FISHING AT HOME AND ABROAD 



one formula for calculating the approximate weight of these fish from 



certain measurements. That which was formerly in general use was as 



follows: 



Let X zz the extreme length in inches, j* = extreme girth (also in inches), 



then 



X X y^ 



=: weight in pounds. 



800 



A newer, and much simpler, formula, which is said to give equally accu- 

 rate results is: 



(length in feet)^ 



■ = weight in pounds. 

 2 



For ordinary purposes, either of these should work out close enough 

 to the truth, and it is chiefly to be recommended because it enables the 

 fisherman to weigh his tarpon without killing him, since each fish can 

 be measured with the tape and returned to the sea alive. It is, however, 

 doubtful, whether the result would work out satisfactorily in the case of 

 fish in abnormal condition, for the length does not bear a constant relation 

 to the girth. Thus, in two of my own fish, there was a difference of 23 

 pounds corresponding to only two inches difference in length. 



Without wishing to cast doubt on the authenticity of the fish of 210 

 pounds, or even of that of 300 pounds, I am bound to confess to a feeling 

 of surprise that not one out of the hundreds weighed during the past ten 

 years at Useppa has, so far as I am aware, exceeded 178 pounds, a splendid 

 fish killed in 1902 by Mrs Turner Turner. If there were a net fishery for 

 tarpon, such as existed at one time, we might hear of monsters, for all 

 the biggest salmon at home are taken in the nets and not on the rod. Now- 

 adays, however, the tarpon is considered unmarketable, and is therefore 

 caught for sport only, so that once it is too old and cunning to be caught 

 with the hook, it passes out of human ken. Nor is there any chance of 

 the sea casting up its remains for the information of science, since, even 

 if the sharks did not devour them, the turkey buzzards line the beaches 

 on the look out for such jetsam and leave little for the museum. 



So far, with a brief fishing season and few anglers, the tarpon cannot be 



regarded as an educated fish. Fish soon learn caution. Not only are there 



wary trout and roach in overfished streams at home, but even the bass 



and grey mullet near piers and harbours have to be approached carefully 



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