36 THETARPON 



Murphy of Converse, Indiana, once took 24, at Aran- 

 sas Pass, Texas. 



Mr. Joseph W. Stray of Brooklyn caught a fish 

 weighing 115 pounds at Captiva Pass in 1918, on 

 standard light tackle, which I believe is the record for 

 that locality on this class of tackle. 



The first prize winner in the Field and Stream con- 

 test for 1919 was Mr. F. H. Schauffler of New York 

 City, whose fish was 7' long with a 40" girth. The 1920 

 prize was won by Mr. W. Ashby Jones, who captured 

 a fish 7' 4" long with a girth of 43". It was caught in 

 the Caloosahatchee Biver, Florida. 



Mr. John T. Nichols and Mr. Van Campen Heilner 

 have compiled the records for fish of various species 

 which will be found in Field and Stream for July, 1920. 



This compilation is my authority for stating that 

 the largest tarpon ever caught was netted by fisher- 

 men at Hillsboro River Inlet, Florida, on August 6th, 

 1912. Its weight was estimated at 350 pounds. Its 

 length was 8' 2". 



Aside from the angler the tarpon has no enemy 

 worth considering save the sharks with which it has 

 occupied the same waters for hundreds of thousands 

 of years. This indicates that it is very difficult for a 

 shark to kill a tarpon in normal condition. Every 

 angler of experience has observed a shark attack a 

 tarpon while it is struggling against the angler's 

 efforts to capture it. Even if the tarpon is tired and 

 somewhat logy from its exertions it will usually out- 

 run the shark if given a free line. It, therefore, seems 



