The Catalina islander. : (Avalon, Calif.) 1918-current

              PRICE FIVE CENTS B. Published weekly at Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California. Avalon's official newspaper, containing the local news of this wonderful Island World. Official publication of the Light Tackle Club, an organization of sea-angling sportsmen. Baseball training field for Chicago "Cubs." "THE KING IS CROWNED" "LONG LIVE THE KING" The question of claim to the title of being the champion light tackle angler was cleaned up on Sunday, July 13th, by James W. Jump, when he found the only missing jewel to his crown by bringing in a bluefin tuna weighing 113^ pounds. The heaviest bluefin previous to this was a fish taken by Mrs. Keith Spalding, August 18, 1922, weighing 105 pounds, a truly wonderful achievement for a lady angler, and Angler Jump, as a sportsman, has always said: "Mrs. Spalding is the greatest lady angler I have ever known." Mr. Jump took the first bluefin of over 100 pounds ever taken on light tackle July 13th, 1922, weight lOlyZ pounds. By a strange coincidence, his new record of 113^ pounds comes on July 13th. (Who can now say the 13th is unlucky?) On July 7th, this season comes Robt. C. Mankowski, fellow club member of Jimmie's, with a bluefin of 103^2 pounds on light tackle, beating the Jump fish of 101 2 by two pounds. On July 12th, comes Jimmy with a bluefin weighing 103 pounds. Jimmy said: "Well, I'm knocking at the door." Then comes the fateful 13th with fellow club member Ralph Bandini, winner of many hard fought fights, at the wheel, on board the Ranger, with Jimmy all primed. They left the club pier at 7 a. m. The wellknown Ranger siren was heard at 12:50 p. m. as she came towards the pleasure pier with the jewel on board, which soon proved to be the missing one. Assistant Secretary West of the Tuna Club was on hand to check the weighing in of the prize by Harry Tregarthen, manager of the fish market, and the Ranger went on its way to the mooring, still blowing defiance from her siren, and with two of the happiest anglers aboard. Much good natured banter, mingled with hearty congratulations, followed throughout the day at the Tuna Club, and now it will be keen competition for the balance of the season to see who can knock another jewel off the crown—now owned by $mmy Jump. Lady (kindly —Are you mamma's or papa's boy Freddy—The judge hasn't decided yet. I'm in litigation. GAME FISH OF CATALINA Yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis). Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus macropterus). Albacore (Thunnus alalonga). California Bonito (Sarda Chiliensis). White Sea Bass (Cynoscion noblis). Ocean Bonito (Gymnosarda pelamys). Dolphin (Coryphaenus hippurus). Giant Bass (Stereolepis gigas). Marlin Swordfish (Tetrapturus mitsukurii). Broadbill Swordfish (Xiphias gladius). A telegram was received in Avalon Friday stating that. Mr. Arthur W Hooper of Boston, Mass., had passed away. Mr. Hooper was 76 years of age, and for many years was a regular summer visitor to Avalon. In the early spring of this year it was announced that Mr. Hooper would not be able to make his accustomed visit to Avalon. At the Tuna Club annual banquet last April a number of telegrams were sent to Mr. Hooper, who was then confined to his bed in Boston. Captain Tad Gray of the launch Swastika, who for fifteen years was Mr. Hooper's boatman at Avalon, was very much grieved to learn of the death of his former employer. Captain Gray said: "Mr. Hooper was born in New England and spent the greater part of his early life in Boston. His uncle, Gen. Winchester, started the Winchester Arms Company at New Haven, Conn. In his early life, Mr. Hooper was a railroad superintendent, and later he worked for a time in the shoe and leather business before he became associated with his uncle in the Winchester Arms Co. "At the time of his retirement from active service in that company, Mr. Hooper was its second vice-president and treasurer. It was in 1906 that he made his first trip to the Island, and then for two years he fished at Aransas Pass. In 1908 he returned to Avalon, and every season' since that time he has spent from one to four months here as a member of the Tuna Club. "Mr. Hooper was a great lover of the out-doors, and has fished for different varieties of fish for the past 40 years. He was fond of salmon fishing in Canadian waters. Leaving Boston in the early spring he would meet Mr. L. G. Murphy at Aransas Pass, where they would fish for several weeks. Mr. Hooper was for some time president of the Aransas Pass Tarpon Club. Then they journeyed across the continent to Catalina Island. "Mr. Hooper was much opposed to publicity, and was modest and reticent in his way. He would start out at 8:30 each morning, and he used to say that so long as there was a bait in the water there was a chance to catch fish. He loved to fish for the sport and thrill he got from the battle. I have turned many of his catches lose after he had brought them to the boat. "He was very -particular to use the standard tackle of the Tuna Club, and AVALON. SANTA CATALINA ISLAND. CALIFORNIA, WEDNESDAY. JULY 16, 1924. VOL. XI. Mr. Arthur W. Hooper Dies at Boston Home would not fish with any other equipment."The death of his sister, Mrs. Robert Shailer, which occured on July 11, 1923, was a severe blow to Mr. Hooper."When asked for a statement regarding his lifelong friendship and association with the veteran sportsman, Mr. Harry W. Adams, who is daily fishing from the launch "Swastika," Mr. Hooper's chartered fishing launch for many years, said: "In the passing of Mr. A. W. Hooper the Tuna Club has sustained a loss that cannot be estimated. It is doubtful if the club would be in existence today had it not been for his influence and help. "During the past few years of his fishing at Catalina Island he caught twice as many tuna as any other member of the club, notwithstanding the fact that he was over seventy years of age. "Last season (1923), and he was far from being a well man, his catch of eighty-six tuna, thirty-four weighing over one hundred pounds each, is phenomenal."His record as a sea angler for fish taken on rod and reel should stand for all time: Tuna, 970 marlin swordfish, 57 broadbill swordfish, 1 yellowtail, 274 tarpon, 463. "During all his years of fishing he never used a double line, nor any line over 900 feet in length. "He was a man who never had an evil thought or who knowingly did an unkind act. "We who knew him best loved him most, and will always cherish the memory of one who lived a clean life. This earth is a better place because a man like Arthur W. Hooper has lived." Air. L. P. Streeter, who founded the Aransas Pass Tarpon Club in 1907, and who is now a guest at the St. Catherine Hotel, says that if it had not been for the untiring and devoted efforts by Mr. Hooper, who succeeded him as president, that the revolution brought about in the catching of tarpon on light tackle would not now be a reality. Mr. L. G. Murphy of Converse, Ind., who for the past seventeen years had been Mr. Hooper's fishing partner, both at Aransas Pass and at Catalina, said of his friend: "Mr. Hooper was one of the squarest anglers I have ever known. I think his greatest achievement was when he brought to gaff (Continued on Page 6, Column 2) SANTA CATALINA ISLAND: IN ALL THE WORLD NO TRIP LIKE THIS! Avalon: Year-round mecca for tourists and travelers. Boating, bathing, golf, tennis, baseball, riding, fishing, walking, marine gardens. Unexcelled accommodations. No. 27 "UNCLE JOHN" FIGHTS TUNA FOR NINE HOURS By Major Lawrence Mott Usually I take much pleasure in writing these weekly articles! Indeed, if my readers get as much "kick" from perusing them as I do in their setting down, I am satisfied. But, farther along in this week's tale-telling of fish you will read of a battle with the largest tuna that I have ever seen in six years experience in Catalina waters—a battle that was heroically fought to the bitterly-sad end by John Daggett of the Times— beknown (and loved) by thousands as "Uncle John of KHJ." And this is about the saddest tale (fish!) that I ever wrote! There has been a light tackle record set by the Hon. Jimmy Jump of the Ancient and Honorable Tuna Club, the likes o' which h'aint never been heard of We will now proceed with the score: On the 6th of July, Old-timer Eaton pussyfooted his angler, J. E. Maddy, of Richmond, Md., up to a nice tuna of 98 pounds. And that was the only fish of the day. Very high winds and nasty sea running in the channel. On the 7th, Walter E. Seeley of Los Angeles, personally conducted by the Genial Danielson, brought in a 108-pound fish. And the Martin-Millsap team proved equal to my prophecy of last week, viz: that they would render a good account of themselves. On this date they brought in two nice fish, 97 and 113 pounds. The Adams-Gray team is the one that is running behind—now! On the same day they accounted for a tuna of 112 pounds. And a Mr. H. Millsev, place of origin unknown, succeeded in getting one of 107 pounds. This was the great date far Mankowski —beside his ght tackle fish of 103^2 pounds, he got two others—on heavy tackle—110 and 107 pounds, respectively. L'il Enos Vera, boatman for the tall Mankowski, was greatly elated! Mr. Wade Hampton, an Oklahoma City oil and investments heavyweight, hankered to get him a tuna with me, on the Mabel F. He did! Weighed 110 pounds, and the gentleman from Oklahoma wrangled his fish rather well, considering that he had never killed anything larger than small trout before. Mr. Maurice Seelig of San Francisco was found a fat tuna of 112 pounds by Parker Pence. On the 8th, Mr. Ben Williams of Los Angeles brought in an albacore of 21 J/2 pounds. These fish have been as scarce as the proverbial "hen's teeth" of late! The Adams-Gray combination had a tuna of 107 at the end of (Continued on Page 2, Column 1) a