TUNA FISHING AT AVALON, SANTA CATALINA ISLAND.
I go
To the island-valley of Avilion;
Where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow,
Nor ever wind blows loudly; but it lies
Deep meadow'd, happy, fair with orchard-lawns
And bowery hollows crown'd with summer sea.
_The Passing of Arthur._
The lines placed at the head of this chapter are in many ways not
inappropriate to Santa Catalina Island, with its little village of
Avalon, though meadows and lawns are somewhat conspicuous by their
absence.
For there can be little doubt that the name is connected with the
Arthurian legend, and must have been brought to this far-off land by the
early Spanish monks 200 years ago. No doubt the peaceful silence of the
island and the deep blue of the summer sea reminded one of them of some
island in distant Spain, where the great king is still sleeping. To
quote "Fiona McLeod":--
This tradition is found among every European people. Where is
Joyeuse Gard? Some say it is in the isle of Avillion off the
Breton shores; some say it is in Avalon, under the sacred hill of
Glastonbury.
Arthur himself has a sleeping place (for nowhere is he dead, but
sleeps, awaiting a trumpet call) in "a lost land," in Provence, in
Spain, under the waters of the Rhine.
The Californians have fortunately retained many of their beautiful
Spanish names, instead of changing them into Anglo-Saxon vulgarisms. It
is surely far better for a town to be called Los Angeles, Pasadena, or
San Francisco, than Southville or Jacksonville. Coronado beach and El
Plaza del Rey, the playground of the king, are ideal names for a
watering-place.
The island of Catalina lies 24 miles off the coast of California
opposite Los Angelos. About 30 miles long, and situated so as to act as
a barrier against the Pacific swell and the prevailing winds, it forms,
with the opposite coast, a kind of large bay or sheltered piece of
water, which is always smooth. It is only very occasionally in the
winter that a nor'-wester blows into it. It is for this reason, and this
alone, that Catalina is the only place suitable for tuna fishing, though
there are other islands which this fish frequents.
The island was bought by an Englishman named Banning for a sheep ranche,
and has been turned into a summer resort by his two sons; being owned by
Banning Brothers and Co., who claim sovereign rights over the whole
island, and have hitherto upheld them in spite of several legal battles
with the United States. No boat can land without their permission, and
the United States post-office is built below high-water mark. There is
wireless communication with the mainland, and a boat arrives every day.
There is a very good hotel, and the climate is most equable, neither
cold in winter nor hot in summer, being quite free from the sudden
changes so prevalent in other parts of California. Early in April I
noted the thermometer to be 64 deg. at mid-day and 63 deg. at midnight.
I found Catalina to be the pleasantest winter resort in California, much
quieter than the others, while there is always some fishing, even though
the tuna do not arrive till summer. Unfortunately, the tourists and the
tuna arrive about the same time, the latter usually appearing in June
and the former coming in July and August. Arrangements are made by which
the little town of Avalon is turned into a "tent city," in which some
ten thousand people are accommodated in tents. This naturally makes the
island for two months a very different place from what it is for the
rest of the year. Several steamers arrive and depart daily loaded with
excursionists.
The fisherman who intends to try for tuna will have to put up with
inconveniences of this kind, but if he arrives early he can employ
himself while he is waiting for the tuna to arrive, by trying for
yellow-tail, albicore, bonito, and barracouta. The first three are all
species of mackerel. The last named can often be caught in large
quantities, but gives little sport. All are got by trolling a small
herring.
The yellow-tail is well spoken of by the tuna fishermen as being for its
size even stronger than the tuna. It is fished for with a lighter rod
and 12-ply line. I shall give a description of tuna tackle later; the
tackle used for yellow-tail resembles it in general character, but is
much lighter. The fish is a handsome mackerel of a dull silvery colour,
tinged with yellow, which becomes more marked towards the tail. I saw
several landed of about 25lb., but did not get one myself. The largest
on record is 56lb.; from 40lb. to 50lb. is not an uncommon weight.
The albicore is another mackerel, blue above, and silver below, with a
curious long pectoral fin on each side, about a foot in length. The fish
are found in shoals and can be got in large numbers when the angler can
find one of the shoals. I believe it is usual to attract the shoal by
throwing small herring astern, and when this is done a fish can be
hooked at almost every throw. Those I saw landed were about 25lb.
The bonito is like a large horse mackerel, and is fished for in the same
manner as the albicore.
There are many other fish that can be got by fishing deep with a bait,
notably the black sea-bass, which is caught up to 400lb. There is little
sport to be got out of it, except what is afforded by hauling in a fish
of such immense weight. All these fish are good to eat.
In my experience, better sport with all these fish can be obtained at
Coronado beach than at Catalina Island, but tuna cannot be caught there,
though they are known to frequent the Coronado Islands. These islands
are too much exposed for the use of the small tuna launches. There are
about 7,000 wild goats on the island, and leave can be got from the
Bannings to shoot them, but it is not a very high form of big game
shooting. They are the descendants of some tame goats which were turned
out by the Spaniards for the benefit of shipwrecked sailors, though it
is not known exactly how the sailors were going to catch them. However,
some amusement might be got in this way till the tuna arrive. There is
also a nine-hole golf course.
The launches used for this fishing are very light, built for two or
three men, and fitted with gasoline engines. The best are pointed at bow
and stern, so as to go equally well in either direction. There are a few
private ones, and some of the public ones are retained by fishermen so
as to be ready when the tuna may appear. It might be well for any
fisherman to see that a launch is available if the fish should suddenly
arrive. Though the tarpon and tarpon fishing are fairly well known, very
little seems to be known in England about the tuna, and though I cannot
speak from personal experience, it would seem that the sport afforded by
the tuna is certainly equal to, if it does not far surpass, that given
by the tarpon, in the size, strength, and fighting qualities of the
fish. All the information here given was collected during a visit to
Catalina, during which period the tuna, unfortunately, did not put in an
appearance.
Tuna fishing is of only very recent date, for though the fish was caught
by bait on strong hand-lines by local fishermen, it was only in 1896
that the first tuna was caught on a rod and line, and since that time
the numbers caught have not been very many. But little seems to have
appeared in the English sporting papers and magazines about the tuna.
And it would appear to me that anyone who reads the accounts given here
will be obliged to admit that this fish must afford the greatest and
most exciting sport that can be enjoyed by the bait fisherman. It is a
most formidable antagonist and one whose capture may be looked on with
just pride.
Even the number of those who have landed a tuna is very small; and very
few Englishmen are members of the Tuna Club. The tuna fishing at
Catalina is carried on under the auspices of the Tuna Club, an American
institution which has an excellent object, namely, to protect the tuna
and to see that as far as possible its capture is effected in a
sportsmanlike way. For anyone can, of course, capture a tuna with a wire
rope, and haul him in by main force; but to capture a tuna under the
rules of the Tuna Club is a different matter.
According to these rules, the rod must be not less than six feet nine
inches long, and must not weigh more than sixteen ounces; the line must
be not more than twenty-four strands cuttyhunk; and the fisherman must
land his fish with unbroken rod and tackle, and without any aid, except
that of his boatman as gaffer; and the said fish must weigh 100lb. or
over. On achieving this feat in the prescribed manner the angler is
eligible as a member of the Tuna Club, and his fish is entered in the
books.
Englishmen might naturally object to any arbitrary rules as to the way
in which they conduct their sport, but the Tuna Club makes no arbitrary
claim. Any one may fish how or where he pleases, and need not aspire to
membership unless he wishes to. The aim and object of the club is simply
to set up a standard, and, by a kind of moral influence, inculcate
sportsmanlike methods in the capture of the fish, in circumstances,
where, by the nature of the case, no forcible means of protecting the
fish are available. With such an object no real sportsman should
quarrel.
The tuna is an immense mackerel, and its general build and shape show
capacity for great speed and strength. The largest caught in the annals
of the Tuna Club is 251lb., but far larger fish have been hooked and
lost. Fish over 1000lb. have been captured by other means, while it is
probable that the weight may in some cases run up to nearly 2000lb. The
tuna is gregarious and visits Catalina from June to September in large
shoals, when the flying fish, which seem to be its favourite food, also
appear. In the winter it probably goes south along the coast of Mexico.
A shoal is sometimes seen quite early in February or March, but as a
rule they do not appear till the middle of May at the earliest, and,
even when they do appear at this time, they do not stay long.
The rod and tackle are very important. The American tuna rod is an
excellent piece of workmanship. It is made in two pieces, the tip and
the butt. The tip, according to the rules of the Tuna Club, must not be
less than 6ft. long, and fits into the butt just above the reel. It is
made of split cane, but with no steel centre, and is very strong and
stiff, bending a little only to the very strongest pull. The butt is
built very stoutly, and there is no regulation as to its length, but it
is usually about a foot and a-half long, and in fishing is allowed to
rest in a hole under the fisherman's seat, so that the rod is controlled
with the left hand alone, leaving the right free. The advantage of such
a stiff rod lies in the fact that a very strong strain can be put on the
fish. It could easily be tested, and I should imagine that a strain of
ten pounds could be maintained, increased to considerably more in the
case of a tired fish. With a salmon rod a strain of about three pounds
is the utmost that can be maintained. The cost of such a rod is some L3,
or $15, and it can be bought in New York, or in Catalina Island, or Los
Angeles.
The reel is also very important, and also costs 15 dollars, for it must
hold 1000 yards of line. The winder is of the winch form with two
handles, for tuna fishermen maintain that they must have this form to
enable them to reel in with sufficient force, thus getting some command
over the line. The cylindrical knob of our salmon reel is universally
condemned. To the reel is attached a strong piece of leather which can
be pressed down by the thumb on the line so as to act as a brake, and is
very simple and efficient.
The line is a peculiarly American production, known as cuttyhunk line,
made of flax, immensely strong, very light and cheap. I know of no line
so suited to its purpose, or which, as I have said before, forms such
excellent backing to a trout or salmon line. The regulations of the Club
provide that the line must not be more than 24-ply, which is about equal
in thickness to a not very strong salmon trolling line; 9-ply is about
the size of a trout line. The 24-ply line practically cannot be broken
by the strongest man, and stands a dead strain of considerable amount.
It is also remarkably cheap. A tuna line of 1000 yards costs 5 dollars,
and since they are often broken, this quality is a very excellent one.
The lightness of the line and its thickness are both, too, very good
qualities when several hundred yards are out, and cutting the water at
great speed. The line is prepared and kept in good preservation by being
rubbed with common yellow beeswax, and by being dried after use.
The tuna rods, reels, and lines, which I saw at Catalina, seemed
exceedingly well adapted for their purpose, and were most efficient
without being expensive. It was earnestly impressed on me to be sure to
obtain the best tackle, and to have a spare rod and reel and several
lines in the boat. Great care should be taken of the tackle, and also to
see that everything is in good order, as the fish is a most formidable
antagonist, and the slightest hitch or weakness will end in an immediate
disaster.
To the end of the line is attached a large hook with a herring as bait.
Formerly the flying fish was considered to be the only bait which the
tuna would take, and they were not always easy to get, but it has lately
been found that the herring is as good.
At first the fishing was carried on from a launch trailing a row-boat
behind, which the fisherman entered as soon as a tuna was hooked. In
this way the fish was more easily followed, but the boat being often
unable to move quickly enough, was at the mercy of the tuna, and was
practically towed in all directions. Nowadays, a vast improvement has
taken place by the introduction of small, smart-looking gasoline
launches, the best being pointed fore and aft, moving quickly in either
direction, so that the fish is followed rapidly, or run away from when
it suddenly turns and rushes towards the boat. The boatmen are smart
fellows, and are mostly registered on the books of the Tuna Club. L2 a
day is the charge for a day's fishing, including launch and tackle.
The tuna may arrive at the beginning of June in large shoals, pursuing
the flying fish, though the date of their arrival is uncertain; but
about this time, or even earlier, the tuna fishermen appear at Avalon
and await the appearance of the fish. One of the attractions of this
sport is the fact that it is done on sight, so to speak; there is no
dreary trolling aimlessly about, half asleep under a hot sun. No one
goes tuna fishing unless the fish are seen, because it is absolutely
useless; failing a sight of them a small gathering of men collects in
Avalon who lounge about the hotel and beach. The true tuna man does not
as a rule care much for any lesser sport, but awaits the coming of the
fish he is after.
A watchman is kept on the cliffs by the Tuna Club, who signals their
arrival. Owing probably to their habit of pursuing the flying fish, the
tuna make themselves visible at a considerable distance by their
constant leaps in the air. It is owing to this fact that they are
locally known as the "leaping tuna." The shoals are often very large,
probably numbering several thousand fish. The signal of their arrival
often causes a scene of considerable excitement in Avalon; the cry of
"tuna" is taken up by the boatmen from the watchman on the cliffs, and
there is a wild rush in small boats for the launches at anchor in the
bay. Sometimes before tackle is in readiness and launches got under way,
the tuna shoal sweeps right into the little bay of Avalon, chasing the
flying fish in every direction. It can easily be imagined that such a
sight is calculated to fire the blood of the most phlegmatic of
fishermen, and, the Western American being by no means a stolid
individual, the effect must be somewhat startling.
As soon as possible the launches put out and commence trolling across
the shoal and wherever the tuna show themselves. It is by no means,
however, certain that the fish are in a taking mood, though in such
circumstances it is probable that some fish will strike, but it is by no
means uncommon to troll thus across and across a shoal of the fish
without a single strike being made. On the other hand, sometimes they
will take most freely. It must not be supposed that hundreds, or even
dozens, of launches thus put off after the tuna; it is more likely that
half-a-dozen or ten would be about the number. If the shoals stay near
Catalina, there will soon be a few more as the news becomes known on the
mainland.
The tuna takes much as a salmon takes a minnow, and goes off with a
tremendous rush, which sometimes continues until there is little of the
1000 yards of line left on the reel. It is impossible to touch the reel
except at the risk of cutting the fingers. The fisherman sits facing the
stern of the launch, with the butt of his rod fixed in a hole under his
seat. If little line is left, the fisherman may put on the leather brake
hard down, and try to enable the fish to break his line; or else wait
until the end comes, and chance a damaged reel or rod. Unless he has a
spare rod or reel in the boat, the former course is the best. It is
thought that this course of events, which is by no means rare, is caused
by the hooking of a very large fish.
If a fish of about 100lb. is hooked, his usual tactics are either a
series of lightning rushes, which must be followed by the steersman,
who must be as quick to go astern as to go forward, or else the fish
goes off at tremendous speed a few feet below the surface. The tuna
never jumps like the tarpon when hooked, he either rushes along below
the surface or goes deep. There are 2000 fathoms of water round Avalon.
His mouth is not hard like the tarpon, and the hook therefore goes well
in; he apparently knows that he cannot shake it out by leaping in the
air. Sometimes the hook tears out, but most fish are lost by breakage.
It is perhaps more by the skill of the steersman and the quickness of
the launch than by the merit of the fisherman that the capture is
effected. When beaten, the fish is gaffed.
Many tall stories are told in Avalon of adventures with tuna, though
many of them probably happened when the fish was pursued in a rowing
boat. In the launches now in use the fisherman has a better chance. The
small boats were towed by the fish at their will. It is reported that on
one occasion a boat was towed over to the mainland during the night, and
was off Avalon again in the morning. Mr. F.V. Ryder, the Secretary of
the Tuna Club, informed me that he went off with provisions to a launch
that had been engaged for seven hours with a tuna, and found the boatman
in charge of the rod, owing to the complete exhaustion of the
fisherman. He returned again seven hours afterwards, and found the
boatman still struggling with the fish, which was nearly beaten. At the
boatman's request, he gaffed the fish, which went off with the gaff and
was lost, owing to the hook tearing away. The fish was the largest he
had ever seen hooked, appearing to be probably 400lb. or 500lb. Mr.
Ryder informed me that he had landed six tuna in one day, and also in
one day had lost no fewer than five lines, and had broken a rod and a
reel. He stated that he believed only ten per cent. of the fish hooked
were ever landed, and that he would not back himself to land more than
25 per cent. of fish hooked. At the same time he pointed out that many
who come to Avalon are by no means skilled fishermen.
The number of fish landed in a season from June to September is by no
means large; the best year produced 125, one year 75, another only 50,
and last season (1905) but 12 were landed and not one over 100lb.
There are several other islands off the coast of California which are
known to be visited by the tuna, but the waters round them are too much
exposed to the Pacific swell for the use of the small launches which are
necessary for tuna fishing, and therefore the waters round Catalina are
the only place at present known where this sport can be followed.
It is not known where the tuna go in the winter, but it is quite
possible they might be found along the coast of Lower California, a
province of Mexico which stretches south from the lower boundary of
California, separated from the mainland by the Gulf of California. It is
an almost uninhabited country and it struck me that the tuna might well
be discovered among the numerous islands and sheltered waters which one
finds along its coasts in the winter months, especially as the climate
is much warmer. The tuna do not stay permanently round Avalon even
during the summer; sometimes they may stay for weeks, at others only a
few days. This is probably entirely dependant on the movements of the
flying fish.
An American who had caught both tarpon and tuna informed me that he
considered the latter fish to afford far the best sport. Catalina Island
can be reached from New York in about four days, a ticket should be
taken to Los Angeles by the Southern Pacific Railway: from which place
there is daily communication. I should strongly advise the fisherman to
buy his tuna tackle in New York, certainly not in England; English
tackle makers are as yet completely ignorant concerning tuna fishing.
This advice does not apply to tarpon. I might mention that Mr. Ryder
spoke strongly to this effect.
It is quite worth mentioning that the season for tarpon in Florida is
much earlier than the tuna season, so that any one wishing to try for
tuna might first fish for tarpon in April, May, or June, and cross the
continent at the end of the latter month to Catalina Island, which could
be reached from New Orleans in four days.
This chapter is not intended as a full or accurate description of tuna
fishing, but merely to bring the sport before the notice of English
fishermen to whom it may hitherto have been almost unknown. It is quite
impossible to write a good account of fishing when one has only seen the
fishing grounds and not actually engaged in the sport itself. But it may
be that others may be encouraged from what I have said to try their
luck, and that these short hints on the tackle and locality will be
useful.
There have been some reports that the tuna have ceased to come to
Catalina, being driven away by the naphtha launches, owing to their
noise and the oil spread over the water by them. The chief foundation
for this seems to be the fact that only twelve tuna were landed in 1905
and no big ones in 1906. It is much more probable that the
non-appearance of flying fish or herring was the real cause. A bad
season or two may occur in any kind of fishing. The water round Catalina
is practically part of the Pacific Ocean and could not be fouled by a
few small launches. Nor could their presence affect the immense shoals
of flying fish and herring. It is well-known locally that the latter
fish do not appear until the temperature of the water has risen several
degrees above that of winter, and it is much more likely that some
climatic reason has affected the yearly migration. The tuna will no
doubt appear again as usual at Catalina.
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