THE BOOK OF THE TARPON 



We were down to our last tarpon rod, for 

 when the Camera-man saw the bulge we had 

 made in splicing the smashed rod, he declared 

 that it looked like a stuffed club and was ugly 

 enough to bust his lens if he tried it on it, which 

 he wouldn't. 



"Then we've got to play the fish lightly and 

 you won't get any more spectacular shows like 

 yesterday's," said I. 



"I am happy to say I don't need any more. 

 Just plain, everyday tarpon fishing is good 

 enough for me now." 



"I'm glad o' that," said the captain. "I like 

 to go in swimmin', but I don't want it to come 

 too sudden." 



In fighting a tarpon there is less work in a 

 pitched battle which is likely to end in from fif- 

 teen to thirty minutes than in a slow siege which 

 may last from one to three hours. I fought my 

 first tarpon of the day hard enough to keep the 

 canoe within a few lengths of him but not near 

 enough to make him wild with fright. He made 

 some beautiful leaps and carried the canoe to the 

 mouth of Broad River, piloted us skilfully 

 through the labyrinth of oyster reefs leading to 



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