Harlan W. Major 1889-1968 2009 Inductee Harlan Major was a superb tackle technician and a gifted entrepreneur of saltwater angling. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Major moved to California following World War I. He held a number of jobs, from oil worker and car dealer to rancher and Hollywood stunt man. He also developed an interest in saltwater angling, and this led to the perfect outlet for his mechanical skills: repairing fishing tackle. Before long he was making rods, lures and kites which he sold to local fishing club members. Once Harlan opened a shop, it wasn't long before he was running the largest tackle business in southern California. Armed with West Coast fishing techniques, Major headed East in 1929 and was accepted immediately by the sportfishing fraternity there. It was Major who introduced kite fishing to Montauk's anglers, including Tommy Gifford. And with Gifford as his guide, he landed one of the first sailfish taken on 3/6 tackle in Florida. Harlan thought everyone should have the opportunity to fish, and he convinced Long Island Railroad executives and partyboat owners that special weekend trains running from Penn Station to Montauk would make money. During the summer of 1933 four trains carried excited city folk to the outstanding fishing at the tip of Long Island. The following summer more than 35,000 anglers were transported by these "Fishermen's Specials," which operated for more than 20 years. In 1935 Major convinced Pan American Airways and the Grace Line to send him to Chile. He was anxious to investigate reports of giant swordfish and he promised in return to fill his newspaper columns with stories guaranteed to entice affluent American anglers -- and spark travel -- to Chilean waters. Convinced most anglers overfought their fish, his technique consisted of short pumps, steady pressure, and planned strategies, and the fighting chair he built and brought with him, which became the prototype of the modern chair, helped too. Major quickly landed two impressive broadbill, and his pioneering visit to Chile paved the way for the Lerners, Farringtons, and for Lou Marron, whose 1,182-lb swordfish caught there in 1953 remains the IGFA All-Tackle record. Harlan Major constantly experimented with new ideas and techniques. When successful he shared them with others, and when they were successful he moved on to other challenges. In 1937 Pan Am sent Major to the Pacific. Their new "clipper service" was making fuel stops at Midway, Wake and Guam, and Major vowed the billfish spotted there could be caught, again creating demands for flights from eager anglers. At first unsuccessful, he managed to put together a makeshift outrigger similar to the one Tommy Gifford was using in Florida, and as he predicted he caught a marlin -- the second ever landed in Guam. Stories of Major's travels frequently appeared in newspapers and major magazines, and in 1939 Salt Water Fishing Tackle was published. A comprehensive history of the development of fishing equipment, it was the first book to detail technical aspects of tackle design, construction, repair and use, and it remains a classic reference. With the advent of World War II, Major began a campaign to ship free tackle overseas. The basement of his New York City home became the clearinghouse for huge amounts of donated equipment and supplies that were sorted, repaired and packaged by volunteers. More than 200,000 kits were assembled, and with the help of the USO Major provided servicemen worldwide with gear to catch fish. For those at home his 1942 book Sure You Can Fish explained how they could make usable tackle from items such as toothbrushes, broom handles, paperclips and spoons. Praised for his wartime contributions to troops and civilians, Harlan Major was extremely proud of providing some pleasure and nourishment to both, and of creating a few more anglers in the process. After the war Major picked up where he left off, traveling and writing, and word of his expertise spread outside the U.S. In the mid-1940s the Norwegian Embassy sent him an unusual request. Could he provide fishing equipment -- and basic instruction in its use -- to Thor Heyerdahl for his voyage from Peru to Polynesia on the raft Kon Tiki? Harlan Major could ... and did. When he died in 1968 at the age of 79, Major had led a full and adventurous life. He was the first to visit and write about places that harbored untamed fish, and though he cared passionately about the sport he wasn't driven purely by the catch. A scientist, technician and mechanic, he devoted 40 years to showing anglers that their "luck" could be improved with study, adaptation and modification. The IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame honors Harlan Major, a true pioneer.

• published: 24 Aug 2012
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