THE GAME FISHES OF THE WOELD 



T^here are in Avalon bay the Club presents a gay scene, and is 

 the centre of interesting life, often including anglers from all over 

 the world. 



The Club, as has been stated, has affiliations with a number 

 of clubs in America, England and France, ensuring visiting mem- 

 bers of these clubs a hospitable greeting and practical honorary 

 membership while at the Club. The season of 1912 was notable, 

 due to the extraordinary contests with swordfish. The season 

 extended into November. The last one hundred and fifty^ 

 pound swordfish, making one hundred for the season with rod 

 and reel, was caught on the third of lifovember. 



A remarkable club has been formed in Texas on the Gulf of 

 Mexico — the Aransas Pass Tarpon Club. The story of hght tackle 

 a-t this club, of which Mr. Hooper of Boston is president, and Mr. 

 Cotter honorary secretary, is partly told in the chapter on the 

 Silver King. The town of Aransas, is a small settlement at the en- 

 trance of the Pass and a stone's throw from the water where the 

 best of tarpon fishing is to be had, usually imder the most favour- 

 able conditions. The Club holds to a high standard of sport, 

 and has many prizes and trophies which are fished for each year 

 and which serve in estabUshing a high standard of sportsman- 

 ship. 



In San Francisco there are several clubs devoted to striped 

 bass, to salmon, and to casting. In Los Angeles there is a large 

 and influential club, the Southern California Eod andEeel Club, 

 under the presidency of Max Loewenthal, a distinguished attorney 

 of that city. The field of endeavour of this club is the long coast, 

 twenty or thirty miles up and down the shore, where the surf- 

 fish, croaker, yellowtail and various large fishes are taken. The 

 Olub has a series of prizes approximating those of the Tuna Club 

 and modelled after it in a way. It uses a stiU lighter tackle, known 

 as the ' 3-4,' the rod very light, and the line an ephemeral fabric. 

 Mr. Shaver, who designed the tackle, has made some remarkable 

 catches, as well as Mr. Hedderly, who was the founder of the Club 

 that has taken a very active interest in fishing legislation in CaU- 

 392 



