March 23, 1905.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
2B7 
Dr. Hough commenced fishing there in November of 
last year with fair success, although he did not land 
I many; then it moves up stream till it reaches Tamos. _ Of 
: course, there is fishing at various places along the river 
I for many miles during the entire season, but the main 
body of the fish is concentrated at certain points. At the 
I mouth of the Tuxpan Canal, some two miles above La 
Barra, Dr. Hough found many large tarpon early in the 
season, and in December, 1899, I found them at the 
mouth of the river flowing into the Panuco a mile below 
the railroad depot at Tampico, but since then I have 
caught but few there, although it is the first plaqe I . 
always try. In March, 1900, I caught only five in five 
days near Tampico, hence I conclude that they must then 
have been at Tamos. In February, 1901, I had fair luck 
at La Barra, but better near Tampico and at The Palms 
a mile or two up stream. In February, 1902, I had excel- 
i' lent sport for five days from Tampico up stream to the 
1; mouth of the Tamesi, and especially near The Palms, 
r In February, 1904, 1 had good sport at The Palms, but far 
better at Tamos, and this year I caught no tarpon, except 
I in the neighborhood of Tamos, although on two occasions 
I fished all the way. up from the city. 
They tell me at Tamos that there are never many tar- 
:: pon above the village, but that from December till April 
i there are great numbers just opposite and directly below. 
I On the other hand, I have heard it stated that the tarpon 
are numerous far above Tamos, and that some of them go 
as high up as two hundred miles from the Gulf. 
During a stiff norther the fishing is not good anywhere, 
but it was during a nortecito (light north wind) that 
I made my best catch this year on February 2; and since 
then I have had fine luck when the wind was from the 
north, but light. 
When the fish do not show themselves on the surface 
they are often below, and can be induced to strike by 
using a sinker, which, however, must shake off. very 
■ easily; if one wants to land tarpon and not merely get 
strikes. Tarpon will strike when it is raining, and a 
; ripple on the water is a better condition than a glassy 
i surface. Even a fairly strong breeze is not bad, but a 
stiff wind is generally unfavorable. 
At times the fish will show themselves by thousands, 
;:. and few, if any, will strike; and at other times, but few 
' will appear on the surface, yet the fishing ' will be ex- 
cellent. On the next to last day of his stay at Tampico 
this year, Mr. James, general manager of the Canadian 
Northern Railway Company, had his best luck when very 
few fish appeared on the surface, and, according to his 
own statement, he got that afternoon all the sport he 
; wanted. Hot weather is not bad, provided there is a 
(' slight breeze. 
If one desires other fishing than that for tarpon, he can 
obtain it in the Panuco River; but, as a rule, few care to 
;; leave the greater sport for the lesser. Excellent jack 
: fishing can nearly always be had near the ends of the 
jetties whenever the weather is sufficiently fine to go 
there, and sometimes it is better still on the Gulf itself. 
. In four hours one day in December, 1899, I took at these 
I places thirty-five jackfish averaging twenty pounds in 
weight, the large ones running as high as twenty-five 
pounds and the small ones nO' lower than fifteen pounds. 
! Near La Barra, and sometimes as far up as Tampico is 
occasionally caught the par go mulato, or black snapper, 
a fish of the grouper class, and one of the best fish for 
■ eating that the Gulf furnishes. It varies in weight from 
a few pounds up to seventy-five or possibly even more, 
but a forty-pounder is considered a good sized fish. They 
are not abundant enough to warrant one in fishing 
specially for them, but they are occasionally taken on 
tarpon tackle and sometimes on shark lines. 
The jewfish is found from the mouth of the river up 
to some distance above Tamos, generally close tO' the 
jetties or to the wharf at Tampico or at the mouths of 
rivers. They can be taken with tarpon tackle by trolling 
slowly near the bottom. They do not afford much sport, 
but are valuable for food. Large ones are often caught 
when fishing for sharks. 
The robalo, or salt-water pike, is taken occasionally 
on tarpon tackle, but small hocks would be more effective 
and lighter tackle would afford more sport. It is quite 
a gamy fish, jumping clear of the water generally two or 
three times before it is captured. On account of its mouth 
' being tender, it has to be handled with care. As the fish 
is one of the most abundant in the Tampico market, there 
must be places, either in the river or in the lagunas, where 
they exist in sufficient numbers to warrant one in going 
specially for them. No one that I know of has ever done 
so at or near Tampico. 
A variety of small fish can be obtained by angling close 
to the jetties, preferably with a long cane pole. I have 
seen Dr. Howe catch a string of them as long as one's 
arm in a few hours while watching his shark lines. This 
sport is specially adapted to children who are not capable 
of handling the larger game fishes. These small fry con- 
sist mainly of sheepshead, yoimg pargos mulatos 2.ndi jew- 
fish, small jackfish, and several other species, all excellent 
for the table. 
When one goes fishing for sharks, he is liable to catch 
also jewfish, sawfish, stingrays, and large pargos mulaios. 
This sport is not of a very high order; but an occasional 
day spent on it when the weather is warm and the water 
calm, affords an agreeable change from, the more strenu- 
ous .sport of tarpon fishing. 
There are quite a few gar in the Panuco, but they sel- 
dom take .'he hook, although I have caught two or three 
. on my tarpon tackle. 
As for the shooting near the river, I believe that if the 
grounds were studied with the idea of locating duck 
passes and the flights_ of cocos, roseate spoonbills and a 
few other birds, sufficient sport could be obtained to war- 
rant one in trying it occasionally. _ How healthy a recrea- 
tion it would prove, I would not like to say. Thus far it 
has not hurt me, but I once nearly lost my second son 
near Lake Chapula from a malarial fever due probably 
to mosquito bites that he received when shooting ducks 
in the swamps; and, in my opinion,_ the Chapula district 
is far healthier than Tampico and vicinity, on account of 
its greater altitude. It might be found necessary in some 
cases to obtain permission to shoot in some of the 
lagunas and marsh adjacent to the Panuco River. By 
going inland a few miles fine shooting can be obtained on 
deer, turkeys, peccaries or javdines, cats (called tigres), 
quail and other game; but ticks are so numerous and 
t|ieir bjtei arg irritating ^3 to take pl^mfe 
from the sport. Possibly, though, by washing himself 
all, over every morning and evening with certain medi- 
cines—such, for instance, as a concentrated solution of 
California, insect powder, in aguardienie , cr highly diluted 
carbolic acid — one might avoid most of the discomfort. 
1 have heard statements to this effect made on several 
occasions. While on a hunt in the woods up country 
some two weeks ago, Mr. W. A. Jones, a well-known 
sportsman of Chicago, got badly bitten by the ticks or 
pmolias, and he is suffering yet, or was when I saw him 
last three days ago. His body looks as if he was suffer- 
ing from a severe attack of smallpox. I managed to pick 
up a few pimolias myself lately, consequently can vouch 
for how severely the bites hurt. 
The conveniences for tarpon fishermen at Tampico are 
only fair, but will probably be improved materially by 
next season. The Hotel Hidalgo, where the sportsmen 
congregate, is fairly comfortable, but it is impracticable 
to purchase a really first-class meal in the city. One 
can put up with inferior food, though, because of the 
excellence of the sport. 
Everyone should bring his own tackle if he has it or 
knows how and what and where to buy in the United 
States. Tackle of an inferior grade can be rented at 
reasonable rates from the proprietor of the hotel, but it is 
very unsatisfactory to anyone who has ever used a first 
rate tarpon outfit. 
Boats without chairs can be rented from the said pro- 
prietor, but a few better ones with chairs and cushions 
can be obtained from Ansuncio Ruiz, a former boatman 
of mine, whom I trained well in all matters relating to 
tarpon fishing, notwithstanding which he has still to be 
watched so as to make sure that he provides a suitable 
chair and fixes it firmly in the proper place. 
With the exception of the two that I possess, butt- 
sockets are unknown in Tampico, and the gaff hooks used 
there are none of the best. Spare oars and rowlocks in 
each boat should be insisted on, especially if one is going 
to the jetties. Without such a provision one is liable to 
be carried out to sea and drowned. The boatmen are 
always ready to avoid the trouble of taking this precau- 
tion, hence it behooves the sportsman to look out for 
himself in these particulars. 
In fishing at or near Tamos one has either to waste four 
or five hours per day in going and coming or else has to 
take the 6 A. M. train there and return at 7 :30 P. M. by 
the passenger train from Aguas Calientes. Sometimes 
this is two or three hours late, but generally it is sharp on 
time. Making the trip to and from Tamos by rail daily 
cuts down one's hours of sleep to a minimum, and renders 
the sport rather strenuous for ordinary mortals. I can 
stand it for five consecutive days, after which it appears 
to me advisable to take a day's rest. It is true that one 
can rent a naphtha launch to tow his boat or several 
boats to the fishing grounds, but it requires the pocket- 
book of a millionaire to pay for it; besides, the infernal 
things are continually breaking down and leaving their 
passengers in the lurch. 
The solution of this difficulty is the building of a hotel, 
or better .still, a club house, about two miles below 
Tamos so as to be opposite the center of the best fishing 
ground. Such a club house could be, built and outfitted 
for $10,000, gold. Fifty members by putting in $200 each, 
paying $25 per annum as dues, and taxing non-members 
heavily for the privileges of the club, could build and 
operate it. Everybody, though, who uses the club, whether 
he be member or guest, should be required to pay certain 
fixed rates for meals, boat hire, boatmen, use of club 
tackle, etc. A good, reliable manager would be needed 
to see that the club is properly managed in every par- 
ticular, and he should be somewhat experienced in tar- 
pon fishing in order to know the needs of the sportsmen 
and how to provide for them. A good taxidermist would 
be an essential accessory for the club, and he undoubtedly 
could secure enough business from the guests and other 
fishermen at Tampico to pay him well. Mr. Robert 
Farley, of Tarpon, Texas, who, in my opinion, is the best 
tarpon taxidermist in America, could be induced to spend 
his winters at Tamos, for he has already passed one at 
Tampico for the purpose of mounting tarpon. If fifty of 
your readers would care to form such a club, I can put 
them in touch with certain reliable parties at Tampico 
who would see to the construction of the buildings and 
outfitting of the club so as to have everything ready by 
next November. The buildings should consist of one 
large house containing a sitting room and a room for 
meals with a detached kitchen near-by; and the residences 
should be small, one-room houses, constructed solely for 
sleeping in. There should also be a good bath house and 
several small, cheap wharves. The club should also own 
a number of skiffs, and it might be necessary to provide 
shacks for the boatmen to live in on a remote portion of 
the .grounds. Later on it might be deemed advisable to 
build a good boat house and keep a naphtha launch ; but 
these are luxuries that would not be required at first. The 
general sitting room should certainly have a large open 
fire-place, and should be provided with cheap tables to be 
used by the sportsmen in repairing tackle and manufac- 
turing snells. 
Such an organization, if properly managed, would be a 
very jolly and satisfactory affair, and everybody enjoying 
its privileges would be more than satisfied, because the 
tarpon fishing at Tamos is by far the best yet discovered, 
and the winter climate of the district is generally ideal. 
The $10,000, gold, that I mentioned is the least sum 
for which the club could be organized and put in satisfac- 
tory shape for operation. If anything more elaborate 
than that which I have described be decided upon, a larger 
sum would be required. 
I would not only be pleased to join such an organiza- 
tion, but also would be glad to aid in every possible way, 
short of going to the site, the formation of the club and 
its installation and equipment. To this end I am prepared 
to correspond with tarpon fishermen; and if enough of 
them decide to join, to block out rules for the club's man- 
agement and operation, and to arrange for plans, specifi- 
cations, supervision of construction, and management. 
My address is New Nelson Building, Kansas City, Mo. 
I believe it would be practicable for the club to secure 
exclusive shooting privileges from the owners of all 
swamp lands that are within easy reach from the club 
house,: but the privilege of shooting on these grounds 
should be confined strictly to club members, and should 
be charged for pretty highly in order to ?over rent and 
There are now in Tampico a number of fairly well 
trained boatmen for tarpon fishing, besides others who 
have had more or less experience. The number of such 
trained boatmen would naturally increase with the de- 
mand. Strange to say, I find that boys of eighteen or 
twenty years of age make the best boatmen and hunting 
mosos. 
The best way to get to Tampico by rail is probably by 
way of San Luis Potosi over the Gould system. The 
route via Laredo and Monterey figures shorter in time, 
but the said figures cannot always be relied on; besides, 
the ride down the mountain on the Mexican Central from 
San Luis Potosi to Tampico is something worth journey- 
ing far to take. Those living in the West would of course 
go via El Paso, but those from the East should travel via 
Eagle Pass. The Laredo route, as far as I am concerned, 
has proved very unsatisfactory, requiring an extra twenty- 
four hours each way above the computed necessary time. 
Those who pass through San Antonio and change there 
from one depot to another, should not check their bag- 
gage through or intrust it to any transfer company, as 
such companies are unreliable; but they should hire an 
independent express wagon and drive over in it with their 
baggage to the other depot. By failing to do this I lost 
twenty-four hours going down, although there was a 
full hour at San Antonio for transferring baggage and 
although several of the M. K. & T. R. R. officials assured 
rne that rny baggage would certainly be delivered in good 
time — which it was not. I found afterward that such out- 
rages are of almost daily occurrence, hence this word of 
warning to_ those who contemplate going to Tampico for 
tarpon fishing. By the way, there is still ample time this 
season for a good outing there, and I feel sure that fine 
fishing can be had until well on into April. 
Since sending to your paper my last communication 
concerning tarpon fishing, I have had two outings on that 
sport, and have in consequence learned something more 
about tackle and outfit. This information I hope to give 
your readers soon in another letter that I purpose writing 
for the pages of Forest and Stream. 
J. A. L. Waddell. 
Mr, Chambers and Sea Trout. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Overlooking the violence done to Lindley Murray's 
syntax in the opening sentence, and apart from the per- 
sonalities which make up three-fourths of Mr. 
Chambers' letter in your issue of March 11, which the 
Old Angler has no ambition to emulate, he is, on the 
whole, well pleased. 
Your readers who have taken an intelligent interest 
in the identity of the so-called sea trout will also be 
pleased to see that, with some difference in nomencla- 
ture, Mr. Hallock, Mr. Chambers and the present 
writer are in substantial agreement, and that "such 
widely-recognized authorities" as Hamilton Smith, Dr. 
Storer, M. H. Perley, Frank Forester and Thad Norris, 
and "such keen and observant sportsmen as J. U. 
Gregory, of Quebec, and John Mannel, of Ottawa," 
were all wrong and showed crass ignorance and made 
great errors of description and classification' when they 
described and classed this fish as a distinct species 
greatly differing from the brook trout. 
Mr. Chambers now decides that "the marine and 
fluvial trout are one and the same fish — varietally and 
structurally — differing only in coloring, and the other 
conditions resulting from the anadromy of the one and 
the non-anadromy of the other." The only error here 
is that the fish is not "anadromous," as a reference to 
Webster or Worcester will show. 
If Mr. Hallock and Mr. Chambers prefer to use the 
terms, "marine and fluvial types" when both mean 
the brook trout. The Old Angler has only this objection 
to urge — that the use of these terms, in a manner so 
unscientific, leaves the general reader in doubt as to 
the real identity of either type. A careful consideration 
of the extract from the "Origin of Species," which 
Mr. C. contrasts with the "garrulousness" of the present 
writer, will convince all thoughtful readers that Darwin 
is "dead against" any such use of the word "type," as 
Mr. C. prefers to retain. The great naturalist is argu- 
ing against the error of classifying into species and 
varieties from slight differences in which the line of 
demarkation is not clear; but -Mr. C. has no hesita- 
tion in making distinct types of two fishes, which he 
says are "identical in both species and variety," and 
interchangeable in coloring according to habitat. A 
timely reference to what Webster's Dictionary says 
about the word type, as used in natural history, would 
have warned Mr. C. of his dangerous ground and saved 
your readers from the pseudo-science so prominent in 
his last letter. 
While not questioning the nomenclature adopted by 
the recent authorities named. The Old Angler prefers 
to use the old name Salmo fontinalis, because it is best 
understood by general readers and leaves no doubt as 
to the species meant. But he strenuously objects to 
the dictum of Jordan and Evermann that "many local 
varieties [of the brook trout] occur, distinguished by 
shades of color;" because, as Darwin shows, mere 
shades of color, which change with habitat and are 
never constant, cannot make a variety or subspecies. 
1 may have something to say next summer about the 
Pleasant Lake fish story; since, by other members of 
the club, the salmon are now said to be togue; but, 
until something new is offered, mere personalities will 
not interest The Old Angler. 
Moms Canal Bass* 
The Morris Canal in New Jersey is to be abandoned, 
and the State Fish and Game Commission will re- 
move the black bass and other fish and use them for 
stocking purposes. 
All communiccftions for Forest and Steeam wtf^f be 
directed to parent <sn4 StfUmn Pub. Co., New Y^T^j ?g 
