258 Big Game Fishes 



complete. Personally I am an advocate of rods 

 longer than those generally made for the purpose, 

 and have demonstrated that tarpon can be taken 

 with them ; but the regulation rod is of noib wood, 

 greenheart, or split bamboo. I would suggest 

 the first a species of greenheart of excellent 

 properties. One which I have used has a short, 

 hard rubber, silver-mounted butt, with a long tip 

 with double bell-guides, and is six feet nine inches 

 in length and weighs twenty-six ounces. With 

 one tip the rod costs $17; with two tips $22. An 

 excellent rod is made of split bamboo; indeed, 

 Mr. vom Hofe took a six-hundred-pound fish 

 with a standard tarpon rod of split bamboo seven 

 feet in length. Another noib-wood tarpon rod is 

 seven feet three inches and weighs twenty-four 

 ounces. My best tarpon rod was eight and a half 

 feet in length, but the novice should remember 

 that the difficulties in landing a fish increase with 

 the length of the rod. One rod of this kind is suf- 

 ficient, though two are better, and they should 

 be carried in a stiff leather rod case made for the 

 purpose. How much depends upon a reel every 

 veteran angler knows, and there is but one for 

 this fishing, the best ; not necessarily the highest- 

 priced, but one of a make that has stood the test. 



