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     TUNA FISHING 
     
    
   
   
    
     The first tuna ever caught by sports fishermen in Island 
     
     waters was hooked and taken at North Lake in 1966. It was landed 
     
     by Bruce Oland of Halifax who was fishing with Aubrey W. Purcell, 
     
     a professional tuna fishing guide. Daniel Jarvis, Souris, was 
     
     skipper of their chartered vessel "The Grand River" registered 
     
     from Charlottetown. A total of five tuna were hooked and taken 
     
     in this year. 
     
    
   
   
    
     From year to year more and more fish were caught and in 1968 
     
     the Gov. Gen. of Canada, Hon. Roland Mitchener, visited North 
     
    
   
   
    
     Lake and donated a trophy to tuna fishing known as "The Mitchener 
     
     Trophy". 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1970 the existing world's record held by men on a 130 
     
     pound test line, which had been in existence for twenty years, 
     
     was broken at North Lake four times. A 980 pound tuna was caught 
     
     on the Aquarius, Captain Merrill MacDonald, a 982 pound tuna on 
     
     the Bay Lady, Captain Wesley Fraser, 985 pound tuna also on the 
     
     Bay Lady and 1040 pound tuna on the GL47, Captain Darrell Collins. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1970 there was also a women's world record for a 717 
     
     pound tuna caught by Doris Watts, Penn., U.S.A. on an 80 pound 
     
     test line, while fishing from the Low Bid. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1971 a total of 201 fish were taken with the women's 
     
     record broken twice. This record went first to Maureen Marazzi, 
     
     New York, with an 881 pound tuna on a 130 pound test line. Then 
     
     on October 15th the same year Maureen's record was broken by 
     
     Gertrude Collins, Sturgeon, P.E.I. She caught an 886 pound 
     
     bluefin on a 130 pound line while fishing from her husband's boat, 
     
     The Lucky Strike. She now holds the women's world record. 
     
    
   
   
    
     An International Outdoor Tuna Tournament was opened at North 
     
     Lake in August 1970. Two teams of sports writers from Canada and 
     
     the United States competed in this tournament which lasted for 
     
     three days. The team which caught the largest tuna received a 
     
    
   
   
    
     cup. The United States team won this cup for two years in 
     
     succession. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In 1971 the tuna fishermen decided to elect a Queen. Girls 
     
     from the surrounding districts put their names in a box and the 
     
     captain from each boat drew a name to represent his boat. The 
     
     girl in the boat getting the largest fish during the tournament 
     
     was crowned Queen. Two princesses were also selected. Last 
     
     year's queen was Vera MacDonald. The princesses were Lynne 
     
     MacLeod, North Lake, and Sandra Fraser, North Lake.