82 THE TARPON 



March 25, 1885. It was 5 feet 9 inches long and weighed 93 

 pounds. It was taken in 26V2 minutes. He caught another the 

 same day in 21^ minutes weighing 81 pounds, which was 5 

 feet 7 inches long. Mr. John Smith, who at that time was liv- 

 ing at Fisherman's Key near Punta Gorda, was his guide. In 

 a letter now in my possession, Mr. Smith states that Mr. 

 Wood's fish was the first one caught by rod and reel. Mr. 

 Wood caught three more near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee 

 River on March 31, 1885. All these fish were taken with rod 

 and reel and for some time it was believed that the record of 

 capturing the first good-sized tarpon by rod and reel was held 

 by Mr. Wood. In May, 1885, Mr. S. C. Clarke wrote to the 

 same journal : 



"Mr. Wood's capture is, however, not the first of that 

 kind. A tarpon was killed in the Indian River, East Flor- 

 ida, with rod and reel by S. H. Jones of Philadelphia, some 

 years ago, I think about 1878. This specimen measured 

 over seven feet in length, 32V2 inches in circumference at 

 the dorsal fin and weighed 174 pounds. The contest lasted 

 more than three hours and was carried on from a boat 

 which was towed some distance by the fish. I heard of this 

 affair in Florida the year after it happened and got the 

 dimensions of the fish from the boatman who waited on 

 Mr. Jones, who himself gave an account of the capture to 

 an angling friend of mine ; so I have no doubt as to the 

 correctness of the story." 

 As Mr. Wood's exploit was widely published and Mr. 

 Clarke's communication was disregarded, it apparently was 

 generally believed that the record for the first capture should 

 go to Mr. Wood. 



The news crossed the Atlantic and the London Observer of 

 August 26, 1886, had this to say : 



*'Here, at last, there is a rival to the black bass of North 

 America, to the Siluris glanis of the Danube, to our own 

 European salmon, and possibly even to the sturgeon, were 



