TARPON FISHING. 



Day was just ])i-eakin<]j when Will and I pushed our hoat from the 

 wharf. It was a typical Florida sprino- morning, with the usual 

 gorgeous cloud effects so common in these latitudes ; the whole 

 eastern sky was banked with crimson clouds shading softly into the 

 pale blue higher up where the cloud banks suddenly ceased. Gradu- 

 ally the changing colors paled and paled, fading into dull gra}- and 

 white as the sun rose higher and showed his Her}- edge over the tops 

 of the low mangroves on the key opposite. The bav was as smooth 

 as a pond : the water being scarcely rippled by the light breeze 

 which bore to us the faint chattering and whistling of a ilock of 

 blackbirds on the keys opposite, and we could distinctly hear the 

 voices of two men in a boat far over near the other shore, a mile or 

 more away. 



We passed several low oyster bars, which are usually covered at 

 high tide, and just beyond one of these Will stopped rowing and, 

 nodding his head towards the reef, said: "Do you see the deep 

 water just to the south of that bar? That is where I saw several 

 tarpon yesterday — and t/icrc goes one iiozc." 



I looked quickly in the direction he was pointing and caught a 

 momentary glimpse of a large tin cutting the mirror-like surface of 

 the water ; a dull gleam, and then all was quiet save for the gradually 

 widening ripples which marked the spot where the great fish had 

 risen. 



" Qiiick," cried Will : " throw well out ahead of that ripple and if 

 he takes it give him plenty of time before \o\x strike." 



Swinging the heavy rod backwards, I made a strong cast and the 

 line, weighted with half of a mullet, ran freely from the reel. It was 

 a good throw and the piece of fish struck the water not twentv feet 

 from the spot where the tarpon had risen. Loosening the line and 

 seeing that it ran freely under the leather thumb check, I waited. 



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