200 CHANNEL ISLANDS OF CALIFORNIA 



of Avalon took one several years ago with rod and 

 reel which was over ten feet in length. This shark 

 had an extraordinary set of teeth, yet it was brought 

 to gaff with a tuna rod and a twenty-one- thread line. 



The largest shark ever seen here was a basking 

 shark, which must have been over thirty-five feet 

 long. It was found in the channel and towed into 

 Avalon by Mr. Murphy of the Tuna Club (a veteran 

 of many battles) and Captain George Michaelis. This 

 shark must have weighed many tons, and was a good 

 mate for the gigantic sunfish caught by Captain George 

 Farnsworth some years ago. This monster was eight 

 or ten feet across and doubtless weighed over a ton. 

 It could not be weighed at Avalon. 



I caught a hammerhead off Avalon sixteen years 

 ago that towed me out to sea until four or five boats 

 fastened on, and even then it was with difficulty that 

 they towed us in. This fish more than once nearly 

 hauled my skiff under water, and I pulled it up to the 

 boat, or the boat up to it, a dozen tim.es in a tow of 

 three miles; but every time I was forced to give line. 

 I was playing it with a rope line. The fish had defied 

 many boats, stealing bait. Before I hooked it it was 

 swimming along complacently. The secret was that 

 the shark had just come in from the open sea and was 

 ravenous, hence afraid of nothing. If I remember 

 rightly it was about nine feet in length; much larger 

 specimens have been taken since. In Florida I have 

 taken sharks, of course with assistance, thirteen or 

 fourteen feet long and of enorm.ous bulk. 



Shark-fishing is a legitimate sport as carried on 

 properly. Very large sharks can be killed with rod 

 and reel, as Mr. Conn, Mr. Sharpe, Mr. Murphy, and 



