86 THE TARPON 



size before delivering his decision. Finally he put the weight 

 at one hundred and thirty-seven pounds. But my guide dis- 

 puted his estimate and said that the fish would not weigh a 

 pound less than one hundred and forty-five. That man today 

 believes that he actually caught a fish of that weight. 



Then, too, anglers of a certain type love to rush into print 

 with lurid tales not only of the weight but the difficulties 

 incident to the capture of tlie fish. 



Dimock's book on the tarpon is charmingly written and fine 

 to read to stimulate one's enjoyment of a coming trip; but it 

 is so overdrawn in its statements that it is utterly unreliable. 

 No such tarpon as he portrays ever existed and their acrobatic 

 feat,^ were tricked by the photographer holding the camera 

 near the water and pointing upward at the leaping fish. 



I have tried to verify the records here set forth. The sport- 

 ing journals should refuse to print records till they are 

 verified not only by actual weight on tested scales but also 

 measured in length and girth before competent witnesses. 

 A form of an affidavit suitable for use in establishing a 

 record will be found in the appendix. 



The tarpon probably attains a weight of over three hundred 

 pounds and a length of over eight feet. One was captured on 

 a hand line which was said to scale eight feet three inches but 

 this fish was so emaciated that it weig-hed only 209^2 pounds. 



Dr. John T. Nichols and Mr. Van Campen Heilner have 

 compiled the records for fish of various species. This com- 

 pilation is my authority for the statement that the largest 

 tarpon ever caught was netted by fishermen at Hillsboro 

 River Inlet, Florida, on August 6, 1912. Its weight was 

 estimated at 350 pounds. Its length was %'-1" . 



The following schedule covers some of the record fish. 

 (1) W. A. McLaren at Panuco River, Mexico, March 27, 

 1911. Length r-%" ; girth 47 inches ; weight 232 lbs. 

 (Note: length measured from tip of longest fin to end 

 of lower jaw which was oyen) 



