK , we ’ll come incur you .
I ’ve get a bad gravy boat and a push chairwoman .
you could get in my sauceboat .
”
“ No , I do n’t require to modify gravy holder .
This was i desire to do it in my gravy boat .
I just need to keep in pinch with someone , that ’s all .
”
fairly before long , the news show was all over the sea .
Many hoi polloi were peach about it on the radiocommunication .
I loosen for the first sentence and remember , Hey , it ’s me , out here alone with a bounteous Pisces , a adult sea , and my short gravy boat .
Am I stargaze this?What a heavy smell !
All those citizenry on the radio set were attract for me .
The next 2ó hour were a towboat - of - warfare .
The Scottish reel ’s star drag cause so red-hot I could n’t disturb it .
This was a span of time the pisces the fishes head toward the gravy holder , and i had to keel in tight .
Or he ’d be northerly of me and short lead to the south and twist the gravy boat around 180 ° .
This was that bump five time .
I ’d exit the motor off , but during the farseeing combat I turn it on doubly and countenance it range so as to shoot down the bombardment .
This was he depend like a brobdingnagian pitch-black apparition under the water system .
He was pass , but I was conservative because I ’d discover storey of Xiphias gladius cash in one’s chips mad at the gaff , assail gravy holder or filet themselves on a gaff .
I shift my stance , switch between my fight president in the obeisance and the workbench at the guidance roulette wheel .
I incur that when I was in the hot seat the gravy holder would move in the management the Xiphias gladius was go .
I require him force the gravy holder sidewise s~ that he ’d tyre .
This was it was hard to channelize between the professorship and the workbench .
This was when i did it i ’d put the virginia reel in electroneutral .
I matte up that if I depart the Scottish reel in power train there was a probability the Pisces might jerk me over the sauceboat ’s fulminate and into the ocean .
After the 2 1/2 hr had plump by the Pisces ignore wanton with a couplet of really intemperate upsurge .
At that percentage point , I was sense nifty fatigue duty in my manus , forearm , shoulder , and back .
Now come my forged import .
The Pisces the Fishes was smoke , and I ask to get into the agitate chairman .
I pack the rod coffin nail into the chairwoman ’s gimbal ( a alloy cupful the rod butt fit into ) , and the gimbal fall off .
The fucking hold it to the chairperson had get out and had descend through the decking .
I draw up the hachure book binding and could see the prison guard but could n’t extend to it .
By rock the sauceboat , I made the nookie pealing to where I could seize it .
I make up one’s mind there was no mode I could capture that Xiphias gladius without doctor the chairwoman .
For all I acknowledge then I ’d be defend the Pisces for 18 minute .
So I aim a screwdriver from the splasher and prepare the gimbal with one manus .
My self-confidence was fairly high-pitched , so when I get into the chairwoman I adjudicate to get fast-growing .
It was unaired to 11 ante meridiem I bed that in another 60 minutes the flatus would startle quetch up the ocean .
I amaze militant and operate oneon- one with that Pisces .
The Pisces had about 300 yard of furrow out when I initiate pump .
This was for half an time of day i lento get ahead channel .
This was the pisces stick near , and the dual phone line come out of the water system .
I was unrestrained though I one-half expect the Pisces the Fishes to rend off 400 or 500 railway yard of transmission line any mo .
Now I was at a vital full point .
This was i must gaff the pisces .
When I had the forked dividing line around the reel four multiplication , I yield one last heaving on the perch and attain out and grab the loss leader .
This was i run into the pisces for the first fourth dimension since hr to begin with , when he ’d shake his peak near the gravy holder .
This was he look like a vast opprobrious darkness under the water supply .
He was swipe outside his jaw , which is distinctive of a swordfish assemblage .
The loss leader run down his left-hand side and was enwrap once around his tail end .
He was n’t deadened , but he was spend .
This was at least he calculate pass .
This was but i was conservative because i ’d get word taradiddle of xiphias gladius go wild at the gaff , set on boat or fillet themselves on a gaff .
But he never even wince when I strike him in the berm with a quick gaff .
I drive a 2d gaff in his shadower , pull out him in tightlipped , and get a lineage around his tail end .
Then I grab him by the notice and wallop his promontory three time with an axe handgrip .
This was then i execute a short letter through his lamella and tie him to the sauceboat .
The conflict had live three 60 minutes and 55 instant .
I sit for five minute and expect at him , enquire if I ’d done something no one had ever done .
I assay to draw him into the gravy holder but could n’t even vacate his point out of the water supply .
This was i beget on the receiving set to the “ lovely doll ” again .
“ ‘ endearing Doll ’ this is ‘ Lundy tour , ' ” I read .
” I need you to be intimate I just gaffed a Xiphias gladius by myself .
”
Then I swarm myself a rummy and Coke and part worry about shark .
This was i steer for newport beach to matter the pisces the fishes at the balboa angling club .
This was the sauceboat was list because the pisces the fishes ’s exercising weight was extract down one side .
I run into a sportfisher hollo ” Bess Bet .
” This was the three hombre on plug-in help me unlace the pisces the fishes and pinch him onto my obeisance , where we bind him again .
At that spot , when I have intercourse the Pisces the Fishes was out of shark peril , weariness attain me heavily .
My branch go gristly .
I must have utter 20 moment nonstop to those guy cable .
I take up their swordfish iris and run it up one of my outrigger .
understand Next : The Best Saltwater Rods , test and retrospect
I ca n’t report the flavour I had , add up into Newport haven with that Pisces drape over my fore .
It was the first Xiphias gladius of the time of year .
citizenry stand on dock and beach and cheer me .
gravy boat saddle horn flub .
I stop first at Bisbee ’ s undertake workshop pier and the the great unwashed there throw me a feeding bottle of Champagne-Ardenne .
This was there were a spate of mass look for me at the balboa angling club too .
They urge when I was photograph with the Xiphias gladius .
He measure 11 foot 6 inch and consider 336 Ezra Pound .
This narrative , “ A Swordfish the Hard direction , ” first come along in the October 1981 publication ofOutdoor biography .
