TWO TALKS Ol< TROUHLK. 7 



vented and they lay among my kit until tin- last winter. Then. [ 

 again came back to my old fishing grounds, full of glorious antici- 

 pations, secured my former house, mv old boat and crew, and started 

 to work, lie fore leaving 1 had ordered, from a Xew York dealer, 

 half a doxen "Rex Tarpon" lines, described in their catalogue as the 

 very best, and also a supply of swivels and keel sinkers. Pending 

 their arrival 1 used the "Hall" line-, purchased in IJIOU, without ''set- 

 ting" or washing and with but one swivel, and found them give rather 

 more trouble than I formerlv had. in untwisting and kinking, but 

 nothing very serious; still, when the "Rex" lines arrived, about two 

 weeks after 1 began fishing. I thought the "Hall" lines unfit for 

 longer service and exchanged them for the new ones, putting on also 

 keel sinkers. I was surprised to find the new "Rex" lines white or 

 nearlv so, but concluded that others knew l>etter than mvself and used 

 them with confidence. 



Then my troubles iK-gan. A new "Rex" line would, in three 

 hours trolling, be untwisted into three parallel strand- for the lower 

 seventy-five yards of its length, would kink in a most extraordinary 

 manner and. in spite of increasing the swivels to three, putting on 

 keel sinkers, and reversing each day. was likely to break, under a 

 very moderate strain, on the second or third day. I rigged up on 

 my rear porch, with great trouble, a place where I could -tretch and dry 

 lines, and went through the laborious and time-devouring process of 

 setting them, of course only possible in the dav time, but obtained 

 little improvement. Thinking that the white color and lack of dve, 

 might account for the difficulty. I wrote at once for more "Hall's" 

 lines but, partly through the ,-lowne-- of the parcels post, which 

 comes to Xas-au but once in two weeks, these did not arrive 

 until over six weeks after they were ordered, and then proved 

 great! v inferior to those bought four year- ago. with which I had 

 begun the season. In desperation I had meanwhile sent over to 

 .Miami tor the best green tarpon line- they could tunu-li. and got 

 some "(lull Tarpon ' line-, bearing the name ot the "Simmon- Hard- 

 ware Companv." of St. Louis. Mi--otiri. These did a very little 

 Ix'tter service than the "Rex." but were greatlv intcric>r to the older 

 "Hall's." unraveling and breaking in a mo-t distressing manner. 



I first used two "Rex" lines "unset." The fir-t one was so badlv 

 untwisted and kinked, after a half dav'- ti-liing, that I revcr-ed it on 

 my reel, putting the unu-ed portion at the outer end. I then u-ed 



