TARPON FISHING IN THE PASS 



As this is not a technical book, I have given no advice on 

 the matter of rods or other tackle, and will only, in con- 

 clusion, recommend the strongest. It is no good taking play- 

 things to catch a fish like the tarpon, though, if time is no 

 object, even these fish can, as has lately been demonstrated, be 

 brought to the gaff with the light tackle in use at Santa 

 Catalina Island. All the same, I broke four light rods in one 

 morning, while on a stronger rod, with the aid of an occasional 

 splice, I landed no fewer than ninety tarpon. Indeed, provided 

 the point of the rod be kept up, and no rest allowed to the fish, 

 swordfish of 600 lb. and jewfish up to 500 lb. can be played 

 and brought to hand on such tackle. My last fish in Florida 

 waters was a gigantic shark, which seized a 100 lb. tarpon that I 

 was playing, and which, having swallowed it, got hooked itself. 

 Taking one thing with another, fishing in the Gulf, or 

 rather in the passes opening out of it, is exciting work. At 

 times the Pass seems fairly alive with fish, from the huge 

 devil-ray {Ceratoptera vampyrus), which is said to grow to a 

 breadth of twenty feet, down to mackerel, channel-bass, jack- 

 fish, groupers, and so-called " sea-trout," while the fisher- 

 man is often startled by the sudden apparition of a loggerhead 

 turtle coming up to blow. Thus there is ample material for 

 lighter rods than those used for tarpon, and Mr. Dimock and 

 others have had great success with the harpoon, not only for 

 tarpon themselves, but also for the great rays, as a harpooned 

 devil-fish makes light of dragging a string of three or four 

 rowing-boats against the tide for hours, its strength being 

 apparently equivalent to that of an eight horse-power steam- 



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