Fishing stories

Pete Barrett says the best part of running his father’s sportfishing business during World War II was the people he met.

“The people who made time to fish every week were wonderful people,” longtime Newport resident Barrett said.

In 1943, Barrett’s father, James, opened what grew to become the largest sportfishing landing in Newport Beach ? the Port Orange Fishing Hole on Coast Highway.

At one point, Port Orange operated five large day boats, 25 deep-sea charter fishing boats and a fishing dock. An all-night cafe was part of the operation.

“The fishermen idolized the captains and their crews,” Barrett said. “I remember [actor] Roy Rogers ? he was a wonderful person.”

The story begins in 1939, when James Barrett came to work on the Prado Dam in Corona as a part of the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program.

“When my father came to Balboa Island in 1939, there was no money in Newport Beach,” Pete Barrett said.

James Barrett started a construction business, J.S. Barrett General Contractors, that put in sewers and storm drains for many cities in Southern California, his son said. The company also built the metropolitan water line from Fallbrook to San Diego.

James Barrett entered the marine business almost by accident.

The city owned about half the lots in Corona Del Mar, having acquired them when residents could not pay their taxes during the lean years.

James Barrett bought a lot across the street from the landing to house his construction equipment. He wanted only the construction lot, but the city insisted on selling the bay-front property as well ? hence the landing business.

The timing was good. During World War II, Newport’s was the only harbor open to sportfishing in Southern California.

The other bays were taken over by the military for the war effort and were used to build mine sweepers and patrol boats.

“Sportfishing brought most of the money into Newport Beach,” Barrett said.

The diner at the Port Orange Fishing Hole, Shep’s Cafe, was a popular spot for local residents and visitors.

“It was open 24 hours a day and people from Riverside, Los Angeles and everywhere would stop and get something to eat there,” Barrett, 81, said. “I’d open the office about 2 a.m., and all the bartenders and waitresses [from around town] would go to the cafe for something to eat after work.”dpt.29-god-CPhotoInfoSV1PDJFD20060329iwv9zcknDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Pete Barrett, pictured in the center of a photograph taken when he was a young man, talks about the harbor’s fishing fleet.