The Silver King 



and even with the artificial fly, in which 

 event the honest angler feels a just pride in 

 his happy performance and is the envy of 

 them all. 



I have had the best sport with tarpon, as Fly Fishing for 

 early as 1878, up the fresh water rivers, 

 using a salmon fly-rod and large gaudy flies. 

 These were the small fry, however, running 

 from ten to forty pounds, but even at these 

 weights they demanded the best skill of the 

 angler, inasmuch as they were hooked in the 

 mouth, and only occasionally could one be 

 landed. 



At that time my old friend, Dr. Ken- Fishing at 

 worty, of Jacksonville, Florida, was wild 

 over tarpon fishing at Mayport, at the 

 mouth of St. John's River. But the Doctor 

 and his friends were using handlines, believ- 

 ing it impossible to kill one on the rod, and 

 moreover, thought it quite a feat to land one 

 with the handline, hooked in the mouth, as 

 indeed it was. I remember well a wonder- 

 ful array of big hooks attached to a metal 

 strip that the good Doctor showed me as his 

 latest invention to hold fast to a silver king. 

 123 



