The Washington times., 1938-08-11
MILTON GORDON
Big Game Angler and Fishing Tackle
Expert, of the Simon Atlas Co.

Big Game Angler and Fishing Tackle
Expert, of the Simon Atlas Co.
It is not so easy, this pinch.
hitting for a fishing editor who
was rated tops while we were
still tied to our mothers apron.
strings. Therefore, if the fol.
lowing efforts will in no way be
taken as evidence of Bob's slip.
ping, but instead merely as a
friendly gesture so that he can
have a swell fishing trip down
through Southern Georgia in
Okefenoke bass country, several
more days in the blackwater
streams of Louisiana, and pos
sibly day or two on the Gulf
Stream off Miami, then we will
be satisfied, and hope the dose
won't be too hard to take.
AS offShore fishing has always
been our strongest forte, and
with season such as Northern
anglers have never experienced
now in top form, it is natural
that we pick it to be the best
news of the day.
But a part of it that seldom
gets out to the anglers enjoy
ing the sport, that is. the men
manning the boats that make
possible your fun, with several
excerpts from the daily log of
one of them.
Several names stand out in
this new fishing off Ocean City,
names that travel not only the
tidewaters of southern Mary
land. but helped, as we'll, to
make this section what it is
today.
Veteran Marlinmen
Capt. Crawford Savage. who
fished out of the old inlet and
off the beach until the present
one blew through in 1898, with
three fine boats. Capts. Bill
and Tai Bunting. with a small
fleet. All of them men who
know these offshore waters and
have been in on the marlin
fishing since it started in 1884,
and whose twin-engined boats
are usually in the count when
they dock in the evening.
Capt. Bill Hatch, the dean of
all Gulf Stream fishermen, who
again left his Diesel cruiser in
Southern waters to skipper the
fine, new Elco Sportfisherman,
Jacpau III. owned by Paul and
Jack Townsend. With over IS
years experience with the great
billed sport fish of the open sea
in back of him, he has done
much in the building up of this
white marlin fishing. OF course,
the ability of the Townsends
has played its part, for, with
possibly one or two exceptions,
there are no anglers along the
whole Atlantic Coast that rate
higher.
Capt. H. C. Curly" Matte
son, to whom seems to belong
the credit of discovering" mar
lin fishing at this point. be-
cause in 1884, with his asso-
ciate, Capt. Bill Nichols, they
accompanied each other on ex-
ploratory expeditions further
offshore than it was necessary to
go for the fighting bluefish, and
where they spotted the black
fins of the marlin, taking the
first one accidentally on a
feather lure.
Smart Fisherman
Capt. James Red" Hall, also
like Curly" a stream fisher
man. who. although quiet and
unaSsuming in spite of his
bright thatch, knows his bats,
and at the end of the season
will have as many fish to the
credit Of the Guilty Sark as
does any other boat in the
marlin fleet.
Capt. B. L. Lev" Raymond, a
newcomer to the marlin fleet at
Ocean City, but certainly not a
newcomer to offshore fishing,
because for many years he has
followed the tuna schools off
the Barnegat Ridge. For the
last three years he has been
high boat on tuna at the Allan
tic City Tuna Club, finding his
way in this inlet, or out an
other.
The logs Of all the boats,
short of words of qualification
always. but full of actual news
nevertheless, tell many a story.
July %, l938-Paul Thomp-
sons party aboard from Will.
mington. Del. Passed bell at
4:05 a. m. run east two hours
and a half through fog. Wind
light east south east. No sight
fish until noon. Eight strikes,
five hooked and one marlin
boated southeast of Jacks Pot.
July 80, 1938-Party of George
Anderson. Ran east by south for
two hours. Stiff south south
west wind blowing, water cool
and rough. Poor fishing on
Jacks Pot, ran south and south,
east three hours, then west. Six
strikes, four hooked. one boated
just northeast of Winter Quar-.
ter Light Vessel. Warming
followed by rain.
July 81, 1938-Ran down to
northeast Of lightship. South
south west wind. Moderately
sunny and cool. Started fishing
at $50 on Jacks Pot. Red" Hall
failing me-he had not a single
strike Yesterday. Fish are work