History of the Fishery

The Bluefin Tuna we are catching from the South West of England only appeared in 2016 but did you know that for around 30 years in from the 1920’s to 50’s Scarborough in Yorkshire was the centre of Tunny (as they were then known) fishing in the British Isles.  Tuna would hunt the giant herring shoals that were present in the North Sea at that time and despite being a hindrance to the fisherman’s efforts when entangled in nets some skippers soon saw the opportunity to target the fish with Rod and Line.

Tackle was primitive compared to today’s standards and the fishing itself was not without danger. The Anglers would set sail aboard the Herring netters and whilst hauling nets would be lowered in to the sea to fish from a small rowing boat! Even with the odds stacked against them huge fish were caught and weighed during this time. In fact the current record British Record of 851lbs still stands to day caught by Lorenzo Mitchell-Henry in 1933.

The list of people that travelled to Scarborough during this period was incredible. World renowned Angler and authors Ernest Hemingway and Zane Grey actors John Wayne, Errol Flynn and even Winston Churchill all set sail to try their hand at catching a Giant Bluefin Tuna.

Fast forward to 2021 and imagine my surprise to receive an incredible email from clients James, Tom and Leo. It transpired that Leo’s Grand Father and Great Uncle had travelled to Scarborough back in the day and kept a diary of their experiences. It’s a full on swash buckling account. With Leo’s kind permission the diary is reproduced below: