Tarpon Fishing in Florida 



snood with fine copper wire. This I did, 

 although some of the other fishermen shook 

 their heads, declaring that a shark would 

 not be able to cut the wire ; but my ad- 

 viser was of the contrary opinion, though 

 he was inclined to believe that a ^-inch 

 cod-line, tightly laid, ought to be stout 

 enough to render wire unnecessary. The 

 snoods which he had of this kind were 

 very hard, and unlike those generally in 

 use, which being loosely laid had the 

 effect of being soft and yielding. I was 

 disposed to think that his were the best, 

 in spite of the fact that they would offer 

 more direct resistance while chafing. One 

 or two other anglers thought they had 

 solved the difficulty by incasing the snood 

 with rubber, on the theory that thus there 

 would be no chance for friction ; but there 

 was evidence that this contrivance had not 

 proved particularly efficacious. Indeed, the 

 whole question of snoods is in embryo. 

 It seems desirable that the cotton snoods 

 should be blackened a little, so as to be- 

 come, when soaked, as near the color of 

 the water as possible. As tarpon are shy 

 fish, one cannot be too careful of frighten- 

 ing them. 



I was called with the rest, on the morn- 

 ing after my arrival, so as to be able to 

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