Page 70 - Tuna Fishing in St. Ann's Bay

ISSUE : Issue 56

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1991/1/1

at the time on the 6th which was his Birthday. We went over to Bad- deck on the Chamolain in 2 hrs. 15 mins. & Adams' Birthday Dinner was held on board in Baddeck Hariaour. The Tuna was done up with a blonde wig of maniila rope & a small top hat for the occasion. 1937 On August 5th drew Mackerel along South Shore of inner bay & just E. of the brook had a strike which caught me facing the wrong way, lying in the stern, the line grew taut under my arm & by the time I re? gained my seat & raised the rod the fish let go & up came a badly mutilated bait covered with large tooth-marks. Aug. 7th killed a small 70 lb. Tuna with Gaspereau bait in 8 mins. He was hooked deep, just west of the sand beach on the S. Shore of the inner bay. Took the bait down to his stomach & bled to death. Wrapped leader round a stone • as he died fortunately. 2 of the largest Tuna ever seen up near the plaster cliffs in S. gut- opposite the fish shack on S. shore. No luck as they only showed up for a short time & circled in uncertain directions. Ifs NEW! It's GREAT NORTH STAR INN NORTH SYDNEY c. • 8,. • Nova Scotia's Friendly Seaport Centrally Located To Major Cape Breton Attractions * 75 Rooms - Kings, Standards, * Indoor Pool and Whirlpool Suites and Mini Suites * Kids free with parents - * Luxury Suite - Whirlpool Bath * Seniors Discount * Harbour View - Air conditioned * Special day rates for ferry * Fishery Restaurant travellers * St. Pierre Rum Bar * * * rating WO.000 Welcomes At The Big Red Roof MMmmMm'. orthside Industrial Park (Ejdt 21, Highway 105) 39 Forrest Street. P.O. Box 157. North Sydney. N.S. B2A 3M3 Tel: (902) 794-8581 Fax: (902) 794-4628 Aug. 14th. On Gaspereau bait hooked & killed a 265 lb. Tuna in 45 mins. in what we now call "Dynamite Al? ley" (the bay just before S. Gut on the S. shore of the inner Bay). His first mn was so mag? nificent that he stripped half the line & fooled us as to his size. Saw the big fish in the af? ternoon- whoppers, half a dozen of them but had weed on my bait. 1945 1st week of Aug. On Navy leave. Hooked a very large one outside the sandbar and down towards Montgomery's first shack • played him for 5 hours • was using J.K.L. Ross's old reel and some of his old line. The reel came loose at least twenty times • right off the rod- then the bronze bolt of the butt-swivel broke off and finally • as Percy MacR. was bringing the leader inboard by hand, the patent ieader-to- line attachment clip stmck the gunnel of the tuna boat and in some miraculous way: opened and the tuna sank, belly-up at)Out a foot too far away to gaff. This was the third time he had been played out, bel? ly-up and we were then in a high wind 1 1/2 miles off Dolphin. We had brought him in to beach twice before once near Fader's cove and once further out near Graplin Beach and each time something broke or came adrift and he got a fresh wind • fatal in Tuna • as you have to fight them all over again. We had a number of opportunities to gauge his size • he looked long and thick enough to be close to 1000 lbs. and he had that irresistible "big fish" feel. He was a magnificent fighter and I really meant it when I said to Percy "He deserved to get away"! 1946 Hooked a tuna (large) which ran under a salmon net just E. of "Tuna Brook" on S. shore of inner bay. Tuna Brook is a great hangout for them when they come in first. From 1/3 mi. E. of the T. B. to Murdock MacDonald's is a great shore for them. "Dynamite Alley." This fish got away in 8 mins., having taken 500+ yds. off on his first mn.... Once I was caught with my Tuna rod down on the stern while lighting a cig. • NEVER AGAIN as one can't strike back. One strike came when Percy was rowing too slowly and so much gelly was in the line I couldn't effectively strike. Then, as I was reeling in to see damage to bait a second fish followed the bait up to within 10 ft. of the tuna t)oat and nibbled lightly: total damage to mackerel was a slight tear at the nose! At 5.10 daylight time we sighted large fish on the surface between Murdock MacD.'s and the spar buoy off the chalk cliffs at S. Gut. On the first pass one took heavily • he was not one of the big ones which we saw on the surface • they were as big as I can remember • except the one huge one who used to cruise off the same chalk cliffs Perhaps we can help. ('L i?r' The Nova Scotia Department of Community Services provides a number of programs and services aimed at improving the quality of life "'. for our province's seniors. CO-ORDINATED HOMECARE SERVICES SENIORS' SPECIAL ASSISTANCE PROPERTY TAX REBATE RENTAL ASSISTANCE HOMES FOR SPECIAL CARE If you would like further details or more information, please contact the Community Services office in your area or write: Nova Scotia Department of Community Services P.O. Box 696, Halifax, N.S., B3J 2T7 >C Department of Community Services

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