FISHING THE PACIFIC 



Nova Scotia and Maine, then back again off Nova Scotia. 

 And since seven of these beauties were broadbill swordfish, 

 they had to be caught. This rod has the distinction of being 

 the only one in the world that ever took two species of fish 

 over 800 pounds, and not until I fought my 830-pound tuna 

 and 600-pound tuna in one day for a total of seven hours and 

 fifteen minutes at Wedgeport, did I even consider retiring it, 

 which I didn't until the following year. 



This Tycoon rod went the entire seven years without a 

 single repair of any kind and with no varnish or rewrapping. 

 This is doubly remarkable when you consider that the rod 

 was never exposed to the open air during the four war years. 

 It always carried a 12/0 Vom Hofe reel and 39-thread Ash- 

 away line. 



I have a deep affection for all my Tycoons, but this one and 

 my 6-ounce tip that took the 425-pound striped marlin, will, 

 I believe, remain my favorites. This rod, which weighed 22 

 ounces, also made a trip to the Hawaiian Islands in August, 

 1939. It was in fights lasting all the way from six minutes to 

 eight hours and fifty minutes. It also traveled over 30,000 

 miles with me around the South Pacific in the fall of 1945, 

 when it was inspected by over 100,000 G.I.'s and Navy men 

 at our tackle exhibitions after Mrs. Farrington and I showed 

 our moving pictures. Some Army and Navy officers also 

 fished it at Guam and other islands of the Philippines, but no 

 large fish were taken. I really believe it deserved its joy ride 

 and its contribution toward stimulating the interest of the 

 servicemen out there. It is now retired and in Frank 

 O'Brien's Rod Museum in his office in Miami. That's why 

 you don't see it in the tackle picture in this book. 



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