258 Big Game Fishes 
complete. Personally I am an advocate of rods 
longer than those generally made for the purpose, 
and have demonstrated that tarpon can be taken 
with them; but the regulation rod is of noib wood, 
greenheart, or split bamboo. I would suggest 
the first—a species of greenheart of excellent 
properties. One which I have used has a short, 
hard rubber, silver-mounted butt, with a long tip 
with double bell-guides, and is six feet nine inches 
in length and weighs twenty-six ounces. With 
one tip the rod costs $17; with two tips $22. An 
excellent rod is made of split bamboo; indeed, 
Mr. vom Hofe took a six-hundred-pound fish 
with a standard tarpon rod of split bamboo seven 
feet in length. Another noib-wood tarpon rod is 
seven feet three inches and weighs twenty-four 
ounces. My best tarpon rod was eight and a half 
feet in length, but the novice should remember 
that the difficulties in landing a fish increase with 
the length of the rod. One rod of this kind is suf- 
ficient, though two are better, and they should 
be carried in a stiff leather rod case made for the 
purpose. How much depends upon a reel every 
veteran angler knows, and there is but one for 
this fishing, the best ; not necessarily the highest- 
priced, but one of a make that has stood the test. 
