Cape Breton's Magazine

the time and fought a steady, fierce battle. His length was 9'-8" & girth 6'-3" • he tapered fast to the tail. Weight 780 lbs. In last week of August had strike from one of two very large Tuna (estimated to be another record fish, easily). He struck from the side and bit off 1/2 the mackerel, (i shall always wonder if I was a bit to blame as I was bent over putting the foot rest in? to place and at the roar of his msh i straightened up instinctively & may have moved the bait ahead, just that much • ??).... Same week had a "msh" from a large Tuna • but he too came from the side and may have seen the shiny leader. I am now painting the leader, pale blue, blue-green & a littie yellow in spots, & tipping the hook with pale green. We have noted that Tuna seem to behave like Squid: surfacing at 1/2, 3/4, and full tide best. Not much of a "show" at the turn in. Dull days seem luckiest. 1953 ...The first pass, about 15 ft. from them brought a mad msh at the mackerel bait by one of the largest • he missed entirely and I started to curse the luck • when bang, and the reel screamed off. I soon real? ized that oil had got on the brake and that it was dragging far too lightly. I had to check line loss & pump when possible by pressing both hands on the dmm of line • not daring to use the leather pad. I lost about 200 yds.-H and the fish burst surface in a swinging splash • it always surprises me to see how far away a Tuna is when he surfaces after a mn. He gave me a chance to regain 1/2 my line and was off again • these two mns tired him badly and Percy said "You've either got a big one hooked inside the gullet where it is hurt? ing him or else you've got a smaller fish than any we saw." The latter proved to be the case. He was hooked at 5.13. At 5.30 he was licked and we spent the next 15 minutes trying to get him up from under the Comdr. Hodgson's tuna boat in St. Ann's Harbour boat on short line. Then, onjy, I learnt a trick • when a fish circles un? der the boat • deliberately let him have line: get away from him and be comfortable! I am going to try this also on the next fish which sounds and sulks. At 6.10 we beached the fish which was a rotund little 329 pounder • 57 minutes (1/2 of which was spent in letting him tow us 3/4 mile to the beach). On Aug. 17th I got a mad, rushing strike from the big one who either missed the bait entirely or veered away from the leader which had lost most of its banded paint camouflage and was shining. The lac? quers I have this year are too bright in colour and do not give the soft blues and greens I want. Have just learnt that the boys off Peru are using camouflage. The new Ashaway harness is a great comfort • hand-puli-tested Hardy's 150 lb. stranded wire leaders, broke one and open the English hook • so am sticking to my old heavy stainless steel single wires & old hooks • (only 3 left!). • WATCH FOR OUR OPENING IN MAY! • EXQUISITE SEAFOOD lobster haddock halibut TENDER JUICY MEAT DISHES steaks *''icei/Utt**' chops" soups • chowders ~ HOMEMADE on the PREMISES - pastries • rolls While visiting FORTRESS LOUISBOURG drop anchor at ANCHORS AWEIGH 1095 Main Street • LOUISBOURG • 733-3131 Sept. 4th (our 3rd Anniversary of the big one) was fine, thin cloud cover, then very warm and glass flat calm. Saw fish all the way up Dynamite Alley & out to the centre. Made passes perfectly • n. g. Spent 1 3/4 hrs. on one school of 4 or 5 large fish up to 900 or so lbs. Then one whopper showed up in this school • a very, very large fish, very broad blunt tail & long space to next fin • saw him on his side under boat • huge white belly showing 12 ft.+, easy! Even tried coil? ing 30 ft. of line, holding leader in two hands and throwing bait just ahead of slow-swimming school they stopped & we could see the leaders follow the bait down as it sank, but no good. The most mad? dening season ever! Great possibilities right there and no results. Carefully camouflaged leaders made no difference. Boned, gutted or broken backed bait made no difference. Tried mackerel, gaspereau, Shad and silver hake. MacLeod Lorway and You. Partners Prosperity Together we can keep your future bright. • PERSONAL INS. • COMMERCIAL FIRE • CONSTRUCTION • LIABILITY • BONDING • PLEASURE CRAFT • LIFE • TRAVEL v': MacLeod Lorway Insurance 539-6666 (Toll free in Cape Breton) 215 Charlotte St., Sydney - Fax 539-4067 1954 ...left house at 2 p.m., 26th July, at 3 we saw a swordfish between Fairy Hole and Hereford Is. (nearer Dolphin shore). We came on him slowly, he started to sound and I made a lucky throw, nearly 30 ft. and drove the lily- iron right through his after section & clean under the spine • had him in at 3.30. 388 lbs. 27th Aug. we saw terns playing over Tuna in the outer hart)Our on the way out. Started out for Dolphin & in what Cdr. Ross called Tuna Cove • just E. of Black Point, Percy sighted small Tuna breaking.... got a good strike at once on Gaspereau bait. He made a short run of less than 100 yds. of line and we did not have to increase revs • more than 8-900 R.P.M. to keep control of him. He pulled steadily, worked us over to just opposite Jersey Cove School on the