FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May 23, 1908. 
820 
Southern California Fishing. 
Los Angeles, Cal., May 1 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: Work on the Tuna Club house is pro¬ 
gressing steadily at Avalon, and everything in¬ 
dicates that the structure will be in readiness 
for occupancy some time before the date set for 
its formal opening, July 6. Col. Dan Burns, 
who advanced the necessary money to finance 
the project, expects to be at the island about 
that time and will put in the rest of the summer 
there, the sea fishing being his favorite recrea¬ 
tion. Quite a jollification is being planned, and 
it is proposed to give the new quarters of the 
Tuna Club such a house-warming as will long 
continue a pleasant memory in the minds of all 
who attend it. 
The accompanying cut gives a good idea of 
what the building will look like when the car¬ 
penters are through with it. The piling is in 
place by this time, and the entire job of work 
is being done in a substantial, enduring manner 
under the supervision of directors Manning and 
Gilmore Sharp, who reside at the island, as 
well as Commodore Potter and Secretary 
Streeter, who make frequent trips. 
Battleship week rather eclipsed Catalina for 
the time being, and no catches of much note 
were reported during the visit of the squadron 
in consequence of the averted interest. The 
few anglers who have ventured out have been 
rather disappointed as regards the white sea 
bass, which are quite due by now, but rather un 
seasonable weather and a considerable amount 
of wind from the northwest undoubtedly is 
holding them off a little. 
Commodore Potter raised the ante on the 
6-ounce 6-strand competition last Saturday by 
landing a 16-pound yellowtail in Avalon Bay in 
twelve minutes during, a two-hour skirmish 
around the harbor while waiting for the after¬ 
noon boat. He also had a passage-at-arms with 
either a large white sea bass, or the old “side¬ 
wheeler” that bosses the yellowtail tribe in the 
bay. He had a good run after a heavy strike 
which occurred when passing over a spot where 
a large white bass had been seen basking on the 
bottom in the clear water, and the inference was 
natural. Avalon Bay is as full of old, 
abandoned moorings as a terrier’s back is of 
fleas, and the fish promptly tied a half-hitch 
around one of these, forcing Mr. Potter to 
break his line in order to get loose. The yel¬ 
lowtail that was landed put up a pretty fight 
characteristic of its kind, and was taken, if any¬ 
thing, with less physical exertion on the part of 
the angler than would be called for by 9-ounce 
gear. Likewise the time was quite as fast, and 
the incident goes a long way to confirm in the 
minds of the 6-ounce rodsters all the good 
things they have been expressing about the 
capabilities of the outfit demanded by the Three 
Six rules. 
The Catalina Light Tackle Club held its 
annual meeting a few nights ago and elected 
officers for the year. President Eddy last year 
stated that he could not take the presidency 
again, and as it was necessary to have some one 
in office that is on the ground a large part of 
the time, Treasurer Edwin H. Brewster finally 
was prevailed upon to accept the office. Gifford 
Pinchot was chosen First Vice-President; James 
A. Keeney and A. C. Brode, of Los Angeles, 
Second and Third Vice-Presidents respectively, 
and Gilmore Sharp, of Avalon, Secretary. Both 
Brewster and Sharp live at Catalina, and are 
ideal men for the offices they hold, having done 
a world of “thank you” service for the anglers’ 
cause. 
For weighing committee, the club chose 
Thomas S. Manning, Thos. McD. Potter, L. P. 
Streeter, E. H. Brewster and Gilmore Sharp. 
The governing board consists of the officers, 
and Arthur Jerome Eddy, Thos. McD. Potter 
and Prof. Charles Frederick Holder. 
The Southern California Rod and Reel Club 
held its April meeting last night, the latest 
possible date before the opening of the angling 
tournament, May 1, for which certain details 
had been left to a committee consisting of 
President Hedderly and Secretary Shaver, who 
reported conditions practically identical with 
those under which the prize tournament of last 
season achieved such unexpected popularity and 
success. 
Twelve classes of fish are made in the tourna¬ 
ment. Tuna, yellowtail, white sea bass, black 
sea bass, albacore, striped bass, spotfin croaker, 
corbina, rock bass, yellowfin, mullet and halibut 
are included. The competition is limited to a 
HOME OF THE TUNA CLUB. 
Now building at Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, Cal 
standard 9-thread line or smaller of linen, and 
to test not stronger than twenty pounds’ break¬ 
ing strain in fifteen-foot lengths. The only re¬ 
striction on the rod is a minimum length of six 
feet, the light line being considered a limitation 
on the power of the rod in itself. Those who 
doubt it will very soon learn by the first yel¬ 
lowtail they hook that the flexible, resilient rod 
serves as a bit of relief gear for the line, and 
greatly increases the strain it will endure by 
softening sudden stresses and making the ten¬ 
sion less abrupt. 
Beside the light tackle prizes, one special 
free-for-all trophy is hung up for the largest 
fish of any of the varieties named taken on any 
kind of rod and reel tackle. Somebody un¬ 
doubtedly will win this with a big black sea 
bass. Heavy tackle is generally used for them 
as the fishing is a strong-arm proposition, and 
will rack a respectably light rod to such a de¬ 
gree that it would be a shame to insult one by 
putting it to such work. 
The prizes will be mostly fishing tackle of 
high class, that being found the most popular 
inducement available last year. 
The button competition of the Rod and Reel 
Club has different rules from the prize contest. 
Any rod that is eligible for the former would 
qualify for the prizes, but not vice versa. The 
button rules call for a io^-ounce rod or lighter, 
six feet long or over, and a. 9-thread line, or 
smaller. The competitions are limited to th 
same kinds of fish and two classes of button 
are offered, one, the gold star special, bein; 
given only to fish of such weights that thei 
capture becomes very problematic indeed. Th 
weights in the other classes were placed higl 
enough, so that there will not be many button 
awarded. There has been some criticism of thi 
policy, but it was thought better to keep th 
buttons exclusive, so that they would have 
high value, rather than make them so easy t< 
get that any novice could depend upon winnin; 
one in a week’s fishing. 
Alongshore, the surf fishing is opening u 
well, and anglers generally are predicting 
better season than last, but as much the sam 
song was sung at this time in 1907, one cannc 
allow the perennial enthusiasm that grows i 
the fisherman’s breast to influence his judg 
ment at this early stage of the game. There ar 
many signs that are not altogether propitious 
The market seiners, mostly Portuguese an 
other “Dagoes,” have made sad havoc with th 
alongshore fishing by destroying the young c 
corbina, yellowfins, croakers and other breaker 
loving varieties wholesale. Tons have bee 
dragged out on to the beach to rot, and when 
is remembered that these fish already have 
host of natural enemies preying upon ther 
against whose attacks they are not more tha 
able to hold their own, it may be seen what 
serious thing this disturbance of nature’s bal 
ance by the addition of a new and potent facto 
like the seiners will surely become. It seem 
hard to awake the powers that be to the im 
portance of conserving these fish, and until the 
are gone, probably not much satisfaction wi 
be had. ft was so on the Atlantic, and has bee 
the rule everywhere else that in matters of gam 
and fish protective legislation the policy is t 
let the thieves get the horse, and then lock th 
door. Edw. L. Hedderly. 
Illinois Bait-Casting Club. 
Chicago, Ill., May 11 .—Editor Forest an 
Stream: The scores made in our club contes 
May 9, u'ere as follows: 
%-ounce, 14-ounce 
Accuracy, Distanc 
Per Cent. Feet. 
W. J. Jamison. 98.5 1 00 3-5 
P. j. Linderman. 98.0 
A. D. Whitby. 98.0 1ST 2-5 
E. H. Matthews. 97.9 14S 3-5 
F. W. Hemminghaus. 97.8 
A. Wagner . 97.8 
J. H. Ranney. 97.6 173 3-5 
I. E. Amman . 97.5 81 2-5 
F. E. Moffett. 97.4 
II. C. Chapman. 97.3 
E. A. Humphrey. 97.2 127 1-5 
II. E. Rice.'. 97.1 151 4-5 
L. E. De Garmo. 97.1 D—m. 
W. W. McFarlin. 96.7 105 2-5 
IT. R. Winfield. 96.6 
O. C. Wehle. 96.6 
J. P. Mohan. 96.6 
C. W. Keiser. 96.5 
J. M. Schroeder. 96.5 
l)r. Rawlins. 90.4 
W. II. Clegg. 96.4 91 4-5 
W. O. Van Treese. 96.4 124 3-5 
C. P. Clifford. 96.2 
I!. Greenwood . 96.1 ... a 
C. E. Battershall. 96.0 ... { 
Visitor. 
Mr. Newkirk . 96.7 ... , 
Next contest, May 23; events, quarter-ounc 
accuracy, half-ounce accuracy and accuracy fl; 
H. E. Rice, Sec’y. 
Ten cents each will be paid by us for copit 
of Forest and Stream of July 6 and Nov. K 
1907, if sent to this office. 
