30 THE ENGLISH ANGLER IN FLORIDA iii 



30 to 60 yards of line ; gorging will by that period be in nine 

 cases out of ten effected. Then you tighten the line gently 

 but firmly. If your reel is supplied with the leather guard 

 before referred to, you press your thumb upon it and upon the 

 spool of the reel ; or if you use the thumb-stall this is the time 

 to test its value. When the line is taut you may strike, but not 

 very hard. Some good anglers do not strike at all ; they treat 

 the tarpon as old gorge-bait pike-fishers did the jack. Never 

 forget that the tarpon if suspicious is marvellously quick in 

 ejecting a bait which has not been absorbed beyond recall. 



One of the most glorious sights I know of is the dashing 

 action of a tarpon when hooked. Frequently, perhaps, in the 

 majority of cases, he shoots perpendicularly out of the water, 

 with rolling eye, and head to sky shaking with fine fury ; when 

 it is a big fish, and this soaring column of silver is 6 to 7 feet 

 high, the effect is verily exciting. One of the tarpon which I 

 caught leaped at least its own length in the air, not only once, 

 but several times in succession, the water-drops scattering in 

 showers as he rose. 



My ambition (let me remark in passing) was to take a series 

 of photographs of the hooked tarpon in its fights for liberty. 

 Wind and weather were against me at the otherwise favour- 



