(Thunnus thynnus)
The leaping tuna is the largest of the great game fishes of the
Pacific. It ranges from Monterey Bay, where it is sparingly met with,
south to Mexico. About Catalina Island they are found in great numbers
and of great size. The excellent sport their capture with rod and reel
furnishes, has drawn to the island the expert anglers of the world,
and resulted in the formation of the now famous "Tuna Club of
Catalina," with its members residing in all parts of the world; and of
which no one can become a member until he has landed a tuna of 100
pounds or more with rod and reel and with a line not larger than a
24-thread Cuttyhunk.
Professor Charles F. Holder, an expert angler with a national
reputation, and who has angled for all fishes and in all waters, says,
"The most sensational fish of these waters is the leaping tuna. It is
the tiger of the California seas, a living meteor, which strikes like
a whirlwind, and played with a rod that is not a billiard cue or a
club in stiffness, will give the average man the contest of his life."
The record for the largest tuna caught with a rod and reel is held at
this writing by Col. C. P. Morehouse of Pasadena, who brought to gaff
a 251 pound tuna after a six-and-a-half-hours' fight, during which it
had towed his boat over ten miles. But even a greater fight than this
is recorded, but the fish was not landed. This fish fought for
seventeen hours and thirty minutes before its wonderful endurance and
splendid courage mastered the skill of the angler. Mr. C. B. Stockton
has to his credit a fight which not only shows the great endurance of
this angler but the remarkable vitality of these fish. This fight
lasted for sixteen hours and fifty-five minutes before the fish was
brought to gaff. It weighed 170 pounds and was taken on the regulation
tackle.
Body, round and sloping rapidly from the middle to the caudal fin, and
very small and round at the base of the tail; tail divided into two
long forks; two dorsal fins, the first beginning just behind the
gill-covers with the pectoral and ventral fins a trifle farther back;
second dorsal fin smaller than the first and located nearly half way
between it and the caudal; anal fin midway between the ventral and the
caudal; bony, saw-like projections from the second dorsal fin, and
from the anal fin to the tail; color, blue on the back and silvery
white on the sides.
=Tackle and Lure=--The flyingfish is about the only bait with which
the tuna can be caught. The hook, which must be attached to about 3-1/2
or 4 inches or light chain and with a wire snell, is passed into the
mouth and down the belly of the flyingfish, the barb projecting about
midway of the fish. A small string is passed through the nose and
under lip and tied through a link of the chain to keep the mouth shut.
The speed of the boat should be from two to four miles an hour. In the
middle of the day, when the tunas are feeding in schools, the sinker
should be removed, and the lure skipped along the surface of the
water. This effect can be helped by the motion of the rod.
The Catalina Tuna Club has adopted the following tackle
specifications:
For Tuna and Swordfish--Rod to be of wood, consisting of a
butt and tip, and to be not shorter than 6 feet, 9 inches
over all. Tip not less than 5 feet in length, and to weigh
not more than 16 ounces. Line not to exceed standard
24-thread.
[Illustration: ALBACORE (Germo alalunga)]