The Tarpon 263 



will become impaled in the throat. I may be 

 hypercritical, but I would rather lose a fish than 

 play it with my hook embedded deep in its throat. 

 If the hook strikes an impenetrable portion of the 

 jaw, it will, especially if two or three strikes are 

 made, slide along and find a soft place in the angle 

 of the jaw ; at least I have rarely failed to hook 

 my fish when trolling, by striking at once ; and 

 with apologies to other and better anglers, I com- 

 mend the quick strike, and by strike I mean the 

 retort courteous to the " bite " of the tarpon. It 

 must not be a jerk but a powerful backward sway, 

 the thumb pressing hard upon the leather brake. 

 The fish will at once jerk away; but the angler 

 can repeat the strike from one to three times, 

 thus "setting" the hook in its jaw. The fish 

 struggles violently, and the angler holds the rod 

 up as firmly as possible, " giving the butt," then 

 slipping it into the leather socket. At this pre- 

 cise moment the well-regulated tarpon should go 

 into the air from three to twelve, or more, feet 

 a bewildering, dazzling vision, the silver king 

 of vaulters, and fight and struggle 



" Till floating broad upon his breathless side, 

 And to his fate abandon'd, to the shore 

 You gayly drag your unresisting prize." 



