Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-28
FISH STORY BEATS OTHERS a
BLOCK
STRIKE OF MONSTER TUNA Il
THE MOTIF
Captain Broadhead Kicks in with ;
Yarn That Puts Puny Efforts
of PatroImen in the
Shade

is said take under consideration propo
sition to establish a perpetual champion
ship Ananias medal to be competed fol
solely by members of the Los Angelo!
police department
Two weeks ago Sergt Harry White wa:
awarded a medal of the first class II
open competition, and the week following
Patrolman e. II. Sanders received tn,
highly coveted Ananias medal in ordinary
for his veracious narrative of the cap
ture of two record size bonita.
Now Capt Thomas H. Broadhead has
entered in competition with his fellow
officers for fishing honors, and anyone
who knows Captain Tom will realize
what a hard game the other fellows are
up against
Capt. Broadhead is one of the most
versatile men in the Los Angeles police
department He is not only an educated
gentleman of the highest standing but
he numbers among his accomplishments
technical and general knowledge that
would win him fame and fortune in many
other lines should he conclude to drop
police work and enter some other field of
usefulness in the worlds work.
Broadhead's Accomplishments
AS a constructor and designer of boats
Capt. Broadhead is noted all along the
coast line of Southern California, ana
after two years of hard work he has com
pleted one of the fastest and staunchest
gasoline yachts that grace these waters.
The boat is built on graceful lines ana
is as fast as a creased streak. to express
it in the language of one old wharf
lounger, and is yet powerful enough to
do towing work if necessary.
All this has nothing to do with Capt.
Broadhead's fishing story, however, and
is a mere incident to the introduction OF
his truly told adventure.
A week ago the captain and party of
friends were out in the new yacht. The
run had Just been made from Alamitos
Bay to Avalon, and it took them only a
fraction over one hour and thirty minutes
to make the trip by the way One of the
captains friends was in the stern of the
boat trolling for anything in the shape Of
the big fish that might be induced to
take the whirling silver spoon which was
playing along the top of the water at the
end of 100 yards of 24-strand Nantucket.
Here's Strong Line
The boat was chugging along smoothly
at about a seven-knot speed, and it was
Just four bells of the afternoon watch.
Capt Broadhead was at the wheel and
he was pointing for the landing when,
like a fash of golden light, giant body
rose from the ocean. AS the water left
its great sides the sunlight played in
rainbow hues over it, flashing and scin-
tiIlating like an ever changing kaleido.
scope.
Great Ceasar, what is it?" gasped the
man with the reel. The next moment he
knew With the quickness of lightning
and the dash of a tuna the big fish took
the trolling spoon and away 1t went. Out
spun the line, buzzing like lot of angry
bumblebees, and as it whisked from the
reel a line of smoke rose from beneath
the thumb brake.
There was a jar, a sudden stopping of
the boat and then it began to move back
ward at a speed far greater than it had
been going forward under the impulse of
it's engines.
Quickly the engines were stopped and
reversed and full speed astern was given
the boat but it did no good the faster
the boat went the faster travelled that
fish, and it made straight out to sea with
a rapidity that beggared description.
Big One Gets Away
With brake and drag on the man with
the reel tried TO check the tuna, but it
was no use. Quickly the 800 yards of line
was run out and the next instant the reel
was ripped from the collars and was just
going over the stern of the boat when
the captain seized a bovine from the
hangover and caught half hitch around
the reel. All of this line was soon run
out through a hawse hole and while the
end was fastened to a stanchion and held
the fish could not be tired or checked.
Then came the end. The twenty-four
strand line burned by the friction of the
thumb brake, gave way and the great
tuna leaped high in the air and sounded,
carrying with it nearly 400 yards of line
and the rigging.
1t was a sorrowful crowd of fishermen
that put back into Avalon that night.
They had but little to say of their ad-
venture, but Capt Broadhead confidential
ly told a friend who told another friend
who related the story to the writer that
that tuna was fifteen feet long and it
must have weighed 1900 pounds if 1t
weighed an ounce.
Swears to Catch Monster
If that line had not broken a world s
record for all time to come would have
been established, but such is the grit and
determination of Capt. Broadhead not to
give that fish up that he is going after it
again.
Some day we'll get him and then the
tuna records from now to kingdom come
will be established" he says, and to the
end that he may get him the captain is
going to take three weeks of solid hunt
ing for this tuna of tunas, and he will
rest neither night nor day until the great
fish is landed.
small pliable silk covered steel cable
with a sustaining strength of 1900 pounls
and a tensile strength of 1913 pounds to
the inch is being butt now for the cap
tains yacht and when it is completed II
will be mounted on power reel built
like mine hoist on the upper deck OF
the yacht. 1t will swing upon a table
so that no matter which direction the
big fish takes they will always be able
to control it.
There are tuna fishermen in Catalina
who are mean enough TO say that this
15-foot tuna Is a dream or optical illu-
sion or something else that might be
designated by a shorter and harsheI
term. but those who know Capt. Broad
head and the Ananias division of the Roo
and Reel club know that he did have a
strike from 15-foot tuna and that it al
happened just as he said 1t did.
--o-e-