The Tarpon 265 



will make many desperate rushes and leaps 

 which seriously interfere with the best-laid plans 

 of the most astute angler ; but if all goes well, 

 in from fifteen to thirty minutes the fish should 

 be alongside. The angler holds it firmly, then 

 passes the tip of his rod forward, on the port 

 side if he is right-handed, and the game swims 

 into the field of the gaffer, the angler's right 

 thumb on the pad ; the left hand may now steal 

 to the reel to overrun a foot or two as the gaffer 

 does his work, but he should hold himself well 

 in hand, as the work is not complete until the 

 fish is in the boat ; at any moment it is liable to 

 make a rush and escape. I have seen a large 

 fish leap out of a barrel ten minutes after it had 

 been gaffed and its capture supposed to be a 

 closed incident. 



If the fish is not desired as a trophy, the gaffer 

 seizes the doubled portion of the line and holds 

 it at the gunwale, inserts a short gaff just beneath 

 the lower jaw and holds the fish while it is un- 

 hooked and cast off, perhaps to be caught again. 

 If the fish is to be kept, the gaffer does not 

 touch the line, nor does he attempt to gaff until 

 the fish is in position ; then the gaff is placed 

 under the head and jerked heavily upward be- 



