Cape Breton's Magazine

thing with other fish. Destroyed the coast. Certain fish that you just don't see anymore. (Yes. Haddock used to be so common here.) Yes, I've caught them. Never see one now. Only one year since we've been here we've seen any haddock. Only once. It's terrible what we've done to the ocean. (Now your method of fishing tuna--you were only out for one fish.) That's right. Non? destructive. Not a bit destructive. You had a rowboat which you towed with the power boat. And you got into the rowboat when you saw the fish--and rowed ahead of him. And turned so that the bait seemed to avoid them. And fooled the tuna that way. It was quite a skillful thing Of course, a good oars? men , he's very quiet. Fooled the tuna. Oh, there's a lot to it. (Who was your oarsman usually?) Percy Mac- Ritchie. He's in the photograph of me with the big fella (the world record tuna in CAPE BRETON COMPUTER TUTOR • General Introduction to Personal Computers • Computer Literacy Courses • Children's Classes & Computer Camps • Bedford Accounting • Business Training • Consultations and Solutions Research • Tutorials and Private Training Courses CALL 562-6110 66 Wentworth St. Sydney, N.S. BIP 6T4 Thomas MacLeod • Res. 539-2981 Will Naylor • Res. 539-0578 1950--see page 71). (Was he usually your oarsman?) Almost ex? clusively. I had about two or three other men who rowed for me, but only once or twice, when I couldn't get Percy.... (Is tuna what we would call a fighting fish?) Oh, God, yes. Spectacular. He can throw the water up 35-40 feet in the air. (And you held the record for....) 20 years. (Were there judges, people in the world who would have to judge and proclaim yours the record fish?) Yes. You sent in the length of your line. And your leader. And your hook. In to the North American Big Game people. They tell those that'd be legitimate. (Who broke your record?) Oh, just a young fellow who was fishing up the other side of the country here. (Is that around Port Hawkesbury?) Yes. You see, they put in that barrage, that dam--the (Canso) Cause? way . (Construction of the Canso Causeway closed off passage through the Strait of Canso as of 1955. See Issue 25 of CAPE BRETON'S MAGAZINE.) And that poor tuna went up and bumped their nose against that for several years, trying to get through. Sad sight, he said. And the fellow got up on the side of that causeway and he hooked a big tuna like that. And then (the record) was broken two or three times, every year. They were getting big tuna every year. (And then suddenly they disap? peared?) No, they failed off. Not sudden? ly. They got less and less. I don't know how many they are getting now. (Is fishing tuna a dangerous sport?) It can be. I nearly had an ear cut off once-- I had a line run right beside my head. Paid out very fast. Cut you like a saw. (700-800 pounds of tuna seems like a lot of fish to be fighting on the end of a rod.) Especially if you're on the end of the rod yourself. (What's the method, once you've hooked him?) You're in the rowboat. At least I CO-OP Building Supplies 870 King's Road, Sydney p'x 539-6410 ""'-'*"' EXPERIENCE ON YOUR SIDE m WALLPAPER ?? PAINT/STAINS ?? FLOOR COVERINGS ?? GYPROC ?? INSULATION ?? BATHROOM FIXTURES ?? KITCHEN CABINETS ?? COUNTER TOPS ?? VANITIES ?? SHOWERS ?? ROOF TRUSSES ?? DOORS ?? VINYL REPLACEMENT WINDOWS ?? EAVESTROUGH ?? ROOFING MATERIALS ?? LIGHT FIXTURES ?? PLUMBING SUPPLIES ?? HARDWARE ?? ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES ?? HEATING SUPPLIES ?? LUMBER ?? PLYWOODS ?? PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER LARGEST INVENTORY IN CAPE BRETON PREFABRICATED EXTERIOR WALLS & INTERIOR WALLS HARBOUR HOIVIES 870 King's Road, Sydney • 539-6410 • FAX 562-7481 * 40 Models of Homes, Cottages & Garages * Deliveries Planned to Give You the Material When You Need It * Our Homes Are Acceptable for Mortgages through C.M.H.C. and N.S.H.C CATALOGUE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST $3.00 EACH OVER 37 YEARS EXPERIENCE Exterior and Interior Walls Assembled in Our Factory MSR Lumber for Roof Trusses Kiln Dried 2-x4" & 2"x6" Studs