The herald., 1898-06-12
TUNA FISHING
A TREMENDOUS STRUGGLE OFF
CATALINA ISLAND
C.R. SCUDDER'S GREAT CATCH
Seven Hours Fight With the Gamey
Fish, Who Towed the Boat Over
Twenty Miles

Twenty Miles
SANTA CATALINA, June 9.-Yester-
day E. l.. Doran and G. r. Scudder OF ST.
Louis went tuna fishing off Avalon bay,
expecting to return by breakfast time.
Mr.. Doran did return, but he left Mr..
Scudder fastened to a big tuna, and came
in to get some breakfast for the fisher
man. The news was circulated, and soon
MIR. Doran started out with Mrs. Palmer
and daughter of Oakland, Mr. Fetch
Dewey, a famous tuna taker of Toledo
Mrs. c. r. Scudder, Mrs. Doran, Mrs.
Cook of Colorado Springs, and c. F.
Holder of Pasadena. Another launch put
out at the same time with Mr.. Stude-
baker and party, the famous wagon
maker. The launches found Mr.. Scudder
and Jim Gardner, his boatman, about
four miles off shore, still fighting the fish,
and laid by for an hour, when a sea picked
up and the presence of several large
whales decided the ladies that they would
go in. The two fishermen had now been
working for four hours, and Mr.. Holder
was put aboard their boat, while the
launch put back to Avalon, expecting to
return at once and. lay by the fishermen
who We're all the time drifting out to
sea. 1t was believed that the fish would
soon be taken in, but this was mistake
as the game creature seemed to gain
strength all the time, and made most
remarkable fight. For the first three
hours it played about on the surface,
rushing in and out trying aN the tricks
| d game fish can. When it first struck !"
| it seemed, as one of the party said, to
| leap into the air and strike the tail. then
| la shing half an acre into foam. 1t towed
| the boat around, and around for an hour,
then started for the main land, circling
and fighting in a manner that was CAL
culated to exhaust any one but the skill
| full manipulation of the reel from st. Louis,
who made a brilliant fight, and has prob
ably fought fish longer than any one
ever did.
| Mr.. Doran's launch did not return at
once, owing to some trouble with the
engine, and the three men in boat"
were rapidly towed out to sea.
| Sometimes ten or fifteen feet would be
gained, but the fish would take twice as
much in a desperate rush. Then the
handle of the reel broke. and all was
supposed to be lost. but this was reme-
died. The reel was oiled and the fight
begun again. Three times blaze of sill
yer was seen near the boat. and the gaff
was brought out, but the fish rushed away
again. So time dragged on until half
past one. At this time the boat was
nearly half way across the channel. A
heavy sea began to pick up, and the ang-
lers began to fear that in the heavy sea
the fish would break away. The wind
| Off
Avalon, which was now out of sight, and
the fish was towing them south so that
they were off Seal Rocks, nearly half
way to San Juan Capistrano, HIS near as
they could make out. At o'clock the
fish was fighting as hard as ever, and the
fishermen began to think that it would
never give up, and that they would have
to make for the main land If night came
on and the boats from Avalon could not
find them. The outlook was not pleas
ant one, but there was no question of
cutting away that fish. If the fight had
been carried into the night it was de-
cided to try for the main land If it blew
hard, but fortunately this did not hap
pen, and after several hard rushes the
| fish seemed to grow weaker, and was
finally, at about half past two, brought to
nearly stove the bottom through with it's
powerful head. The weary fishermen
gave a cheer for the benefit of the whales,
and began to pull in against the sea.
| The launch was now seen coming down
under Steam and sail, and an hour later
the boat was picked u1 by Mr.. and Mrs.
Doran and Mr.. Dewey, taken in tow, and
of A ~ oil nh !, Eel, offa
ing the boat at least twenty miles, end
ing perhaps the most exciting experience
in catching the leaping tuna Catalina has
ever seen, the exact time of the fight be-
ing seven hours.
The fish weighed 1875 pounds, and if
weighed direct from the water would
have tipped the scales at $780,
Mr.. Studebaker has taken two fish, Dr.
Macomber of Pasadena one and Mr..
Dewey of Toledo one, and the little bay
of Avalon was filled with leaping tunas
yesterday, affording great sport. On a
rod and the lightest line it takes from
one to three or four hours to land these
fish, but with hand line, which is fine
sport, the deed can be accomplished in
fifteen or twenty minutes. Tuna fishing
has aroused the greatest excitement
amOngt anglers, ana Ior the time Delng
the game little yellow tail is forgotten.
The big records for the season for rod
and reel are: c. F. Holder, Pasadena, 1881
pounds; L. c. Wadsworth, Redlands, 1853
pounds; DR.. Macomber, 1873 poundst Mr..
Fitch Dewy, 14S pounds; Mr.. Doran, nine
fish, ranging from rs pounds to 14O; Mr..
Arroll Elmora, 14S pounds; Mr.. Stude-
baker, 116 pounds, while twenty or thirty
L i
ties unknown. TUNA.