THE TARPON 165 



depths most of them jump immediately and throw the hook, ex- 

 cept when the hook happens to be set by the early closing of 

 the jaws. In cork fishing, the cork allows them to go down 

 and holds a taut line, with a steady pull. This method gives 

 better results in the shallower waters. 



I am convinced that the best results follow one quick moder- 

 ate jerk succeeded by a steady pull so as to keep the hook in 

 position. This is also proved by the fact that those using a 

 6 oz. tip rarely fail to securely hang a tarpon because it is not 

 possible with the light tackle to do more than merely hold a 

 taut line. With this tackle it is often several minutes before the 

 fish will jump. This, to my mind, shows the advantage of 

 light handling with any tackle. 



In fishing for so elusive a fish as the tarpon, which is so sus- 

 ceptible to changes of weather, and is so hard to learn anything 

 definite about, it requires the taking of a great many fish in 

 varying weather to enable one to prove or disprove anything 

 that one may think occurs. The deep sea existence and migra- 

 tory habits of the tarpon make them diflQcult to study and to 

 gain an accurate idea of the best thing to do under given con- 

 ditions. Tarpon anglers are, as a rule, very reticent when 

 asked by a beginner for instructions. This is not "pure cussed- 

 ness" on the part of the angler, but is due to the fact that 

 while he has very definite opinions he so often fails to take 

 fish himself that he fears his disciple may feel that he has 

 been wilfully misled or, at least, if he had done some other 

 way his luck might have been better. I, therefore, beg of you, 

 my reader, to consider I am only telling you frankly the meth- 

 ods that have improved my own record and proved much 

 more productive for the three years I have used them than 

 when I only fished the bottom and jerked as hard and as often 

 as I could until the fish had jumped and thrown my hook. I 

 have yet much to learn and so I vary my depth of fishing, de- 

 pendent upon conditions of the tide. With no intention of 

 being dogmatic, my only hope is that I may be of some help to 



