132 THE TARPON 



Dimock, in his book entitled "The Book of the Tarpon" 

 Outing Publication Co., N. Y., relates how he caught many tar- 

 pon on a fly rod with flies. 



I call attention to the article written by Mr. G. D. B. Bon- 

 bright, which is listed in the bibliography for an excellent de- 

 scription of this type of fishing. 



The fishing at the Panama Canal Zone must be delightful. 

 Col. Harold E. Cloke, U. S. A., has described it very succinctly 

 in a personal letter from which I quote : 



"Tarpon fishing here is intensely interesting. We have 

 our greatest sport with the smaller class of tarpon. These 

 abound in the waters of the lower Chagres River just be- 

 low the apron of the spillway. The water constantly run- 

 ning through the hydro-electric plant carries many fish 

 with it such as small perch, needle fish, shiners, and 

 shrimp. The tarpon lie in wait for them just below the 

 falls. I use a very light outfit and many times a fly. They 

 rise to the fly very much as do large trout or salmon and 

 when they strike, they are exceedingly ' sporty. ' They leap 

 from the water more and cavort about more than do the 

 large tarpon. 



"This size tarpon is also quite a palatable table fish. 

 The Spanish people here boil it, pick away the bones and 

 then make a potpie of it, interlaying the meat with pimen- 

 tos, peppers, cheese, etc. It is very good when prepared 

 this way. There are literally millions of them in the river 

 at all times so no qualms exist in using a few of them for 

 food for the native population. 



"Toward the mouth of the Chagres River near old Fort 

 Larenzo, we get the big tarpon. I did not weigh my largest 

 one. It measured 6 ft. 5 in. SS'' girth. I have taken out some 

 quite celebrated personages in quest of the big fellows. 

 General Pershing, for example, caught the largest one I 

 know about down here. It weighed according to the 

 formula 132% lbs. You know the formula, of course. I 



