114 AMERICAN GAME FISHES. 



the waters of the southwestern gulf coast of Florida. There 

 he is found in comparative abundance; and that coast is 

 generally looked upon and conceded to be his annual feeding- 

 grounds. To Mr. W. A. Wood, of New York City, is gener- 

 ally credited the taking of the first Tarpon of over one hundred 

 pounds weight, with rod and reel. The capture took place 

 in these waters, and occurred in March, 1885. The friends of 

 Mr. Samuel H. Jones, of Philadelphia, however, claim for 

 him priority, placing the first catch with the rod in Indian 

 River Inlet, on the east coast of Florida, during the winter of 

 1 880 and 1 88 1. To whomsoever the honor belongs, the dates 

 quoted will demonstrate how young the sport is. Yet these 

 gentlemen have had numerous emulators; and each year the 

 number of Tarpon taken is on the increase. Every season 

 the ranks of the Tarpon enthusiasts are augmented, and the 

 resorts of the South Florida coast grow correspondingly more 

 popular. 



A number of well-known Tarpon fishermen are steam-yacht 

 owners, and these take in the entire coast, being pretty sure 

 to find good sport at almost any of the numerous bays and 

 inlets between the mouth of the Caloosahatchie and Cape 

 Sable. San Carlos Bay, Estero Bay, the Bay of Naples, 

 Marco, Caxambas, and Chokoliska Inlets are all known to be 

 points where the Tarpon abounds. The colder the water, and 

 the more severe the winter, the further south the best fishing 

 is to be found; for the Tarpon is, without doubt, very sensi- 

 tive to cold. The gentleman who has been in charge of the 

 United States Coast Survey on the Florida coast for ten or 

 fifteen years, told me that after the cold snap during the 

 winter of 1886, which created such devastation throughout 

 Florida, he saw hundreds of dead Tarpon washed upon the 

 beach below Punta Rassa, where he was located at the time. 

 During the past winter the weather has been mild, and Tar- 

 pon have been caught in goodly numbers farther north than 

 is customary. 



