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angler and skipper. Without a good boatman, you-can kiss the fish good-bye and never try.The first run of perhaps 100 yards ended and Bill waited patiently for the second run. A marlin, after grabbing the bait, runs, then stops, turns it over in its mouth and swallows, then runs again.The second run began and Bill set the hook. You have never seen a mad fish until you have witnessed a hooked marlin. This was no exception. He came out of the water lor his first series of jumps, plunging and dancing on his .tail in. an effort to throw the hook or break the line.There’s a thrill about watching a marlin fight that makes you marvel at the fish’s ferocity. The fish sets a course and sticks to it, leaping all the way. He’ll clear the surface several feet, only to repeat the performance in the next few seconds. •The line was ‘'bellying” now, forming an arc that was dangerous. With such a curve in the line, even water resistance can break six-thread. So Don began maneuvering the boat to straighten out the line. He eased the Big Boy not toward the fish but 'away from him and around the outside of' the loop. To have gone toward him on the inside would have increased the arc of line and caused still further water resistance. i. *rW1 HEN the marlin switched his course and Bill had to reel furiously to keep the line from “bellying” deep in the water. The marlin was coming toward the boat. It was Don’s turn again to ease out of the way, while Bill dropped the tip of his outfit into the water and crossed the boat to the other side. The slightest touch againstan object would have snapped the line.•The battle raged* on for one hour, 25 minutes, with Bill playing every yard of line-carefully and Don watching every movement to keep the boat in the best possible position.Finally the marlin began to tire; the jumps were fewer and the pull less. Then came the slow process of getting the fish alongside.Once the leader was close enough, Don left the wheel, took hold of the leader, and Bill laid his outfit down, the reel in free spool just in case the marlin decided to run again. He took the gaff while Don eased the big fish close to the side of the boat. That marlin was thoroughly whipped. Bill made the gaff and they brought the marlin aboard.It proved ]ater to be a marlin weighing 167% pounds, a new record for the Southern California Tuna Club on three-six.You wonder how such a big fish can be caught on such a line. Few big fish can be caught in that manner. A black sea bass, for instance, weighing the same, would have broken the line in no time. Marlin are surface fighters. The angler, so says Bill, doesn’t whip the marlin; the fish kills Itself in its mad attempt to get away. If the marlin went straight down, water resistance alone would break the line.Tfe ON and Bill are members of the Southern California Tuna'Club and the Tuna Club of Catalina.They had planned to represent their club at Miami Nov. 17 to 20 when the third international light tackle sailfish tournament is held. Unexpected business problems, however, have forced Bill to remain here.UIMA1V NOVEMBER?. 1941
Newspaper Details
Long Beach Press Telegram
Long Beach, California, US
Sun, Nov 07, 1948
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Barbara J.
USA 12 Oct 2020
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