If you are visually impaired or blind, you can visit the PDF version by Pressing CONTROL + ALT + 4
You need a JavaScript-enabled browser to view this Publication
Please follow these steps to view the Publication:
Enable JavaScript in your browser
Refresh this page
Best regards
Zmags
by Mike Rivkin
IGFA Press
Dania Beach, Florida
Copyright © 2005 by Mike Rivkin
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or by any information storage or
retrieval system, without written permission of the author.
Published by IGFA Press
300 Gulf Stream Way
Dania Beach, FL 33004
(954) 927-2628
www.igfa.org
ISBN-13: 978-0-935217-50-6
ISBN-10: 0-935-217-50-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2005929947
Printed in the United States of America
Acknowledgments
If some things in life take a village, writing a book such as this requires a
small township. Without a doubt, the honorary mayor of my little town is IGFA
Librarian Gail Morchower. Without her inexhaustible good humor, encyclopedic
brain, and meti
by Mike Rivkin IGFA Pres
Copyright © 2005 by Mike Rivkin All rights reserv
Acknowledgments If some things in life take
tAble of contents Foreword ...................
foreword The history of IGFA is almost like
PrefAce First, there is a self-evident truth
11
12 A day’s catch of albacore off Cata
Chapter One Big-game Fishing history
Despite often wild speculation by early natura
seaboard were catching bass, bluefish, cod, kingf
Swordfish were known to charge fishing vessels an
by Cook near Sumatra was originally identified as
Dr. Charles Frederick Holder: author, naturalist,
Already an accomplished angler by virtue of h
Pulley End Ring “Bickerdyke” End Ring To
Burned to cinders in the Avalon fire of 1915, The
Zane Grey’s “pueblo” residence on Catalina was bu
Based largely on Holder’s relentless promotion
Elsewhere, the first British “tunny” of subst
by legendary Catalina boatman George Farnsworth,1
By the late 1920s, the capture of “marlin swordfi
As the smaller marlin and sailfish became know
28 Telegrams and catch
By the 1930s, fishing for big game had explode
Zane Grey with a trio of black, blue, and “silver
Miami’s legendary Pier 5, and the establishment o
32 Michael Lerner, 1941.
Chapter Two Michael lerner and the Founding
34 This distinctive facade for the Lerner Sh
By the time he was 40, Lerner was already a we
The Anchorage - the Lerners’ Bimini home (ca. 193
christened “the Anchorage.” One of its most disti
Mike Lerner hooked up aboard a Wedgeport dory in
After a subsequent eight days of spectacular f
By now
The Museum’s certificate of appreciation presente
(l-r) Mike Lerner, Captain Tommy Gifford, and mat
was breathtaking. Louisburg’s 800 year-round resi
44 The Lerners’ guest
45
Two smaller expeditions followed that initial
A two-page telegram from Tommy Gifford to Erl Rom
Mike Lerner, Clive Firth, and Helen Lerner in Aus
Intrigued, Lerner continued on with his expedi
Letter from the AMNH appointing Lerner as Field A
The following year, Lerner mounted yet another
52 Lerner assists Francesca LaMonte in
Aerial view of the Anchorage (at top of photo) an
Helen Lerner watches a giant tuna come aboard off
In addition to a complete laboratory, the faci
56 An early view of the American Museum of N
Chapter Three GettinG Started
As the organization got underway, its early em
The IGFA’s organizational structure also allow
Celebrated wildlife artist Lynn Bogue Hunt was pe
62 Tuna Club angling
Aitken’s own efforts at record-keeping on behalf
64 Early linen lin
In August of 1940, this press release announced t
Philip Wylie and Mike Lerner
Clearly, the IGFA was to serve science as well
All submissions for world record consideration
Despite their frequent messiness, Hemingway’s let
70 Early world rec
71
In contrast, much less has been written abo
Unlike Grey, Heilner was prolific at an early
74 An early view of Bimini and its treacherou
would be automatically judged against existing wo
76 Mike Lerner demonstrates his emergency
Chapter Four Anglers At WAr M
IGFA files are silent as to
turned-Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot for
Recognizing the vital and immediate importance
Once approved, the kits were constructed by Ju
As evidenced by this letter
In virtually all theatres of operation, the re
84 Captain Eddie Wall (standing at left) and ser
Despite his satisfaction at the success of the
Despite often being shy and inarticulate in pu
87 Ex-heavyweight box
Despite their strenuous war-related efforts, L
Helen Lerner and company in Italy (1945).
Despite a serious war-related paper shortage a
The Lerners’ trophy room in their New York City a
93 One of many comm
94 Zane Grey admires his
Chapter Five Big game in Distant seas
96 World-class angler Ju
97 Kip Farrington, captain of the American Tun
WeDgeport, nova scotia (canaDa) Long known as a h
boat around in a manner that soon became known as
The victorious Cuban team (1947). From left are F
World War II interrupted the competition until 19
Captain Tommy Gifford and his boat Lady Grace bro
The first blue marlin of note 104
Bimini had become the new angler’s mecca, and it
106 Bimini fishin
Just south of Bimini was the private island of
109 As illustrated
The Cabo Blanco Fishing Club (1951-1969). 110
clubhouses built on land leased from the Lobitos
112 The Club’s inter
Before the Cabo Blanco Fishing Club had its own b
114 (Above) Letter dated No
Regrettably, no paradise lasts forever, and th
116 Sportfishing boats fan out after
Chapter Six The Bill CarpenTer era
William K. (“Bill”) Carpenter aboard his boat Cal
Herald columnist Erl Roman on the East Coast, Dr.
Things continued apace during the first half
Press release dated June 25, 1960 announcing the
The United States Tuna Team at the 1952 Internati
In addition to his many angling successes, Car
In a letter to Mike Lerner dated March 18, 196
shallow water when angling from a boat. He was al
Zane Grey was convinced of the existence of “silv
In 1967, Carpenter stepped up his attack on ta
128 Annual dues wer
Bill Carpenter battles another giant bluefin on C
130 By the early 1970s, there were few opportun
efforts in that regard. To finance these initiati
Cover of the first International Marine Angler pu
The completely redesigned World Record Marine Fis
Despite his lack of celebrity today, Willia
136 Elwood Harry works on
Chapter Seven Elwood Harry F ro
Elwood went wherever the tuna were. This catch wa
Harry with a Cat Cay Tournament catch.
more time on organizational initiatives. In the i
Harry’s report made a telling case that the IG
One of many award certificates won during a stell
Elwood Harry receives the Aksel Wichfeld Memorial
Webbs’ first recreational catches, dozens of boat
146 Harry surprised and
Recognizing that fishing organizations worldwi
148 IGFA President E.K.
In 1984, the IGFA held a World Angling Conference
Swordfish bills taken by angler Alfred C. Glassel
151 This elegant trophy in
As the Library grew, Harry became even more pr
Among Harry’s proudest moments was his presiding
154 Teddy and Elwood Harry c
Despite his equal-opportunity appearances, he
156 Sword Dance, the spect
Chapter Eight The Mike Leech Years ust
Mike Leech, IGFA’s fifth President.
For the first six months after joining the IG
One of the earliest Rybovich hulls, Miss Chevy IV
tangible benefits to joining other than the annua
162 These and other recognition clubs were origin
163 On top of these many new IGFA activities
By the early 1990s, the IGFA’s original logo had
Recognizing the ongoing need for new anglers t
166 Among many o
As with all previous administrations, requests
168 Construction of the IGFA’s new home on th
After six years of fund-raising and two years
170 The IGFA’s magnificent Hall of Fame
Leech and his feathered flock.
In addition to the theatre, the building’s gro
Mike Leech compares dental work with the Museum’s
IGFA Board Chairman George Matthews oversaw the d
tuna in a single day. Fishing aboard Raptor with
176 The current IGFA rule book
Chapter Nine The Rules of Angling
179 An early issue
10. Use of a detachable (“flying”) gaff is pe
unwarranted, their inclusion as permissible tackl
182 Despite its odd
By the time the IGFA circulated this questionnair
The Tycoon rod factory was state-of-the-art in it
only when required. While that rule was quickly r
186 IGFA First Vic
Much changed that year. Coinciding with the 19
After nearly a century of saltwater fly fishing,
Today, input regarding proposed rule changes i
IGFA correspondence files are full of early lette
In addition to being a stickler for rules, Wylie
Still other modifications to the rules had the
193 Prior to becoming a membership-based organiza
194 To clarify its
195
Many saltwater fly anglers view the tarpon as the
an attentive crew and add to an already dangerous
198 Almost surely the IGF
Chapter Ten The STuff of RecoRdS
While many gamefish species are easily identif
The problem of species identification becomes
Originally, much discussion was given over to
203 The IGFA maint
Post-war telegram from W. Roy Cann to Francesca L
Reel Club secretary Don McCarthy, legendary angle
Tommy Aitken (ca. 1938). 206
Interestingly, while the two sets of records a
Before the Lerner Expeditions began in 1936, the
process as possible. Given the fact that many hun
This IGFA world record certificate to Chisie Farr
the IGFA does not permit exceptions for even the
Ken Fraser’s enormous 1,496 lb Atlantic bluefin t
214 Among other news, th
In 1957, an interesting record submission was
One-armed angler Louis Schmidt, Jr. (also with on
Despite the rigidity of the record-granting pr
Occasionally, the IGFA has extended recognitio
Perhaps the most remarkable story of an opport
221 Although these popular awar
222 The IGFA and other stewards of recreati
Chapter Eleven A Look to the Future
was formed in 1994 and now represents 19 nations
Although not as voracious as the huge seiners, th
Unfortunately, the average recreational angler
When taken in quantity, stocks of giant tuna like
To various degrees, the IGFA has participated in
229
230
Appendix A IGFA LeAdershIp o internati
Clive Firth Peter S.
Index Adamson, H.C., 78 Agassiz, Louis, 14, 18
Billups, Guy C., Jr., 231 Blue Marlin Classic Tou
Donna Lawrence Productions, 171 Dunn, Dennis, 219
Guinness World Records, 199 Hall, Arthur, 232 Ha
206-8, 214-5, 232 Leech, Eric, 158 Leech,
McClane, A.J., 150, 188-9, 232 McGrath, J.S., 207
Pearson, Kaye, 232 Peeler, Joseph D., 59, 119, 23
squid, Humboldt, 51 Staros, Bill, 125 Staros, Geo