The Leaping Tuna 79 



The largest tuna ever taken with rod and 

 reel was landed by Colonel C. P. Morehous of 

 Pasadena, California, in four hours ; it weighed 

 two hundred and fifty-one pounds, and is the 

 record to-day. Mr. H. Gray Griswold of New 

 York succeeded in taking a number of fishes in 

 less time than had been previously accomplished, 

 and demonstrated that they could be caught at 

 any time during the day. The largest number 

 taken in any one season fell to the rod of Mr. 

 E. L. Doran of Avalon, who has done much to 

 make this sport what it is, having been one of 

 the early pioneers in the strenuous pastime. 



Among the exciting personal experiences inci- 

 dent to this sport which I recall was being cap- 

 sized by a tuna nearly a mile offshore. I was 

 trying the experiment of tuna fishing with a 

 light jointed rod, seven and two-thirds feet long, 

 weighing about fifteen ounces, which I used for 

 yellowtail. I hooked my fish, and after a beauti- 

 ful surface play of forty minutes brought it to 

 gaff. Jim Gardner, the boatman, gaffed it clev- 

 erly and landed it, when the fish made a con- 

 vulsive leap and fell upon the gunwale, capsizing 

 the boat, which sank beneath us, rising bow up, 

 covering the water with gaffs, oars, and other 



