THE GAME FISHES OF THE WORLD 



at the Island and tried conclusions mth this most uncertaia of 

 all fishes, which appears to sail about the world on its tours of 

 small fry devastation. In this year, 1898, the leaping tuna was 

 so plentiful that it became a drug in the market. I have fished 

 with a friend when each of us, including the boatman, played a 

 fish at the same time. Again we would stop fishing, not being able 

 to use the fish, and schools covered the smooth surface of the 

 channel beating the water into foam. I held the coveted record 

 a year, then Colonel C. P. Morehous, a townsman of Pasadena, 

 and Vice-President of the Tuna Club, landed a two hundred 

 and fifty-one pound tuna, which, in turn, created as much wonder 

 as did the previous catch. Anglers came from all parts of the 

 country, and thousands of dollars were expended in efforts to 

 capture the Morehous pennant with its accumulated cups, medals 

 and prizes. But a two hundred and sixteen-pound fish was the 

 nearest approach to it, and the record still stands. In 1910 

 Mr. J. K. L. Boss, of Montreal, succeeded after many trials in 

 landing a monster tuna weighing nearly seven hundred pounds. 

 He did not use the twenty-four thread Une, used in making 

 records of the Tuna Club, hence his splendid catch did not affect 

 the Tuna Club prizes. But he was made an honorary member 

 of the club. In fact, Mr. Eoss's catch stands in a class by itself, 

 and is the great and notable event in sea angling of the century 

 with rod and reel, no matter how large the Une. A No. 39 line is a 

 thread for such a monster fish. It was a delight, as president of 

 the Tuna Club, to congratulate the clever and courageous angler 

 who made history in Canadian waters in so strenuous a fashion 

 for the anglers. Mr. Eoss wrote me : — 



' I appreciate very much indeed your congratulations on my landing a 

 large tuna, and especially as you, above aU big game fishermen, know the 

 hard work required to land one of these kings of the big game fish. It was 

 also very kind of the Tuna Club to elect me an honorary member of your 

 world's famous fishing fraternity, especially as I landed this fish with a 

 heavier line than a number 24. I never, as you know, made any applica- 

 tion for your Tuna Club prizes as I knew perfectly well about your number 

 24 restriction, but as the Field and Stream of New York had no restrictions 



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