The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-09-30
MONSTER SUNFISH

A three-hours' fight and the capture
of monster sunfish weighing 1900
pounds was the strenuous experience of
two women and a boatman at Catalina
last week. 1t has added a new chapter
to the life of that famous mart and to
the fishing history of the Pacific Coast.
The fishermen of this coast have made
many notable catches and have CAP
tured many things strange and start
ling in the sea, but the monster caught
last week, resembling dismantled ele-
plant minus the bones, is easily the
biggest catch of the season.
The particular one that was landed
owes his destruction really to two
women, Mrs. a. W. Barrett, of Los An
geles, and Mrs. Nellie Hall, of Roches-
ter, n. Y. They We're out in the Pacific
Ocean last Tuesday with Skipper
George Farnsworth in a launch, after
| jewish. While gazing over the calm
surface of the channel about a mile
| from shore the ladies happened to look
| behind them, and away off in the dis
lance, about a half-mile astern, saw a
great black mass on the surface of the
sea that shone up distinctly in the sun.
1t was whale-like in size and appear
ance, and the boatman put his launch
about to investigate the apparent dere-
| lict. As the boat drew near the occu-
pants saw that it was a monster sun
| fish that was lolling on the surface,
warming itself in the morning sun.
From it's size the party knew that to
venture too close might invite a fight
and a wreck of the boat, but after con-
sultation the ladies decided that the big
Shiny lump of quivering flesh must be
shared if possible. Accordingly Skipper
Farnsworth selected his heaviest gaff
hook and turned on full steam ahead
for charge on the fish mountain.
| When close enough, Farnsworth
swung the gait with all his force and
the hook went down deep into the quiv-
ering flesh of the sleeping fish.
| 1t was a rude awakening, and when
the fish felt the sharp pain, it dashed
out in every direction with great fury
in the effort to free itself. The hook
had taken firm hold and could not be
pulled out, and when the monster real
| lied this, it renewed it's fierce efforts to
escape.
This twisting and turning and
thrashing continued for over an hour
until relief came in the person of Boat
man Films, who had seen the fight from
a distance and instantly realized thai
something was doing. He also sunk his
big gaff into the struggling sea ele-
lphant, and by taking turns the two
men securely held it until it fought It
self into complete exhaustion. tbs
struggle going on for one hour anc
forty-five minutes after Films arrived
or for about three hours after Farms
worth first gated it.
The task of bringing it to the beacf
took up another half hour. 1t wa:
towed in by both launches, and a doz
en- men worked themselves tired drag
ging it up on the beach. Although th'
tackle of Avalon is ample for handlin,
all kinds of fish up to 1000 pounds, i
was inadequate for ttiG one, for it wa
about twelve feet long and about fiv'
feet in diameter.
It was almost as large as a prize Gov
at a county fair, and it attracted tel
times as much attention. The entir
population of Avalon turned out to Sc
the big thing, which had been draw