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TARPON. 



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 of general questions of utility likely to be of 

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 a periodical. Photographic reproductions of 

 protected works are forbidden, and countries 

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of the international union. The same is true 

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 treaty went into force three months from the 

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T 



TARPON. The largest and most important 

 of the ClupeidcB, specifically Megolops thrw- 

 soides (Gunther), a salt-water fish occurring in 

 the western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, 

 and ranging from the coast of South America 

 northward as far as Cape Cod. In the higher 

 latitudes it is comparatively rare, though the 

 specimen in the National Museum at Washing- 

 ton was captured off the coast of New Jersey. 

 It is quite abundant among the West Indies, 

 and has rarely been found as far eastward as 

 the Bermudas. In the summer it frequently 

 ascends the southern rivers in large numbers 



it with the rod and Jine. It has long been 

 known that it would take bait, but its wonder- 

 ful activity enabled it to break away with 

 such certainty that few sportsmen cared to 

 risk their tackle in the encounter. So recent- 

 ly as 1883, 8. C. Clarke, author of " Fishes of 

 the East Florida Coast," wrote somewhat in- 

 credulously of the alleged capture of a tarpon 

 with rod and reel in Indian River, Florida, 

 and pronounced it one of the greatest angling 

 feats on record. "No man," he says "is 

 strong enough to hold a large tarpon unless he 

 is provided with a drag or buoy, in the shape 



in pursuit of small fish, its natural food. The 

 tarpon not infrequently attains a length of 6 

 feet and a weight of 150 pounds. The whole 

 body is covered with large circular scales, 

 sometimes as much as 2J inches in diameter, 

 and of a beautiful silvery luster, darker on the 

 back. These scales are, to some extent, an 

 article of trade, being sought for as curiosities 

 and used for decorative purposes. 



The commonly-accepted name is tarpon, but 

 it was formerly written tarpom and tarpum. 

 It is sometimes called "Jew-fish," especially 

 in Georgia and Florida, and elsewhere " sil- 

 ver-fish" and "silver king.'' Farther west 

 among the French-speaking people of the gulf 

 coast it is the " grand-ecaille " (great scale), and 

 in Texas the "savanilla." It is edible, though 

 not especially prized as an article of food. 



Within a few years the tarpon has become 

 famous among sportsmen as a game-fish, 

 owing to its great beauty, strength, and endur- 

 ance, and the extreme difficulty of capturing 



of an empty keg attached to the line, which 

 may retard or even stop the fish after a while." 

 With the aid of such a drag the fish may be 

 harpooned. Such was the usual method of 

 capture until within a few years, and similar 

 methods are still followed for purposes of 

 trade, for the tarpon makes light of any net or 

 snare, leaping over or breaking through, as 

 may best suit his convenience. 



It has been demonstrated by skillful sports- 

 men that the tarpon can be taken with the 

 tackle used for bass, but successful captures 

 are still so rare that they are regarded as evi- 

 dence of great skill. At Charlotte Harbor, 

 according to " Forest and Stream," 78 tarpon 

 were taken during the winter of 1886-'87. 

 The writer, who signs himself " Al Fresco," 

 recommends a stout two-joint split-bamboo, 

 Inncewood, or greenheart rod, from seven to 

 eight feet six inches in length, and a strong 

 reel to carry 600 feet of 15, 18, or 21 thread 

 Cuttyhunk line. For hooks 10-0 O'Shaugh- 



