The Taking of Big Game Fishes 



do well to see that their fish do not make long rushes 

 with a dry line. 



The angler makes himself comfortable, and keeps 

 his rod always raised slightly, at an angle over the 

 quarter, never pointing directly astern. The right 

 hand grasps the butt, the thumb resting lightly upon 

 the pad, while the left hand grips the cork grip 

 above the reel. A strike comes; perhaps it is a nib- 

 ble, perhaps a long, firm strain, as the tarpon is 

 bound by no fixed laws or precedent. At this point 

 some successful anglers strike at once; others give 

 line, having in mind the extraordinary mouth of the 

 tarpon. Unless the strike is very heavy, followed 

 by an instantaneous rush, I give the fish some line, 

 overreeling two or three feet, on the supposition that 

 the fish requires a few seconds to properly seize the 

 bait; but manifestly the angler must adapt himself to 

 circumstances. Assuming that we have given several 

 feet of line, it immediately comes taut. You quickly 

 bend the tip of the rod a foot, perhaps two or three, 

 toward the fish, and then sway back with an ener- 

 getic movement not a jerk at the same time press- 

 ing hard upon the brake with the thumb; this is 

 called giving the fish the butt a process adopted at 

 many stages in the play to stop a fish, or force it 

 to change its direction, or to leap. Usually such a 

 movement hooks the tarpon, and is almost invariably 

 followed by the convulsive leap of the splendid fish 

 into the air, where it appears to hang for a moment 



