8 THE TARPON 



head of the tide, for it is there only that you find 

 small fish. 



Fifteen miles up rivers in Cuba I have taken 

 large tarpon that were evidently spent fish, not 

 only from their appearance but because they 

 had little strength. It is possible they also 

 spawn on the flats and sandbars inside the 

 outer islands. 



Tarpon are very susceptible to the cold, and 

 love warm water. When in the rivers and not 

 looking for food they will lie on the bottom, 

 coming up from time to time for a mouthful 

 of air and then retiring to their resting place, 

 after which air-bubbles will arise to the surface. 



It is this action that makes the natives insist 

 that these fish have lungs and use them for 

 breathing. Then again they will lie on the 

 bottom for hours as other fish do, with little 

 or no motion of the fins. 



I once saw quite a school of large tarpon 

 lying on the bottom in the Los Angeles River 

 in the Isle of Pines. They took no notice of 

 the launch, although we passed over them twice 

 in seven feet of clear water. 



I once caught a baby tarpon five inches long 

 in a gill net in New River. He was badly gilled, 

 yet lived all day in a tub. He did not act as 



