hot lb, 1888,1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



2 31 



CAPTURE OF THE TARPON. 



MUor F<rrest And Stream; 



Your* of Sept. 2'7 was received, by which 1 learn that you 

 do uot believe in the possibility of capturing a tarpon with 

 rod and reel. 



I do believe in it, having good evidence that it has been 

 dour, I ihink 1 have already stated in your paper. thatMr. 

 S. Jones, of Philadelphia, some three or four years ago lulled 

 a. tarpon with rod and reel in the Indian River Inlet, Easl 

 Florida. 1 bad tlie statement from an angling friend, who 

 httd it front Mr. Jones himself. MMeoVfcr, I had the account 

 from the boatman who attended BJr. J.Qnes and assisted in 

 the capture. This man lives at New Smyrna, and his name 

 is" John Weier. Restated that the lis 1 .! was about six feet 

 Jong, and weighed, as I remember, aoout i:;o pounds, also thai 



the contest lasted two or more hour-. See if tlie offer pub- 

 lished in I lie [asl issue of the FOREST AMD STREAM is in- 

 tended to be retroactive, the Philadelphia angler would have 

 no difficulty iu proving his case, and drawing the money. 



JHmcrr.i, tin.. Oct. 7. 



Effitor Fofixt n.»st. fttmim: 



If the subject is not threadbare, I wish to add something 

 more ahoui i he silvery acrobat — the tarpon. I am gratified 

 to find that that accomplished fisherman, "S. C. C.."has 

 eome to my assistance* lie has enjoyed many winters' fish- 

 ing on tlie eastern coast of Florida, and anything emanating 

 from his pen must be received as authoritative. 



hi discussing the capture of tai pou, one thing requires 

 explanation, and that is the difference iu the size of these 

 lish in different localities. In Indian River and the streams 

 emptying into the Gulf, tarpon breed and therefore vary in 

 size, and can lie found at all seasons. As infantile specimens 

 exist iii I hoe siicams, it is possible to capture them with a 

 salmon rod. In the St. Johns River they put in an appear- 

 ance in May and leave in October, and it seems that none 

 hut mature lish visit this stream, leave iu the autumn, and 

 seek a winter home among the Keys in the southern portion 

 of the State. I have seen hundreds, if not thousands, break 

 water or jump in this river, and am confident that they all 

 exceeded live and as a rule range from six to seven feet in 

 length, and weigh from 120tO 800 pound-,. On one ocea- 



air, and I am convinced that he was over eight feet long and 

 weighed iu the neighborhood of 300 pounds. The smallest 

 that 1 have heard of Ix-ing captured in this river weighed 68 

 and H3 pounds. The infantile OS-pounder effected his own 

 capture. The river steamer Water Lilv was pnssipg St. 

 Johns Bluff, and the captain was seated on a chair in the 

 center of the forward deck with his back to the forward 

 house The juvenile acrobat indulged in an aereal perform- 



A boy aged fourteen wa.- fishing for bass in the surf at 

 Pelican Island, and was captured by the 83-poiinder, The 

 youngster thoughtfully lied the end of Jiis strong cotton line 

 around his waist. The tarpon appropriated the bait, the 

 line lightened, and tlie boy was rapidly moving Seaward 

 when Dr. W. and two Other gentlemen went to his assist- 

 ance and landed the fish. A an evidence of the size of this 

 lish in this river, 1 toed bul state that the four captured this 

 season weigned 128, 145, 139 and 190 pounds, or an average 

 of ISOi pounds, i opine thai a. salmon rod would be found 

 loo withy and fragile for the capture of such fish. We will 

 not, a.-sert that they cannot be captured by a heavy bass rod 

 and a Cutty-hunk line, but the .angler would have to mind his 

 P's and Q's. On several occasions I have tried rod and reel, 

 but thus far I have failed to secure a bite. It is an old say- 

 ing that. "All is well that ends well," and the absence of a 

 bite may have preserved intact my fancy rod, reel and Cutty- 

 hunk line. 



I fully agree with "S. C. 0," in his estimate of the game 

 Qualities of the "noblest Roman of them all" — the tarpon. 

 If his opinion is doubted let some of the doubters visit this 

 city and examine the ringers of some of my friends who 

 have been so unfortunate as to hook these fish* on ?2-strand 

 cotton lines, for some of them will carry to their graves tlie 

 scars resulting from the friction of lines passing through 

 their lingers with lightning rapidity. 



My friend M., wbtn trolling for" channel bass at Sanibal 

 Island, hooked end landed a tarpon on a spinner, the fish 

 weighing 8s pounds. Fancying that larger ones might be 

 induced to take artificial bait, 1 had several large and strong 

 ones made by L. S. Hill & Co., of Grand Rapids, Mich., and 

 on several occasions tested the baits but failed to secure a 

 bite. 



Since the preceding war, written 1 have received the 

 Forest AMD Stream, and on page 181 find a truly liberal 

 offer made to the fisherman who will capture a tarpon with 

 a rod and reel. The gentleman making the offer should have 

 limited the capture to fish of not less than five or six feet in 

 length. 1 am familiar -with localities where small tarpon 

 congregate and where they can be captured with rod and 

 rei I, and tin- landing of a juvenile fish measuring two, three 

 or four feet should not entitle the successful rodster to re- 

 ceive the reward and the title of "high hook." To encour- 

 age, the capture of this aqueous acrobat we would respect- 

 fully .suggest that this liberal lover of piscatorial sport limit 

 the size ol the fish to be captured to nothing less than six 

 feel, that 'be trophy be a rod and reel, and that the. offer be 

 an open one for twelve months. By adopting this course 

 the gentleman would encourage something worthy of the 

 craft, innnv would enter the lists, and something worthy 

 might result. 



1 S. O, 0." directs the attention of the lovers of the gentle 

 art to the capture of "the lepper," and refers to the side 

 amusement of capturing small fry. At the mouth of the St. 

 Johns River, from May until October, when tarpon arc in 

 season, fishermen would hot lack for side amusement. At 

 Pilot Town and the jetties, fishermen can be surfeited in 

 landing small lish. sucii as sea trout from one tofour pounds, 

 eavalhi ami shcepsheadfrom one-half to three pound , Eeei 

 bass from two to ten pounds, yellow tails, grunts and kins; 

 fish iu quantity- If nshoi-meu desire a change and a pisca- 

 torial rumpus, they can he accommodated at almost auv time 

 in hooking a few lineal feel, of shark. If thev wish to 

 descend from then hioli estate and capture the much 

 despised ealties, they can do so as fast as they can send then 

 baits to the bottom fftheydesire a sail on mother ocean. 



ttnd an Opportunity to catch sea bass and red snappers, ih-v 

 can arrange for trips on pilot boat.-. While fishing for 

 tarpon at the shell opposite the old lighthouse at Mile Point. 

 ?helIDank, Or the back channel near Yellow Bluff, the 

 roib-ter can hook channel bass ranging from 20 to -15 pounds. 

 On several OCCasioUS t have referred to my experience in 

 UU ar Mayport. and shall merely refer to that ol 

 another. On Sept. 10, my fiieud P. went fishing for tar 



pou on the back channel about eleven miles below this city. 

 In the afternoon, during low- water slack, he landed with a 

 hand line five bass averaging Jo pounds. On the next after- 

 noon, at the same stage of fide he caught eight bass, averag- 

 ing 38 pounds. On Tuesday last he rowed from Mayport to 

 Mile Point and captured iu about one hour eight bass, rang- 

 from 3d to 4.1 pounds. While fishing for tarpon tlie indus- 

 trious fisherman can amuse himself catching bass worthy of 

 his attention. 



If any of jour rodstcrs should be tempted to try tarpon 

 fishing 'in this section during August, September, or Octo- 

 ber, eighty-four, the fishermen of this city would only be too 

 happy to aid them with information and assistance. Salmon, 

 and striped and black bass fishermen have a revelation be- 

 fore them worthy of their notice, in the capture with a rod 

 and reel of the '•noblest Roman of them all" — the tarpon. 



Ai, Fresco. 



Jacksostvili.e, i-'la„ Oct. ti, 1883. 



THE ANGLERS' TOURNAMENT. 

 r pBLE casting in the second annual tournament of the nv- 

 _L casters was held at Central Park Tuesday and Wed- 

 nesday. Oct. 10 and 17. The weather conditions were favor- 

 able. The. judges in Class A were: Messrs. James Geddes 

 and W 0. Harris, E. G. Blackford, referee. Class B: 

 Messrs. Rev. II. L. Ziegcnfuss and O. W. Cross. G. S. Hier, 

 referee, Class C: Messrs. Dr. E. Bradley and J. E. McAn- 

 drew, Prof. A. M. Mayer, referee. 

 Following are the scores: 



SIXOJ,E-HANI>K]J FLY-OASTlXO. 

 No rod to exceed lift. Gin. in length, any style of reel or line leader 

 or easting line of single gut, of not less than 8ft. in length, to which 

 three dies, one stretcher anil two droppers, be attached. No allow 

 anee of distance to lie made for difference in length of rods. Each 

 contestant to he allowed live minutes to cast for distance and five 

 minutes to cast for delicacy and accuracy, 



Class A— Asi.vrF.cn No Limitation as to WEIGHT of lions.- So one 

 permitted to enter who has ever fished for a, living, who has ever 

 been a guide or who lias been engaged in either the manufacture or 

 sale of fishing tackle, or who has ever taken a first prize in any tour- 

 nament. Scale of points— Distance, actual east; accuracy and deli- 

 cacy, 25 each. 



Length Weight Iiis- 

 of Rod. of Rod. tauee. Deli- Ac.-u- 



FL. In. Ozs. Ft. eaey. racy. Total. 



m 8» IS 



H. O. Thurue 11 li 



W. E. Hendrix 11 li 



C. A. Ranch II 6 



C. B. Levison 11 



Ed. Ffcgert ...11 



H.P.Weld ii ■-.' 



CLASS B— AMA1ICCH. HODS > 



77 

 V(i 

 51 



If, 



■in 

 15 



15 

 10 

 25 



107 



10(1 

 91 



NJHK OUNCES IN WEIGHT. 





Length Weight Dis- 











of Rod. of Rod. tance. 



Deli- 



accu- 







Ft. In. Ozs. Ft. 



cacy. 



tacj . 



Total. 



W. L. Hendrb...... 



.11 



9 SB 



S3 



21 



121 



C. A. Ranch 



.11 ii 



8^ 05 



as 



19 



109 



r I lionia.s I'rlchard . 



.11) 



m ;:s 



18 



U 



105 



H. P.Weld 



..11 h 



9 04 



32 



18 



104 



Ed. Eggert 



U. CI. Levison 



.11 



9 08K' 



13 



18 



93*6 



.11 



9 59 



18 



11 



88 



CLASS O— AMATEUR 



NO LIM1TA 



HON AH TO WEIGH 



T OF RODS. 



SCALE— 





DISTANCE 



ONLY TO COUNT. 













Length Weight 



Dis- 







of Roc 



. of Rod. 



ance. 







Ft. In 



Ozs. 



rt, In. 



Thomas Vriehaid. 





11 







80 3 



C A. Raueh. ..... 





11 



10 





70 



1 I Eggert 



C. A. Bryan 





11 



10 





60 4 





10 6 



8 



■6 



58 















IK LENGTH NOB. 



FTVE OUNCES IK WE 











Length 



Weight Dis- 











of Rod. 



of Rod. tanee. 



Deli- 







Ft. In. 



Ozs. Ft. 



cacy. 



racy. Total 



H. YV. Hawes.. . . 



10 3 



4% 85 

 4)4 79 

 5 07 



20 

 15 

 20 



15 



20 

 20 







9 9 





Tie. mas J. Conn ii 



10 



107 



U. W. Priohard .... 



10 li 



S 67 



22 



15 



104 



Havre diehard 



...10 



5 67 



IS 



20 



102 



Ceoige S, Hier.... 



10 u 



S 01 



20 



15 



96 



Llenrge t. Varney. 



. ..10 



m 63 



10 







73 



SALMON CASTING. 

 Class I— Amatech. Judges: D. W, Cross, M. M. Backus; E. ti. 

 Blackford, referee. Open only to those who have fished for salmon; 

 subject to Rule 2; scale as in Class A. 



1. Ira Wood.— Length of rod 18ft. 3in., weight 21bs. lloz. Distance 



eastflSft., delicacy 20, accuracy 16 -total 134. 



2. Ed. Eggert.— Length of rod 18ft, weight gibs. lSozs. Distance 



cast 82ft.. delicacy 16, accuracy 5— total 103. 

 Class 2— Expert.— Judges: Wm. Young, Iff. B. Brown. . I. (':. Mo- 

 Andrew. Open to all. Distance only to count. 



1. R. C. Leonard.— Length of rod 18ft., weight 21bs. 12oz. Distance 



cast 124ft. 



2. H. W. Hawes.— Length of rod 17£t., weight albs. 6oz. Distance 



east 115ft. 



3. (.;. W. Prichard.— Length of rod 18ft., weight 21bs. lloz. Distance 



cast 95ft. 



4. F, J. Conroy.— Length of rod 18ft., weight 2Ibs. lloz. Distance 



cast 91ft. 6in. 



5. Iff, Culhane.-Length of rod I7ft., weight 21bs. Goz. Distance cast 



93ft. 



6. J. Ranjsbottom.— Length of rod 18ft., weight 21bs. lloz. Distance 



Cast BOft. 



LONDON EXHIBITION AWARDS. 



LONDON, Oct, 10.— R. Edward Earll and William V. 

 Cox. United States delegates to the International 

 Fisheries Exhibition, announce the following awards: The 

 jury !ms awarded forty-eight gold, forty-seven silver and 

 twenty-nine bronze medals, twenty-four diplomas and seven 

 special prizes to United States exhibitors. The United Stales 

 Fish Commission receives eighteen gold medals for various 

 exhibits. Other gold medals are given to the United States 

 National Museum, the United States Lighthouse Board and 

 the United States Signal Service. Gold medals are also given 

 as follows: To Professor G. Brown Goode, Assistant 

 Director of the United States National Museum, Washington, 

 and a Commissioner to the exhibition, for a work upon 

 ichthyology. 



To Professor Alexander Agassi/., of the Museum of Cum 

 parative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., for publications relating 

 bftflshee Mid marine invertebrates, ami plans of biological 

 laboratory at Newport, 



To Professor David S. Jordan, of Indiana Unncisity, 

 Bloomington, for works on ichthyology* 



To Professor J. E. Hilgard. Superintendent of the United 

 i and Geodetic Survey, Washington, for ocean 

 salinometer and optical densomefer. 



To Coininaiii.lcr Charles D. SlgBUee, United States Navy, 

 for apparatus employed in deep-sea research in the work of 

 the United States (.'oust Survey, 



To Potter & VV right ington. Boston, for brined mackcicl 



To B. S. Snow & Co.. for boneless codfish. 



To L. Pickert it Co., Boston, for compressed codfish, 



To William Mills & Sou. New fork city, two medals for 

 fishing rods. 



To Marshall McDonald, VVVtshmgton. for salmon ladder. 



To the American Net Company, Boston, for nets. 



To I. H. Bart,lett& Son. New Bedford, Mass.. for a full- 

 sized whaleboat, rigged for use. 



To Bliss & Co., New York, for an American chronom- 

 eter. 



Tofl. D. Ostermoor & Son, New York, for a life saving 

 mattress. 



To the United States Beacon Ligbi, and Signal Company 

 Philadelphia, for a compressed gas beacon. 



To the Russia Cement Company. Gloucester, Mass., for a. 

 fish glue made from fish skins. 



To H. W. Mason for an explosive harpoon. 



To J. N. Beardsley's Sons, New York, for salted codfish. 



To Charles Alden, Randolph, Mass., for codfish prepared 

 by the Alden evaporating process. 



"To Captain Eben Pierce, New Bed lord, Mass., forttbomb- 

 iance for killing whales. 



To Thomas A. Irving.Gloueestcr, Mass., for a rigged model 

 of a three-masted fishing schooner. 



To the Old Colony Mills, Plymouth, Mass., for canvas used 

 on fishing vessels. 



To .1. & H. Green, New York, for barometers 



To William L. Bailie. Passed Assistant Engineer, luited 

 States Navy, for self-registering thermometer for deep-sea re 

 search. 



To A. W. Dodd & Co., Gloucester, Mass., for cod liver 

 emulsion. 



Delaware River Fish Traps. — The Anglers' Associa- 

 tion of Eastern Pennsylvania is doing a good work, and has 

 taken up arms against 'the gill nets and risk weirs that, infest 

 the Susquehanna and Delaware Huts. At a meeting of tin- 

 society last evening, October 13, it was stated by a member 

 who had lately returned from a fishing excursion in Pike 

 County, that he bad discovered three of those fish traps 

 stretching across the river near Egypt Mills. He also learned 

 that between Port Jervis and Trenton there arc at least three 

 hundred weirs or fish dams. Thousands upon thousands of 

 small bass and shad are destroyed by these weirs, and only 

 the larger fish are utilized bv the builders, j he email frv 

 being fed to the pigs. The Anglers 1 Association lately drew 

 up a formal protest against such law-breaking, and a com- 

 munication was sent to the Fish Commissioners of the State. 

 A letter from Mr. Hewtt, of Holidaysburg, Pa.. w.-o read at 

 the meeting, in which he said that although the ( tommission- 

 ers recognize the violation of the law, they look lo the local 

 authorities to overcome it. Many weirs have been desirnyeil 

 by the wardens of both the Susquehanna and Juniata, ami 

 at least 300 of the obstructions torn down between Ilarris- 

 burg and the Maryland line. It was decided by the Anglers' 

 Association to employ private detectives, and a petition will 

 he made to the Legislature to pass a law making the owners 

 of land liable to fine for all fish dams fouiul within the 

 borders of their property. A. company has been organized 

 at ('ape May, New Jersey, for the purpose of manufacturing 

 oil from porpoises, and fertilizers from the refuse of the fish. 

 A huge net is being made 300 or 400 feet long, under pro- 

 tection of a patent of one of the company, and active worls 

 will be begun in the spring. We hope the large net will he 

 so constructed as not lo damage the food fish, aud that the 

 drum and sheepshead will not be disturbed. -Homo. 



Miter Fomt and Stream: During a recent trip along the 

 Susquehanna, I saw one hurdred fish baskets on that rivci 

 from Columbia, in Pennsylvania, to the southern border in 

 the same State. I desire respectfully to call the attention of 

 the Fish Commissioners to this fact, and to urge some action 

 upon their part. There was a time when black bass were 

 very abundant in that river, but during the past, two seasons 

 very few have been taken. The boatmen at the fishing 

 grounds say very frankly that bass arc not nearly so abund- 

 ant as in past years, and* they account in part for the scarcity 

 by the presence of the baskets in the river. Nets of all kinds 

 are freely and openly used both by residents and visiting 

 fishermen. I was informed by a person of veracity that one 

 party of men who visited tb/e river to fish, but who failed to 

 get any by legitimate means, exploded dynamite on the. 

 water. Thus you see that your happy epithet, "Hog." 

 applies to a wider range of brutes than those who prey upon 

 the fast disappearing trout. — M. 



Philadelphia Notes— The Rev. AVhcaton Smith of 

 angling fame has lately returned to Philadelphia from a three 

 mouths' tour in the Arctic regions north of Norway. His 

 trip was made on accouut of. health. While in Norway lie 

 had some little salmon fishiug, but as his journey from bottle 

 was not, for the purpose of angling, his lime wa's devoted lo 

 sight-seeing and tlie collection of interesting specimens for 

 his already valuable cabinet of curiosities of natural history. 

 The prevailing easterly winds arc preventing good fishing lor 

 croaKcrs and weakfish on the near Atlantic coast. Boats 

 can not, go outside on accourt of the roughness caused by 

 the cast wind, but whenever it has happened to be smooth 

 the fish were found to bite well. Good fishiug for both 

 croakers and weakfish may bo expected to continue for two 

 weeks yet, but the wind "must be right to allow the bouts 

 a chance to get on the grounds. The season at Beftertoti 

 for perch fishing is drawing to a close, and very few arc 

 going out.— Homo. 



Black Bass rx Coxkectici i\— New Haven, Conn., Oct. 

 9.— On Saturday last your correspondent ami Mi. J. P. 

 Terry, of Brooklyn, enjo veil a day Of good sport on Lake 

 Saltonslall, four "miles from this eitv. The event of the day 

 was the capture of three black bass, weight 5 pound* I 

 ounces, 4 pounds 10 ounces, and 3 pounds. This, lor this 



lake, is exceptional. One fully ,, . ■_" -i was 



lost after twenty minutes' play for want of tl landing net. 

 since uot dreaming of stirring up such monsters here-, ive 

 neglected to take one. Crickets in eighteen feet of water did 

 the business. — Peboyval. 



Black Bass for stociccng Pokds. — During ilu pa8t year 

 we have received many inquiries tor live bass front | 



owning private ponds. We have in all cases answered thai 

 we did not know where they could be obtained, No one 

 seems lo have a slock of them, although they have occasion- 

 ally adu rtised a few. We now know where a small uum 



■..oil, bfiih large aud small mouthed, and will 

 inform those interested. 



