The herald., 1896-07-12
BIG GAME AT SEA
AVALON. July 10. 1896,

AVALON, July 10. 1896.
There remain few fields to conquer at
Santa Catalina. Two years ago the
Jewish had not been taken on a. rod
and reel, and there were those who did
not hesitate to say that 1t was an i'm
possibility, and that a fish that would
almost haul man overheard on hand
line could not by any possibility be taken
on a rod, but it Is the unexpected that
always happens. and Major Charles
viele of the cavalry was the genius who
proved that the gamy fish could be sub
dued. The attempt was made at Silver
canon in about thirty feet Of water.
Major Viele and c. F. Holder, who was
with him, both trying their rods.
The plan was to fish from the
launch and have the small boat
in readiness and step in when
a strike came and allow the fsh
to tow the boat away. Mr.. Holder had
the first strike on his ten-ounce rod.
and the fish in savage rush broke the
rod by fouling the line. Then Major
Viele had strike and quickly stepping
into the small boat, he hooked his fish.
life after the fish,, that struck out for
San Clemente. 1t is useless to go over
the fight. Mr.. Holder timed 1t from the
launch, catching in the mean time two
large Jewish on the hand line, andStwo
hours and half from the time It was
4ITuCk Lne IldJOT UTOuSHt Luc IOUlG
fish to gaff. 1t weighed $50 pounds. The
next catch on a rod was made by Mr..
Beard at San Clemente. with Harry
Films as oarsman. The fish was booked
at sun-down with the eye of an albicore
for bait and towed the fisherman UP
and down the coast until s o'clock at
night, the finish being made by the light
of a lantern just off from the yacht San
Diego. The fish weighed over 200 pounds,
and is the largest one ever taken
on a rod, If not the largest fish of amy
kind, including tarpon, ever taken in this
way, and that Mr.. Beard may be said to
at least hold the Pacific coast record
He later took 100-pound fish off Sugar
Loaf
Last summer the tuna began to inter-
est anglers and the sport was described
in the Cosmopolitan Magazine by c. F.
Holder, attracting no little attention
throughout the east. Nearly all the ang-
lers had had some experience with the
fish. j. Neale Plumb had valuable rod
jerked out of his hand by one. Mr. Hol-
der lost rod and 400 feet of line. but no
one could stop the fish, yet it was
deemed possible If a large reel would be
procured, one that would hold 600 or
700 feet Of line, but the season of 1895
closed with four tunas caught at the
isthmus on a hand line alone. This year
the tunas came into Avalon bay and
afforded fine sport for the handliners
early in the season, and several from 80
up to $50 pounds were caught, but the
stories were so marvellous about their
power that it was not believed that one
could be taken. &c. P. Moorehouse of
Pasadena, however, is the lucky man.
and he has succeeded after four-hour
fight in taking a 137-pound fish, while
Mexican Joe and party took 50-pound-
er. Mr.. Moorehouse undoubtedly holds
the worlds record for the most power
full and gamy fish on a light rod, or
rod Of any kind, the tuna being much
harder fighter than the tarpon Of equal
weight
The next thing is to determine who
will take the biggest tuna, as the fish
run way up to high figures, and it is
fair to say that 200-pound fish is as
big a one as anyone would care to take
who does not care to be worn out or
jerked overheard. The tuna fishing bids
fair to create as much excitement as the
yearly bouts with tarpon along the gulf
coast of Florida.
PISCATOR.