Introduction

Reginald Reynolds owned a bait tackle and candy shop in Capinteria since the 1940's and wrote a surf fishing column for the Carpinteria Herald from 1968 to 1976. Many Carpinterians who grew up during this era have fond memories of "Reg", his bait and candy shop.  I especially looked forward to his weekly fishing column.

Kitty-corner from Main School, at 586 Palm Ave., was Reg’s Bait Shop. Most kids crossed the street for the candy, but I was there to drool over the photos of fish and learn everything I could about how to catch surf perch, halibut and the elusive corbina, and other piscatorial attractions on this rich part of the California coastline. At the time, Reg was cranking out his weekly fishing articles in The Carpinteria Herald. I could hardly wait--because the paper came out on Wednesday, it gave me just enough time to plan my weekend. I feel so fortunate to have been a kid growing up so close to the beach. All I had to do was grab my fishing rod and walk a few minutes.

 

What I really like about Reg’s articles is their enthusiasm, and appreciative mystique about the various fish species, their life history, feeding habitats, and how to catch them. They were also a quick introduction to the rhythms of nature, and how to apply one’s self, accordingly: Get up in the morning when the tide is low to get the bait, fish during the flood tide. Simple concepts indeed, but as I look back on those early years they were poignant, mentoring, and character-developing. I was born a fancier of fish; as soon as I could hold a fishing rod my grandfather guided me to the angling art. But my encounter with Reg came at a time that truly initiated my life’s direction. With Reg, there was just so much more to baiting the hook and reeling in a fish.

   On this site I have included some info on Reg and some of this articles. I am compiling all of them in a book that will be available hopefully in the not too distant future. But for now, I want to share some nostalgia and inspire interest in these 'lost' articles. They cover history, philosophy, biology and of course offer tips on fishing the surf between Ventura and Santa Barbara. I tried to maintain the original published formatting, including spelling errors as much as possible. These articles were an inspiration for me and I must give them some credit for making me who I am - a fisheries biologist and fishing fanatic.

Please contact me, I am always looking for more information and others' stories about their Reg memories. My email address is: muchohucho@ yahoo.com

Some Miscellaneous Articles

OFF THE SURF
By Reg Reynolds
June 5, 1969

Doug Dvenkow, Walt Dvenkow, Marvin Dvenkow and Charlie Radin from Carpinteria, went fishing in their boat directly off Palm avenue. As you can see from the photo, they sure hit the jackpot. They caught several cabazone. bull and calico bass, and one large leopard shark. They used some of my anchovie bait, and they sure loaded down the boat , with some- fine eating fish.

Jack Truman, also from Carpinteria, caught an eleven-pound salmon in the Santa Barbara channel trolling a spinning shiny lure. Ruben Sofia from Carpinteria, fished the evening tide of the rocks on the Rincon highway. Also using anchovies, he hooked and landed a 10-pound striped bass. If one was caught off the rocky shore, there must be more of these fish in the deeper water. Why don't you troll from your boat out about three to four hundred feet from shore, and you might be the lucky one to land one of the larger stripers. Years ago, a millionaire fisherman; then living in San Francisco, brought two large tank cars of stripers from the east coast and dumped them in the ocean. It took 10 years for these fish to spawn and form some big schools of . fish. Now San Francisco is noted world wide for its fine striper fishing from shore and from boats. This also could happen in Carpinteria, if these fish could be shipped here and deposited in the ocean.

All along the coast from the Ventura river up to Mussel Rock, large barred perch as well as some corbina are now in the surf. At extreme high tide is the time to try your luck with clams, shrimp, squid, sugar cured mackerel and sand crabs. The ocean is looking pretty good and schools. of these fish mentioned should be close to shore. Off the Rincon rocks is now a hot spot to try. Also around the point leading up to Carpinteria. Large perch are now striking off the beach directly, below the state park.

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Reggie's rod and reel club reaches 50,000
By Reg Reynolds
December 7, 1972
It was in the year of 1941, I started my little shop, at 586 Palm Avenue in Carpinteria Valley. I made Calcutta rods by the dozen's each week, and I bought a small flat top freezer, for bait and tied thousands of hooks, and leaders.

It was sure hard sledding, trying to get the trade to come to my home where I had a little tackle shop in my large front room, I tried a number of ways to get people to come in my shop, and I hit upon a brilliant plan of my own, "free" Rod and Reel Club. I printed up hundreds of cards by hand with a rubber stamp, and went around town signing up all the merchants.

Key Mullen managed a cleaning and pressing parlor on Linden Avenue, and he was the first member I had. I filled several pages of my book, by other merchants. Then I started sending our cards to a lot of movie actors. Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Arthur Godfrey, Art Linkletter, Bing Crosby, Harry Carey Jr., Fred MacMurray. Hopalong Cassady.

Then I had another idea, I sent to President Eisenhower, President John Kennedy, President Lyndon Johnson, Governor Goodwin Knight, and in return I received personally autographed pictures from each of them. It thrilled me to get all of them in my Club, and I placed them in frames, and hung them in my shop for my friends to see.

In the year of 1939, I was sick with anemia, and was under the care of the General Hospital, at Goleta until 1941, when the Japanese war broke out. In that time, as I was a cartoonist, in my younger life, I drew up thirty large pictures of pen etchings. These I hung in my shop, framed, for my customers to view, little dreaming they were going to be famous in the year's to come. It was not until the year of '66, that some printers came up from Los Angeles, and they suggested that I had my work made into place-setting mats. I had had a number of them off-set printed, 9 x 12 inches, which I sold in my shop. From that time on many customers visited my shop to buy my work, and also sign up in my Club.

From 1941, until now, my club expanded, until Thursday November 30, my club-went over the 50,000 mark. The largest FREE FISHING CLUB in the WORLD. At 75 years, I have reached this huge goal, and my heart beats with pride, to accomplish such a feat, without any help from anyone. I have put in ten hours a day, every day in the year. For 32 years, I have managed my shop. I have members from all over the globe, for you see, I have some of the armed forces, stop at my shop, for a vacation at the State Park. I love CARPINTERIA with all my HEART, I would'nt live any other spot. With so many wonderful Friends.

YOUR FISHING FRIEND,
Reg Reynolds

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OFF THE SURF
By Reg Reynolds
May 25, 1974

With the coming of the summer- months, all the fishermen can look forward to some fine boat, and surf fishing, from the shore of Ventura, up to Gaviota pier.
The long stretch of shoreline stretching from Ventura, up to the Rincon Point should be flush with many kind of surf, and rock fish, as well as halibut, in the deep channel waters, for those fishing from their boats, Halibut are found in schools, about three hundred feet from shore, where they bury their bodies in the white sand, with but two beady eyes showing, as they wait for a small fish to swim by.

Off Mussel Rock, was always a good spot to catch corbina, bass, and large perch. The outer side of the rock is covered with clusters of mussels, and the fish stay close in the shadowy coves. Fish from the top of the rock, and you will catch some fine eating fish. Off the sandy beach above, has some excellent sandy holes to throw into. All the fish mentioned above, are feeding on millions of sand crabs that wash in with high tide. One can use fresh mussels, shrimp, clams. anchoves, squid; and blood worms. All these baits will do the trick.

All along the rocky coast line, one has some fine spots to stand on, and cast into the foamy surf. Most of the surf fish are close to shore.

Around Rincon Point, has some excellent rock fishing, as huge lava rocks, line the shore for about three miles. Large cabazone, black perch, yellowfin croakers, calico, and black bass, are now sure plentiful at many spots, along the shore.

Higgin's Point, leading up to the Carpinteria famous tar pits, is now good, especially where our old pier once stood. Sandyland beach, to Serena rocks, are swell spots to try. Off the Summerland seawall, and up to Goleta pier, you will have some fine surf fishing, as well as trolling from your boat, out as far as the oil rigs.
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OFF THE SURF
By Reg Reynolds
April 17, 1975

When I first moved to Carpinteria on April 15th, 1931 to a little country home at 586 Palm Avenue, the two Fish Sisters and their brother managed the park below along the sand dunes at Palm Avenue up to Linden Avenue. Their park was one of the places where campers and vacationers could come and stay for months at a time. I have seen so many campers in their park you could hardly squeeze another person or tent in. This was on both sides of the road.

At night huge log fires were started using a large circle of long logs. Camper's would play music, and sing to their hearts content. Our short pier, built by the County extended over 100 feet into the ocean. As fishing was wonderful in those days, the pier was loaded on both sides. While fishing into the night, the pier was lit up like a Christmas tree with lantern's. Boy! it was a pleasure to go down fishing off the pier for perch and corbina that were in the surf by the thousands.

These fish could be caught on fresh mussels and clams that the camper's gathered from rocks, or sand crabs dug up in the wet sand. It was sure a paradise to come up to the Valley for a vacation.

Our old three story red railroad station building was standing then, and the train stopped to unload many passengers.

As one strolled up Linden Ave, they found a good grocery store right next to-the Palm's Hotel and directly across the street, on the corner of 7th Street, was a modern bakery. Below the Palm's Hotel was a blacksmith shop, run by Dick Morris. He had managed his shop for many years.
Hickey Brothers had a large hardware store on the corner of 7th Street. Up the street a little farther, Art Hebel had his garage.

Between 8th and 9th Street on the left, was a tall steeple church that was later torn down. The Herald Office, was just above, in a one story building. Across the street on Ninth, was a hardware store in a two story building. Right next to the hardware, the Fish Sister's had a number of small beach cottages, that they rented.

Another grocery store on the left side going up Linden Avenue was in a one story building. Mills's Drug store was another small store. In the early days, the two story hardware store was a small movie theatre.

Avocados were just coming in and the Fish Sister's had trees bearing the fruit around their cottages. In fact, a number of farmers planted the trees along with their orange . groves. The oranges in those days were the finest I have ever-eaten, for sweetness. These groves stretched far into the hills, and Valleys, a beautiful sight to see.

Shepard's Inn, and Stanley Park were managed by my two uncles, Henry Shepard, and Jim Shepard. They hosted thousands of guests from all over the United States, including two early Presidents, Frank Shepard, Jim's son, used to drive a two-horse, four-seated wagon down to meet the trains as they brought in vacationers.

Frank was a Ranger for many years and he rode all the back trails all over the mountain country. Guests would hanker for one of his famous barbecues. He was an expert in that line. He would dig a deep long hole out under the Oak trees into which he would lower a body of a steer, along with potatoes, corn, and other foods and cover everything, after he had a fine bed of coals, and let it cook overnight.

The next day there would be a hundred guests waiting for the pit to be opened. The well cooked steer was placed on a long table, where it was cut up and served with the other steaming food on large paper plates. The guests didn't care how much black ashes they got on them from the baked potatoes. They were all up there to have the best time of their lives.

After the hearty dinner, they all sat around in the shade of the broad oak trees, played horseshoes, or soft ball. Oh! for those good old days again. At night, guests participated in bridge games in the large recreation room, or danced to the music of a large speaker phonograph. Others just set on the long porch and gazed up at the millions of stars in the heavens. Many of them brought their early model cars up to the inn, and as the summer days were wonderful, they would drive down to the 'World's Safest Beach' for a swim in the Pacific Ocean, or lay in the sun on the long stretch of sandy beach with it's many sand dunes. I believe Carpinteria Valley will go ahead, toward becoming a great vacation town where the air is pure, scented with the salty smell of the sea, and the sweet scent of sage brush from the deep valleys, and mountains, that fringe the Carpinteria Valley. What more could a person want in life.
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OFF THE SURF
By Reg Reynolds
April 8, 1976

With the grunion runs we are having all through the summer months, one can fish off all the piers, from Ventura up to Gaviota pier, and can catch some large jack smelts on tiny pieces of salted bonita.

These large fish are plentiful and sure fun to catch on a size eight hook, and battle toward the side of the pier. They fight nearly as hard as large mack­erel. When Carpinteira had the old pier, I caught jacksmelt 24 inches long. Now that Carpinteria has grown so large, they should have a good pier again for the town people, and the tourists to fish from. Carpinteria has the best location along the coast for a sturdy pier, perhaps anchored to the bluffs.

One hot spot right now is in front of the State Park from the tar pits up to Sandyland Beach. Large surf perch and corbina, up to five and six pounders, can now be caught on clams, mussels, shrimp and small pieces of fresh anchovies. The best time to try your luck, is about an hour before the peak of high tide. Then go down, and cast your line not more than 70 feet out from shore. That is where most of the surf fish are found, feeding on millions of sand crabs that wnsh in with each breaker.

This is also the time that halibut are running. Rig up your leader with a three foot nylon and 1/0 wire hook. Take an anchovie and hook the tail on the hook, and wrap a small rub ber band around the bait near its head, and cast out about 100 feet from shore. The bait will float around with the tide, and that is what will attract a nice size halibut.

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