THE WEIGHT OF GAME FISH 



On one of my trips to Cuba I fished the 

 flood tides for three consecutive days and 

 "jumped" 54 tarpon, and on another occa- 

 sion played 14 small fish in one hour's 

 fishing. 



Mr. and Mrs. Magill, on a cruise along 

 the west coast of Florida in the spring of 

 1915, captured 176 tarpon that weighed 

 16,377 pounds. The heaviest fish weighed 

 196% pounds, eleven weighed over 180 

 each, and forty over 150 pounds. This is 

 the most extraordinary fishing I ever heard 

 of. 



I find that in the long run the fish will 

 average 100 pounds. 



There were 785 tarpon weighed at 

 Useppa Island in 1917 and but 23 of them 

 were 150 pounds or more in weight. 



It is now customary to free the hooked 

 fish when possible, which is not always the 

 most humane action, for a tired tarpon is 

 easy prey for the ever-watchful piratical 

 shark. 



[171] 



