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〃It's at the hotel。〃
〃Stop by for the worms。
At the hotel the young man wanted to go up to the room and see the girl but instead he found the long； jointed bamboo pole and the basket with his fishing gear behind the desk where the room keys hung and went back out into the brightness of the road and on down to the cafe and out onto the glare of the jetty。 The sun was hot but there was a fresh breeze and the tide was just starting to ebb。 He wished that he had brought a casting rod and spoons so that he might cast out across the flow of the water from the canal over the rocks on the far side but instead he rigged his long pole with its cork and quill float and let a sandworm float gently along at a depth where he thought fish might be feeding。
He fished for some time with no luck and watched the mackerel boats tacking back and forth out on the blue sea and the shadows the high clouds made on the water。 Then his float went under in a sharp descent with the line angling stiffly and he brought the pole up against the pull of a fish that was strong and driving wildly and making the line hiss through the water。 He tried to hold it as lightly as he could and the long pole was bent to the breaking point of the line and trace by the fish which kept trying to go toward the open sea。 The young man walked with him on the jetty to ease the strain but the fish kept pulling so that as he drove a quarter of the rod was forced under water。
The waiter had come from the cafe and was very excited。 He was talking by the young man's side saying； 〃Hold him。 Hold him。 Hold him as softly as you can。 He'll have to tire。 Don't let him break。 Soft with him。 Softly。 Softly。〃
There was no way the young man could be softer with him except to get into the water with the fish and that did not make sense as the canal was deep。 If I could only walk along the bank with him； he thought。 But they had come to the very end of the jetty。 More than half the pole was under water now。
〃Just hold him softly；〃 the waiter pleaded。 〃It's a strong trace。〃 The fish bored deep； ran； zig…zagged and the long bamboo pole bent with his weight and his rapid； driving strength。 Then he came up thrashing at the surface and then was down again and the young man found that although the fish felt as strong as ever the tragic violence was lessened and now he could be led around the end of the jetty and up the canal。
〃Softly does it；〃 the waiter said。 〃Oh softly now。 Softly for us all。〃
Twice more the fish forced his way out to the open sea and twice the young man led him back and now he was leading him gently along the jetty toward the cafe。
〃How is he？〃 asked the waiter。
〃He's fine but we've beaten him。〃
〃Don't say it；〃 the waiter said。 〃Don't say it。 We must tire him。 Tire him。 Tire him。〃
〃He's got my arm tired；〃 the young man said。
〃Do you want me to take him？〃 the waiter asked hopefully。
〃My God no。〃
〃Just easy； easy； easy。 Softly； softly； softly；〃 the waiter said。
The young man worked the fish past the terrace of the cafe and into the canal。 He was swimming just under the surface but was still strong and the young man wondered if they would take him all the way up the canal through the length of the town。 There were many other people now and as they went by the hotel the girl saw them out of the window and shouted； 〃Oh what a wonderful fish！ Wait for me！ Wait for me！〃
She had seen the fish clearly from above and his length and the shine of him in the water and her husband with the bamboo pole bent almost double and the procession of people following。 When she got down to the canal bank and； running； caught up with the people； the procession had stopped。 The waiter was in the water at the edge of the canal and her husband was guiding the fish slowly against the bank where there was a clump of weeds growing。 The fish was on the surface now and the waiter bent down and brought his hands together from either side and then lifted the fish with his thumbs in both his gills and moved up the bank of the canal with him。 He was a heavy fish and the waiter held him high against his chest with the head under his chin and the tail flopping against his thighs。
Several men were pounding the young man on the back and putting their arms around him and a woman from the fish market kissed him。 Then the girl had her arms around him and kissed him and he said； 〃Did you see him？〃
Then they all went over to see him laid out on the side of the road silver as a salmon and dark gunmetal shining on his back。 He was a handsome beautifully built fish with great live eyes and he breathed slowly and brokenly。
〃What is he？〃
〃A loup；〃 he said。 〃That's a sea bass。 They call them bar too。 They're a wonderful fish。 This is the biggest one I've ever seen。
The waiter； whose name was Andre； came over and put his arms around David and kissed him and then he kissed the girl。
〃Madame； it is necessary；〃 he said。 〃It is truly necessary。 No one ever caught such a fish on such tackle。〃
〃We better have him weighed；〃 David said。
They were at the cafe now。 The young man had put the tackle away； after the weighing； and washed up and the fish was on a block of ice that had come in the camion from Nimes to ice the mackerel catch。 The fish had weighed a little over fifteen pounds。 On the ice he was still silver and beautiful but the color on his back had changed to gray。 Only his eyes still looked alive。 The mackerel fishing boats were coming in now and the women were unloading the shining blue and green and silver mackerel from the boats into baskets and carrying the heavy baskets on their heads to the fish house。 It was a very good catch and the town was busy and happy。
〃What are we going to do with the big fish？〃 the girl asked。
〃They're going to take him in and sell him；〃 the young man said。 〃He's too big to cook here and they say it would be wicked to cut him up。 Maybe he'll go right up to Paris。 He'll end in some big restaurant。 Or somebody very rich will buy him。〃
〃He was so beautiful in the water；〃 she said。 〃And when Andre held him up。 I couldn't believe him when I saw him out of the window and you with your mob following you。〃
〃We'll get a small one for us to eat。 They're really wonderful。 A small one ought to be grilled with butter and with herbs。 They're like striped bass at home。〃
〃I'm excited about the fish；〃 she said。 〃Don't we have wonder ful simple fun？〃
They were hungry for lunch and the bottle of white wine was cold and they drank it as they ate the celery remoulade and the
small radishes and the home pickled mushrooms from the big glass jar。 The bass was grilled and the grill marks showed on the silver skin and the butter melted on the hot plate。 There was sliced lemon to press on the bass and fresh bread from the bakery and the wine cooled their tongues of the heat of the fried potatoes。 It was good light； dry； cheerful unknown white wine and the restaurant was proud of it。
〃We're not great conversationalists at meals；〃 the girl said。 〃Do I bore you； darling？〃
The young man laughed。
〃Don't laugh at me； David。〃
〃I wasn't。 No。 You don't bore me。 I'd be happy looking at you if you never said a word。〃
He poured her anoth