The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-07-14


one hundred and five broadbill
.kwordiish since 1913. Thousands
of other great game fish, including
black sea bass. yellowtail, white
leea bass, albacore and dolphin.
And all caught with exceptionally
light, or comparatively light tackle.
Sounds like a sport fisherman's
Dream, doesn't It? But carefully
Kept records reveal that 200 mem
bers, more or less, of the exclu-
eive Tuna club here have taken,
with rod and reel, that number OF
game fish from the blue waters OF
the Pacific surrounding this SEM
tropical isle. The tuna ranged from
les TO PSI pounds. The marlin
from 125 to 446 pounds. And the
ibroadbill from 282 to 529 pounds!
Strict On Tackle.
To become q member OF the
TUNA club, you must catch f1sn
over 200, or 100 or so pounds, de-
bending upon the weight of tackle
used, before you can even pay the
high membership fee and receive
Ia club card. The club has mem
beers all over the world.
Former President Herbert Hoov-
Ter is an honorary member. Gov.
Clifford Pinchot. Crown Prince Olav
OF Norway, Admiral Hugh Rod
man of the United States Navy,
stewart Edward White and Singer
bling Crosby hold club cards, too.
Other prominent members are &C.
ell b. De Mile, Kettle Spalding,
Horace Vachell of London, John
BARRYMORE, Roy Carruthers, Ed
- nAhnnx IornId n FF1 nix.
hin, Max Fleischmann and Wilton
Lloyd Smith.
1, Specifications regarding tackle
are enforced with an iron hand.
Each year the club posts awards
the presents buttons for record
Watches, but il one varies from
the tackle rules it's just too bad.
Specifications.
Here's the way the club defines
tackle: Heavy tackle-Rod of
wood or cane not shorter than six
feet nine inches. Line with a
breaking strain not exceeding Sc
bounds. Light tackle-Rod OF
wood or cane not shorter than six
feet, with a line with a breaking
strain not exceeding rs pounds.
Hhree-six tackle-Rod of wood or
cane not weighing more than SIX
ounces, and not shoter than SIX
feet Line with beraking strain
not exceeding 16 pounds!
Using this sort of tackle, one
tasty can imagine just what KIND
of fishermen these Tuna club mem
bers are to bring in fish weighing
from IS to $40 pounds.
i Last year one of the clubs Of
ticers landed a 181-pound marlin
swordfish using three-six tackle
a line which would snap when
pulled to the weight of 16 pounds.
A novice can learn many things
at the Tuna clubs clubhouse on
the shores of Avalon Bay. The
members will ltell you that the best
sword fishing is in September. and
that the Tuna bite best in July.
Z They get kick out their formu-
la for estimating the weight Of fish
by measurement. They multiply
the SQUIRE of the girth in inches
by the length in inches and divide
by 500. For example, IL a fish mea-
lures 38 by 59-3S by 3S equals
h444 by So equals 58,196, divided
by 500 equals 106.49, or 106 IL
pounds.
4, Tuna On Vacation.
J Common talk on the trim little
Fishing launches is the mysterious
disappearance of tuna from Cata-
lima waters. In 1919, members of
the club caught oil tuna. In 1926.
only 212 were taken. In 1880 only
one was caught, but last year II
were taken.
Anglers say a stream of water
similar to the Gulf stream off the
Atlantic coast has been moving
away from the island and taking
the leaping tuna with it. The fact
that IL wer caught last year after
only one in 1880 leads the fisher
men here to believe that the "tun-
n.y. are coming back.