84 THE TARPON 



Mr. W. H. Gregg in his "Where, When and How to Catch 

 Fish on the East Coast of Florida," published in 1902, gives 

 credit to Mr. Jones and locates the capture at the same place. 

 But he says the capture occurred in the winter of 1884, and 

 that Captain John Gardner was the guide. He says this tarpon 

 was taken on a large Buel spoon ; that its length was 7 feet 4 

 inches, and that it weighed 172 V2 pounds. It will be observed 

 that these accounts differ in essential particulars and the sub- 

 ject merits further investigation. It may well be that some 

 native fisherman caught a tarpon on rod and reel long before 

 either of these gentlemen. 



Soon after Mr. Wood's exploit became known anglers turned 

 their attention to the tarpon and attempted its capture with 

 various kinds of tackle. Mr. Wood took a fish on May 6, 1886, 

 6 feet 5 inches long and weighing 140 pounds on a 15-thread 

 line and a No. 10 'Shaughnessy hook rigged onto a three-foot 

 link chain. He used a five-foot bamboo rod and a Silver King 

 reel. Dr. Henshall and Mr. A. W. Dimock very early took tar- 

 pon in both brackish and fresh waters with a fly on a heavy fly 

 rod. These fish weighed from ten to forty pounds. 



All the sporting periodicals were filled with accounts of tar- 

 pon being caught with tackle suited to the individual tastes of 

 the particular angler. Gradually, makers of tackle evolved 

 reels, rods and lines suited to the angling. Fishing began at 

 Texas points and, finally, Tampico became noted for its tar- 

 pon fishing. Panama is now coming into its own. In all prob- 

 ability the best place to fish is not yet known. Lower Mexico 

 or Central America may prove to be the Mecca for the lovers 

 of this splendid sport. 



It is unnecessary to recount the progress made by anglers 

 during the years between 1884 and the present, save to say, 

 that the indiscriminate slaughter of the fish so that photo- 

 graphs of the catch may be exhibited is rapidly passing away. 

 They were taken on light tackle many years ago; but up to 

 recent times the tackle used by most fishermen has not given 

 the fish a fair chance. 



