Page 74 - Tuna Fishing in St. Ann's Bay

ISSUE : Issue 56

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1991/1/1

opposite side of the outer bay and then kept pulling steadily, just be? low the surface. Never had more than 150 yds. of line out. With a glove on each hand • using my hands as a brake, I fought him for 4 1/4 hrs. The brake on the old Vom Hofe had given out (I am sending the reel to Miami this winter for repair), it was lucky that he was not over 128 lbs.! By the time we got him in we were giving him +700!... Percy says that during World War I there were practically no Tuna • so we may be in another poor period. 1956 Arrived July 14th This is an unusual year no caplin, pencil fish, dol? lar fish, sun fish or small mackerel up to Aug. 27th. Some schools of large mackerel hit the nets - nothing in inner Bay but some smelt & small herring in July. No Tuna at beginning of Aug. as in the past- no swordfish • only ones were wide of the coast.... Aug. 28th in a 20 mile breeze fished "big boy bay" from "Sea Pioeon" just short of the fishing shack E. of S. Gut, had a large mackerel bitten off just short of the hook • rebaited and had the next large mackerel stripped off the hook clean. My warning came when 1 was dozing at the rod and was awakened by the swish of water right over the stern. I opened my eyes just as a 500 pound? er missed the stern of Sea Pioeon by a foot • 1/2 out of the water • he prob? ably came to the whiri of the propel- lor, which is common in power boat fishing. These fish certainly behave ] as do others • they are up and taking for an hour or two before & after high tide. Then they disappear completely!... [.'J BELLI] BUOYl Seafood & Steak RESTAURANT Baddeck, N.S. 295-2581 Sept. 5th. Had another strike from the shark on cedar plug (imitation squid) left tooth marks in wood • no small mackerel seen all summer • ! No schools on the surface • 'Tuna only surface momentarily • a marked and progressive change over the years. Fewer & warier • I believe that they are being harpooned or fished over all the way up the coast and are becom? ing timid of coasting waters and "finning". "COIVIPLETE LINE OF BUILDING SUPPLIES' Heather BUILDING SUPPLIES Small Job Installations a Specialty SALES & INSTALLATION OF DOORS, WINDOWS & SIDING • ELECTRICAL • PLUMBING • FLOORING & CARPET • LUMBER • HARDWARE • ROOF TRUSSES • BENJAMIN MOORE PAINTS DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE Open 6 Days a Week Monday - Friday • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Saturday til 2 p. 736-6000 Little Bras d'Or Sept. 8th. Learnt a sad lesson today. No sign of Tuna for 2 days. Fished outside in a.m. because one small exceptional Tuna rose near the nets • rrramentarily-in the p.m. went out of sandbar at 2.15. At 4 p.m. came in to the inner Bay • went up to Piaster Cliffs, S. Gut • no fish. To my disgust I found out next day that, with high tide at 12.15, a V. large Tuna was "finning" up & down in front of Mr. Clarice's bungalow, 1st bay W. of Englishtown for 1/2 hr. from 2.30 - 3.00 • he described it as "fully as big as Percy's rowboat," he was looking down on it for sometime from his bank. There was, certainly, a new World Record waiting, fresh-run-in almost opposite the Bunga? low • lesson • never pass up any water as you pass!! I almost trolled up to S. Gut from Bruce's Beach, as I went in at 3.30-3.45.1 might have hit him • as he worked up towards S. Gut end • as most incom? ing fish do feel their way, gradually, up "Rockyside" i.e. "Dynamite Al? ley." Oh me! Live & learn & fools are the only pupils in this school • 1957 ...We had quit when the tide turned out at lunchtime. On Sept. 7th D. & I had a great time with a shark. He was "finning" slowly at 11.15 in mid hartxjur opposite the entrance to North River. As we got within 50 yds. of him in Tuna boat he went down, passed under us & came up astern short of the bait. 1 told D. to keep going • the passing bait was an all-wrong approach but he grabbed it as it passed & I stmck him as hard as the slack, trolling, set on the reel would allow. He took out 100 yds. or so in a jerky mn as 1 tightened up on the star drag • when I got it set tight enough I gave him another allmighty strike to set the hook well (having had a shari< get off 4 times last year) • by 20 minutes of steady hauling we had him coming for the beach at Tuna Brook, in the middle of Rockyside. There we beached the Tuna boat and just then my harness broke (one of the leather straps • 'webbing is better!). D. jumped out, ran a few yards down the beach to meet the in-coming shark & after playing tag with the very ugly thrashing tail & jaws, man? aged to gaff him hard. We clobbered him in turn with a log of pulp- wood, but could not cool him off • so had to bleed him • 8'2" & 347 lbs. Glad to have him out of the bay.... A very large, lone Tuna has been seen, all too briefly off Munroe light.... Very few mackerel this year: a dozen being the largest haul. Tuna scarcer than ever and only surfacing momentarily. Almost got into small Tuna which were travelling quite fast.... left on Sept. 16th • a fine, mild autumn • no high winds all summer. No Tuna land? ed or hooked! 1958 There were Tuna in all the time • smaller ones latterly • on Sept. 21st some 20-30 x 200 pounders feeding on Mackerel about 150 yds. off our point at the Bungalow-at 1.15 p.m. • on the low tide. These Tuna have certainly learned to stay under & only pop up for a few minutes at low, 1/2 up, & high tides. The nets outside are riddled with Tuna holes. The water has been ve/y warm all Summer 58? to 66?. Still 63? in mid Sept. and now down to 56? on 23rd. The bait fish are very late • no fall herring or mackerel in yet • the mackerel are just starting now (only 12 in nets all the rest of the summer) & these are the medium sized ones 12"-14" which should have come in Au- CAPE BRETON REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRANSIT '1,. 1* INFO 'la ili 539-8124 PEOPLE • • ' '' ON THE MOVE

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