Tarpon Fishing in Florida 



which clothe either cheek, and which at 

 the corners become veritable "scissors," 

 are so excessively hard and corrugated that 

 the ordinary line would chafe off or be 

 snipped off in a very short time. It is 

 necessary, therefore, to supplement the line 

 with some sort of snood, about twenty- 

 seven inches long, in order to allow for 

 the gorging of the hook. A variety of 

 devices has been tried. It was thought 

 that small chains would answer the pur- 

 pose, until it was demonstrated that sharks 

 and kindred pests, which are just as likely 

 to take the bait as a tarpon, cannot be got 

 rid of without cutting the line, whereas 

 they will immediately bite off any softer 

 substance than metal. It is said, also, that 

 the tarpon is apt to feel the chain, and to 

 throw out the bait before it is gorged. At 

 any rate, experienced anglers have dis- 

 carded them. The present judgment is 

 in favor of a laid cotton line that is practi- 

 cally a cod-line of --inch or even -^-inch 

 diameter. This, it is claimed, will endure 

 the action of the tarpon's lips for a long 

 period, and yet yield instantly to the teeth 

 of a shark. But while it has proved fairly 

 satisfactory, I was advised by the gentle- 

 man who had landed five out of the nine 

 tarpon taken this season, to wrap my g-i 



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