Catalina's Historic Tuna Club

Charles Frederick Holder established the Tuna Club in 1898, making it the oldest fishing club in the United States. Its creation followed Holder’s historic rod-and-reel landing of a 183-pound bluefin tuna. The club was formed to help bring sport fishing to its highest possible standard while also supporting the protection of southern California game fish.

Over the years, the Tuna Club has counted many prominent figures among its members, including three U.S. Presidents: William McKinley, Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt. Other well-known members have included Winston Churchill, Cecil B. DeMille, Charlie Chaplin, and Bing Crosby.

The Banning brothers, owners and founders of the Santa Catalina Island Company, donated the club’s original clubhouse. They supported the Tuna Club because they saw it as a way to encourage tourism on the island. Set along Avalon Bay, the Tuna Club is a California Historical Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.