LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 



The rest of that afternoon the captain played the fish a bit less sav- 

 agely 128 



Seldom an interval of ten minutes between the landing of one tarpon 



and the strike of his successor 129 



The sport of fishing is in inverse ratio to the size of the tackle . . 129 



The captain pulled fiercely and the creature seemed to leap at me 



with wide open jaws 132 



A hundred times the end of our hopes seemed near . . . . 133 

 Minnows had been driven to the surface by bigger fish . . .133 

 I began business on Turner's River with an eight-ounce fly rod . 140 

 In the bay a new terror possessed him and he dashed about as if 



crazy 141 



Twenty tarpon a day was our score . . . . . . . 144 



These fish are too little for the big rod and too big for the little rod . 145 

 I prescribed the Bee Man of Lacosta for us both .... 148 



Rodgers River was now full of them 149 



On putting out my line the bait was seized by a tarpon . . . 156 

 The wild leaps of the creature were startling but welcome . . 157 

 Paddled our light canoe as if in a dream over sunny waters . . 160 

 At last I had a strike and a tarpon sped down the stream . . 161 

 The craft gave a twist and a roll and plunged me beneath the 



surface 161 



I hauled on the line till the fish was twice his length from me and 



was trying to hold him there 164 



More than once it sprang at us with wide open jaws . . .165 

 Wore itself out in half an hour by a series of frantic leaps . . . 165 

 He saw his fate in the thing that he couldn't shake off . . . 172 

 While the captain fished, my work consisted in keeping the canoe 



head on to the fish . . . 173 



At times the fish refused to jump when called on . . . . 173 

 Brought the strain of his weight on the tip of the rod which broke in 



two parts 176 



We hit the top of the tarpon season at Rodgers River . . . 177 

 There were few minutes of that day when my little rod was not 



in action 180 



Made my reel buzz as it darted hither and yon . . . .181 



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