The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-24
MARLIN SWORDFISH
THE SEAS ACROBAT
Worlds Light Tackle Record
Holder Tells Of Leaping
, Abilities of "Tiger."
HOW CHAMPIONSHIP WON
BIZ JAMES w. JUMP.

AVALON, Cal, Nov $50 many
oueriea have reached me directly and
Indirectly regarding my catch at Catn-
lima last summer OF n 3l4 pound marlin
swordnsh on light tackle (six ounce
tip and nine thread line) that ] have
taken this way of answering.
Several inquirers seemed quite un-
informed to say the least. not only re-
gardlng fishing for leaping tuna and
swcrdnsh, but AZ to all manner o,
deep sea angling Nth rod and reel But
one man who. I should Judge, has at
least read about fishing for tuna on
the Jersey coast. has politely but
strenuously voiced his belief that TAX
ing a swordfsh OF several hundred
pounds on the described tackle Is q
sheer impossiblllty
Another wishes to know whether the
swordfsh OF southern California waters
Is identical with the swordhsh OF the At
lantic Ocean.
So I will put all these eggs In one bas-
lSet and then try 20 stand them on end.
Both the marlin swordhsh and the
broadblll swordfsh (the latter being the
same fish that is found in Atlantic
watare) are found here and both are
TAKEN here with rod and reel. The lat
ter reaches the larger size.
The Tuna Club record broadoill
swordfsh taken on heavy tackle
weighed 463 pounds: the heavy tackle
marlin $40 pounds.
swordnshes Fight Differently.
The broadbill and the marlin fight
differently after being hooked. The
broadbill seldom Jumps from the water
feAe marlin jumps frequently in most
spectacular fashion. keeping the angler
on edge all the time.
One marlin caught by me left the
water seventy-four times by actual
count before being brought to gaff but
this of course was exceptional. The
marlin is much more numerous than the
broadbill in local waters as a rule.
IT should be explained that up TO
fifteen years ago no swordnsh had been
taken on rod and reel; and IL IL only
| within the last six or eight years that
| the sportsmen anglers OF the Tuna Club
have made practice OF going after
them.
1t was at first thought to DO too dan
gerous; an impression which some
| anglers. for obvious reasons, have seen
| fit to encourage: nevertheless. no Cata-
lima boat. boatman or angler. has thus
far suffered any casualties while hght'
| ing the tiger OF the sea-"
The first swordfsh regularly caught OF
| light tackle was taken In 1918 by Presl-
| dent J A. Coke Of the Tuna Club. II
weighed ITO pounds. and this remained
good fortune 10 take eight marlin or
lisht tackle. the largest Of which weighed
1855 pounds.
Sport with Light Tackle.
My experience that season thorough,
convipced me that not only could the
sea tiger be caught on light tackle but
that there Is much more sport and pleas
ure to be had than In angling FOR then
| with heavy tackle.
| Early IN the summer OF 1918 caught
two marlin on heavy tackle while fish
| ing with kite for leaping tuna OF large
size should perhaps explain that th'
| leaping tuna season usually begins II
lin season is August and September, al
| though occasional specimens of both ART
taken In other summer and fall months
As soon as the leaping tuna left
in oil. nine marlin. the largest OF which
weighed 314 pounds, the record llgh
tackle swordhsh thus far
Now. allow me 10 explain. II I can
to my doubling friend OF the Jersey coas
how II is not only possible but not over
weighing several hundred pounds OF
light tackle.
In the frst place. the sea is not 81
rough in the lee OF Santa Catalina anC
San Clemente islands as It IS Off III,
Jersey coast
I This OF course lessons the size OF tn,
Job to that extent nevertheless. n de
gree OF experiences Is required wh!cl
brings Intelligent skill and quickness o
thought and hand Into busy coordinate
use.
a nine thread line is strong enough
other things being equal. II has a break
ing strain, when dry, of from eighteen
10 twenty-three pounds. 1t may not b
generally known that the strongest maj
cannot lift % pound weight from tn
floor, using n heavy tackle rod and lin
of "a threads Neither rod nor line wi
a break, but the weight Will remain o
a the floor.
6 On the other hand. II Is not only pos
sible but lulicrously easy TO break eve
n ~ thread lire with q big fish on tn
0 other end by giving direct tension. Blu
the res!liency OF the rod protects tn
? line and in the hands OF an exper
| angler the breaking point Is seldor
reached.
This being the case. even with n ligh
J tackle lire il X only n question Of skill
full handling OF the rod, reel and In
and OF the launch. and the handlln
OF the launch isa most important facto
Tackle for SwOrdhsh.
3 caught IN all last summer min
-. swordfish on light tackle. The rod WI
) n y. A. c. Special" presented to me b
l President J. 4. Coke OF the Tuna Gu
3 for beating his own light tackle recort
This rod was measured, weighed an
. stamped by T. s. Manning, the secretar
OF the Tuna Club.
I The line was a Mermaid" bran,
guaranteed to conform to the reaulr,
ments Of the Tuna Club. II was teste
for strength by I" 6. Murphy of n
r Tuna Club. breaking at 81 pounds, whe
new.
. The leader was 1a feet long as fe,
IL permissible under the rulss) and VIZ
examined and measured by Ralph Ban
DIM, a director OF the Tuna Club.
A The reel was 40 julius vom lIo
make known as the Bocean
y On September 10 was fishing fro
: my Al foot launch Ranger at san Glen
ente for swordhsh. The fish we
I scarce-that is TO say they were thcr