This silent film shows details of the practices of striped bass fishermen in the San Francisco Bay area, including their use of sardines as bait, their casting techniques, and the camaraderie of the men as they share fishing boats and trade expertise in the art. The film probably dates to the 1920’s and 1930’s and was “arranged and titled” by noted adventure filmmaker Captain Jack Robertson, also responsible for The True North (1925) and The Break Up (1930) (TRT 10:29)

(0:10) Credits: “Arranged and Titled by Captain Jack Robertson, Negatives Loaned by California State Fish and Game Commission” (0:17) “Early California fishing enthusiasts visualized the possibilities of stocking the western waters with game fish from the Atlantic Coast. That vast network of waters adjoining San Francisco Bay seemed an ideal place to attempt to introduce the Striped Bass” (0:41) Aerial views of a grid of farmland adjoining a coast, hills, quilted with lakes (1:06) “During 1879 less than one hundred and fifty Striped Bass fingerlings were introduced into these California waters” (1:16) A man wades into a lake to empty water jugs swimming with bass (1:35) “After ten years fishermen along the sloughs and bay shores took many fish weighing a pound or less” (1:44) Men wearing waders fishing with wooden rods in a bank of tall grass (1:59) The reel in close up, a hooked fish struggles (2:45) “Thoughtful and far seeing sportsmen returned the small fish to the water”The fish (not appearing particularly small) is unhooked and returned. The man grins and throws up his hands (3:50) The bass wrestles with death in the grass (4:00) “As time went on restrictions were placed on bass fishing both as to size and the number taken” (4:10) Men pose on a dock with the day’s catch, lined up in a rows and hanging from string (4:19) “The Monterey Sardine has been found to be the best bait for taking Striped Bass” (4:28) A fishing boat piled with sardines. Men pour sardines into a chute using long nets (4:37) “Every year tons of these small fish are sold as bass bait”(5:00) “Today fishermen charter roomy power boats to take them to the best fishing grounds” Fishermen assemble onto boats. (5:38) “Drawn together by the common love of the sport, men from the mills and offices enjoy the day together” (6:04) “Fishermen park their cars close to the shoreline while away fishing” Model T Fords line the shore as the boats pull away (6:22) “Rigging up”. Fishermen put bait on hooks (6:35) “Many different ideas on how to cut the sardine and how to bait the hook”A sardine is cut into pieces on a piece of wood and hooked (7:07) “You can tell the master fisherman by the way he makes his cast”. Various line casting techniques are shown. A bass is caught with the help of a net and the hook removed (8:15) “That one was worth a new bait” (8:27) “When the tide is right the fish are taken one after another”.Other fish are caught and dropped onto the deck. (9:30) A man in glasses and mustache displays his catch (9:34) “During the lull between tides”. A man tips his hat over his eyes, reel in hand, to catch a nap (9:48) “A little group leaves in a small boat to try the shallow water” (10:16) “Some fishermen filet the sardine and then make a tempting bait”

Sophus John Robertson, who came to be known as Captain Jack Robertson, was born in Hayward, Calif. in 1885. He worked as a wilderness guide and hunter in Alaska and eventually became a documentary filmmaker in the region. A number of his films enjoyed commercial release. Later in his life he was hired by the University of California and served as director of U.C. Extension’s Motion Picture Production Department. Robertson died in 1966.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com