Notes and Queries 



45 



to get bait, and then he noticed that the 

 doctor's reel had no brake, and it was nearly 

 5 o'clock by the time he had a substantial 

 leather brake affixed. They rowed out across 

 the head of the Pass, and as the doctor let out 

 his line, several tarpon essayed to absorb the 

 bait. Within ten minutes a six-footer had 

 securely hooked himself, and promptly made 

 the fact known. His aerial flights, his extra- 

 ordinary evolutions through the circumam- 

 bient, and his ferocious expression as he 

 stood on his tail, distended his gills, and 

 viciously shook his head, immediately con- 

 vinced the doctor that he had attached himself 

 to something very different from the cold- 

 blooded flshes of the Columbia. With both 

 thumbs clamped down on the leather brake 

 the terriflc surges of the tarpon still drew out 

 the line. The tide was running out, and the 

 head of the Pass was like the rapids of a great 

 river. The current favored the tarpon, which 

 could not be worked back against the tide, so 

 tarpon, boat and all, worked outward toward 

 the Gulf. The doctor soon realized that a man 

 should swing dumb-bells for a month before 

 entering a contest with that kind of fish. In 

 half-an-hour his hands were paralyzed by 

 the strain, and he passed the rod to Silver for 

 relief. The tarpon took to sulking on the 

 bottom. Then he would come up and enliven 

 the proceedings by cavorting through the 

 atmosphere in his own inimitable style. The 

 doctor got his rod back, and continued the 

 fight for another half-hour. The tarpon sulked 

 for awhile among some rocks on the bottom, 

 the sharp edges of which were hard on the 

 line. The boat was working out toward the 

 Gulf, and it was necessary to close the debate 

 by either landing the fish or cutting the line. 



" Silver had again relieved the doctor, when 

 the tarpon made a final grand rush, and the 

 line parted. It was a Tryon, and for the time 

 the doctor lost confldence in that make, 

 resolving to use his Conroy line the next day. 

 It was now getting dark, and the tarpon were 

 given a rest until morning. The doctor had 

 his big tarpon on the surface, close by the boat, 

 several times, and had taken its measure. 

 Silver said he would guarantee tarpon the 

 next day. 



" That night the doctor put by his Tryon 

 line, and wound on his Conroy. Next morning 

 Silver was out catching bait until 8:30. Then 

 they soon had the skiff bobbing up and down 

 across the head of the Pass, as Silver pulled it 

 through the ever-present school of tarpon. 

 Several ineffective strikes were made, but by 

 9:30 A. M. the doctor had landed his first 

 tarpon on St. Joseph island, and Oregon was 

 redeemed. The tarpon was brought back to 

 the hotel. Mr. W. D. Jenkins, engineer in 

 charge of the Aransas harbor improvements, 

 had just come in from the breakwater. He 

 measured the tarpon, which was even five feet 

 long, and producing his kodak, photographed 

 the captor and the captured. 



"During the afternoon the doctor landed 

 two more tarpon, one five and the other four 

 feet long. He quit Ashing at 5 p. m., satihed 



that he had at least thirty strikes in twenty- 

 four hours. He had several tussles with big 

 ones, that ended as the flrst, his Conroy line 

 cutting on the rocks as did the Tryon. Having 

 landed three tarpon in one day, and struggled 

 with many more, the doctor concluded that 

 after a course of physical culture, he could land 

 ten in one day under the same conditions of 

 weather, water, and abundance of the flsh. 

 He left for Oregon last Saturday, with a valise 

 full of tarpon scales, and unlimited confidence 

 in the future of Aransas Pass, not only as a 

 seaport, but also as a sportsmen's resort." 



Pleasant News from Sarasota, Fla. 



No doubt it will be a source of gratification 

 for anglers to learn that Mr. C. F. Orvis of 

 angling tackle fame, has leased the Sarasota 

 Inn, formerly run by Mrs. Jones, now deceased. 

 We understand that a brother of Mr. Orvis 

 and his daughter, Mrs. Marbury, will be in 

 constant attendance, and that Mr. C. F. Orvis 

 will spend considerable time at this delightful 

 Florida resort. Anglers should not overlook 

 the fact that, within a short distance from the 

 hotel, there are two creeks, Phillippi and Billy 

 Bowlegs, where fly-hshing can be enjoyed to 

 its fullest extent. 



Low Excursion Rates South and Pacific Coast.— The 



Southern Railway (Fiedmont Air Line) have just 

 issued a circular announcing low excursion rates to 

 Southern Cities and Winter resorts. The new points 

 to which excursion tickets are sold this winter includes 

 many prominent Southern Cities. This great system 

 penetrates every Southern State over its own rails ; 

 operates solid trains, vestibuled sleeping and dining 

 cars, from New York to New Orleans, Jacksonville, 

 Tampa, Atlanta, Augusta, Asheville, Chattanoonga, 

 Birmingham, Memphis. This is the route that forms 

 the great California Limited via New Orleans in con- 

 nection with the Sunset Limited, the most elegant 

 appointed train service between the Atlantic and 

 Pacific. For rates, schedules, etc., call on or address, 



R. D. Carpenter, General Agent. 

 ALEX. S. Thweatt, East'n Pass. Agt., 



271 Broadway, New York. 



Eat, Sleep and Be Happy. — Eat the best of food, 

 skillfully prepared, at moderate prices, on the 

 elegant dining cars run by the Chicago Great Western 

 Railway (" The Maple Leaf Route ")• 



Sleep in the luxurious bedrooms of the new Pullman 

 Compartment Sleeping Cars run on the same line. 



Be happy, as a natural consequence. These advan- 

 tages may be enjoyed in the superlative degree to 

 which modern science has brought them en route be- 

 tween Chicago, Dubuque, Waterloo, Marshalltown, 

 Des Moines, St. Joseph, Kansas City, St. Paul and 

 Minneapolis, via the Chicago Great Western Railway 

 C'' The Maple Leaf Route "). 



Sunday trips of the Fall River Line steamers have 

 been discontinued for the winter months, the final trip 

 having been made on Sunday, November 24. The 

 Plymouth and Pilgrim are in commission, and week 

 day trips will continue without interruption. 



