Tarpon Fishing in Florida. 65 



three fish, and are very pleased with ihemselves, but their 

 adventures seem somewhat pale and are only once told. 



A few days later we start at y.;^o a.m. There are many 

 streaks ol tarpon travelling up and down the pass, and they are 

 strikini^ well. (^XI 1 P, XIII".) Soon one of the boats has a small 

 one //ors dc co7nbat. (XI\'.) Time is precious and cannot be 

 wasted in rowing \ mile to the shore, so after three attempts he is 

 gaffed under the throat and let go bleeding. 



(X\', XVI. XVII.) These photos do not all represent the 

 same fish, but they give an idea of what occurs. Within five 

 minutes there is a great commotion in the water. I have learnt to 

 look tjuickly when I hear any unfamiliar sound, and there is a tarpon 

 blundering desperately along the surface, and closely followed by 

 a greater mass of swirling water in the middle of which appears a 

 large dark fin. He hurls himself three-quarters of his length out 

 of the water, and falls back into the jaws of a huge shark. But 

 now something interests itself in my piece of cut fish, and out go 

 three or four yards of line, as if I had tied on to a traction engine. 

 Time is valuable this morning, and this is a punishment for 

 allowing my bait to sink too near the bottom. I can feel at once 

 that this brute will take me the rest of the tide, and possibly 

 the day, or a we{;k to subdue. I can ton well imagine the old jew 

 fish opening and shutting his enormous mcjuth. and wondering at 

 the e.xtraordinary tendency of his last meal to rise. My guide, by 

 way of encouragement, tells me how some fifty hooks have been 

 lost by various fishermen in a colossal jew hsh which lives nearby. 

 It is more than ignominious to admit my inabilit\- to cope with 

 this robber b\ cutting him loose, so I work hard at the rod. which 



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