"Rod! I reckon you don't use a rod at all."
"A body'd think you'd fished for sharks all your life," Jack declared.
"But just imagine playing that fellow on a rod. Why, he's likely all of twelve feet long."
"Some baby," Jack grinned, keeping his eye on the fish, which was now a little nearer.
Mr. Lakewood returned a few minutes later, carrying a large reel of line which was nearly as thick as a clothes line, and fastened to the end was the largest fish hook the boys had ever seen.
"Thought he must have one," he smiled as he put the reel down on the deck. "Now, Jack, you go ask Wong for a big hunk of salt pork, while Bob and I are getting this reel anchored so that we can handle our friend out there provided we hook on to him."
The reel was a strongly built affair and was provided with a handle, which was long and looked firm enough to stand any reasonable strain which might be put on it.
"How you going to hold it?" Bob asked as Jack disappeared.
"It's fixed so that it can be attached to this snubbing post this way," and Mr. Lakewood proceeded to make it firm with the aid of a bit of chain which he had brought with him.
Everything was ready by the time Jack returned with a hunk of pork, which must have weighed all of five pounds.