876 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May 13, 190S. 
Some Notes on Tarpon Tackle. 
On p. R. R. Train West of Pittsburg, April 10. — 
Editor Forest and Stream: I promised to tell your read- 
ers a few facts concerning tarpon tackle that I have 
learned during the last two years, hence this letter. 
My remarks will be grouped under the following 
headings : 
First — Hooks. 
Second — Chains. 
Third — Wires. 
Fourth — Sinkers. 
Fifth — Lines. 
Sixth — Reels. 
Seventh — Rods. 
Eighth— Butt-Sockets. 
Ninth — Leg-Pads. 
After experimenting with various hooks, I have come 
to the conclusion that the best one up to date is the 
large Van Vleck hook, sold by Wm.^ Mills & Son. 
There are other hooks that resemble it somewhat in 
appearance, but which are not as good. Some of these 
have the eyes flattened too thin, causing them to cut 
the wire when the latter is attached directly to the 
hook without an intermediate chain. This is a serious 
fault, and is likely to be the source of intense aggrava- 
tion. The bronze color of the Van Vleck hook was 
thought at first by manv fishermen to be objectionable, 
because of the possibility of its frightening the fish; but 
experience shows this surmise to be incorrect. Most 
of the experienced tarpon fishermen with whom I have 
talked on the subject agree with me in my preference 
for the Van Vleck hook, although I must confess that 
the large-size hook of Ed. vom Hole is nearly as satis- 
factory. 
Second — Whether the use of a chain between the 
hook and the wire increases the number of fish landed 
is a disputed point. Once in a great while I lose a 
fish by the breaking of the wire, where it joins the 
hook, but in such cases it is possible that had a chain 
been adopted the wire would have broken at its junc- 
tion with the chain. My opinion is that the chain 
does give one a very slight advantage, consequently 
were I fishing where tarpon are scarce, I certainly 
would adopt it; but where they are plentiful, it hardly 
appears necessary, for the occasional loss of a fish 
adds to the uncertainty and therefore to the excitement 
of tarpon fishing. The real objection, though, to the 
chain is the increased expense of the snell and the 
fact that when the attached hook is broken or bent both 
the chain and hook have to be discarded. Were there 
some easy method by which sportsmen could attach 
the hooks to the chains, the adoption of the latter 
would soon become the rule instead of the exception. 
Third — Thus far I must have tried faithfully at least 
a dozen different kinds of wire, and not one has proved 
to be perfect. The requisites for an ideal tarpon-snell 
wire are, great strength, toughness, and immunity from 
rust and deterioration in salt water. The ordinary steel 
wires rust quickly and become brittle, while wires of 
soft metals break under stress. My hopes have lately 
been pinned to phosphor-bronze wire, half-hard, and 
for my last trip I ordered a supply of it measuring one- 
sixteenth of an inch in diameter, but I was furnished 
with some that scaled a trifle less than one-twentieth 
of an inch. It answered fairly well, but failed, me three 
or four times in ten days. Had the diameter been as 
great as ordered, I think the wire would not have 
broken. It is my intention to try this metal again, 
using a diameter of one-sixteenth of an inch or the 
next larger size made. At the same time I tested Mr. 
Ed. vom Hofe's new rustless wire, which is said to 
be of nickel-steel, and found it unequal to its task. It 
failed me so often that I soon stopped using it. Per- 
haps if its diameter were double, this kind of wire 
would be satisfactory. The claim made for its being 
rustless is well founded, but the metal is rather soft. 
There seems to be a prejudice against the adoption 
of wires of large diameter, because of their greater 
weight, but I find the latter to be an advantage in that 
it carries the bait deeper in the water. Generally, I 
am the most fortunate of all the fishermen in the party 
as for 3.S getting strikes is concerned. This may be 
due partly to the fact that I study as much as possible 
the habits of the fish and try to troll where they are 
likely to be most plentiful, but I think it is mainly 
owing to my heavy snells, which reach the fish that are 
well below the surface of the water. The tarpon does 
not make a practice of remaining many seconds upon 
or near the surface, but ascends and descends frequently. 
Fourth — A sinker should never be attached firmly to 
the line or snell, but so loosely that the first struggle 
of the tarpon will throw it off; for, otherwise, its inertia 
will be sufficient to jerk the hook out of the fish's 
mouth. The best and cheapest kind of sinker is one 
of the leads used for the peripheries of castnets; and it 
should be fastened with a short piece of very fine 
copper or brass wire twisted several times around the 
line or snell. Such a fastening is so slight that it will 
detach with a moderate shake. 
Fifth— There has been lately quite a little controversy 
about the best line to use. Some over-fastidious sports- 
men claim that a line stronger than No. 21 or No. 24 
is not legitimate, but the experienced ones who go out 
to catch fish find that No. 36 gives the best satisfac- 
tion. Vom Hofe's line of the last mentioned number 
is the one that I now use exclusively; and I find that 
it is so strong as to obviate the necessity of doubling 
back twenty or thirty feet, as was my custom when I 
employed a lighter line. One objection to it is that a 
reel of standard size will hold comfortably only 400 
feet. Unless one is fishing with the boat at anchor in 
a swift current and without a buoy attached to the 
anchor rope, 300 feet of line will almost always suffice, 
but under the conditions named 400 feet will occasion- 
ally be found too short. One great advantage of the 
No. 36 line is its long life — I have still on one of my 
reels the' remainder of a very long No. 36 line that 
has been used for three seasons, and I expect to try 
it again, although it has already been turned end for 
end. It is of smaller diameter than the No. 36 line 
that Mr. vom Hofe is selling to-day, and, in my opinion, 
is a better article, for it appears to be wound tighter. 
Sixth — The most satisfactory reel that I have thus 
far found is Mr. Ed. vom Hofe's latest type with all 
the improvements, viz., the handle with adjustable 
friction drag and the automatic stopper that prevents 
it from being turned backward. I have, however, made 
two improvements to these details, first, the placing of 
a slide at each end of the handle instead of at one 
end only, and, second, making all of the metal faces 
that come in contact plane instead of cylindrical. Mr. 
vom Hofe has adopted the first improvement, but has 
changed the abutting faces, so as to make one plane 
and one cylindrical. This is not enough, for the 
cylindrical face will certainly very quickly pound down 
so as to permit of the handle's slipping back past the 
stopper, as it did when two cylindrical faces were in 
contact. Any good reel fitted with a Rabbeth handle 
and the stopper just described is just as satisfactory 
as the vom Hofe reel, and, in fact, I prefer the, Rab- 
beth handle on account of its greater size and the 
better grip to the hand that it affords in consequence. 
This combination, by the way, effects considerable 
economy in purchasing a satisfactory tarpon reel. 
Seventh — I am still using vom Hofe's greenheart 
and snakewood rods and find them excellent; but Mr. 
Mills has split bamboo rods for tarpon and tuna that 
are beauties, and it is my intention to possess one of 
them in the near future. They cost, however, nearly 
twice as much as the greenheart rods. The Mills rods 
all have one important advantage over all other rods 
that I have ever seen, viz., a lock or catch for attach- 
ing the reel in the seat. With other rods it is necessary 
to bind the reel to the rod substantially with cord. 
This takes time, and is awkward when one desires to 
change reels quickly. 
Eighth — Butt-sockets are not yet employed at all 
generally, notwithstanding the fact that no tarpon out- 
fit is complete without one. They afford great com- 
fort to the sportsman when handling a heavy fish. I 
prefer to fasten the socket permanently to the chair by 
means of ordinary screws instead of by thumbscrews 
beneath, because the latter sometimes work loose and 
fall off. One objection, though, to the- permanent at- 
tachment is that the socket may be stolen when the 
boat is not in use. This objection does not "apply at 
Aransas Pass, where thieving is unknown, but it does 
for some places in Mexico, where the peons will steal 
everything that is detachable and is not too heavy to 
be carried off. Every tarpon fisherman should provide 
himself with a good butt-socket of stout leather. 
Ninth — I still continue to use my leg-pads in spite 
of their awkwardness, and the trouble they give in 
putting on and -taking off; but I am thinking of having 
another pair made of a different type by taking a pair 
of stout overalls, cutting the legs off at the knees, and 
attaching the wooden ribs to then on the outside by 
means of pieces of stout duck. A strap at the bottom 
of each leg may be advisable to hold the legs from 
slipping upward. My leg-pads certainly render much 
more comfortable the handling of large fish. This letter 
is written in the hope that it will evoke discussion from 
some of your readers, and thus augment the general 
knowledge of sportsmen concerning tarpon tackle. 
J. A. L. Waddeix. 
Fish Chat. 
BY EDWARD A. SAMUELS. 
A Lot We Don't Know About Salmon. 
The work that is now being done by American biolo- 
gists is, for accuracy and thoroughness, attracting the 
attention and admiration of scientists everywhere; the 
fields of investigation that are being explored are wide 
and dive""i.''."d, and not a day passes which does not 
bring f r ': .s ::ie valuable discovery. 
One nr s' 1,; not only a diligent reader but he must 
have ample .i.ne rt his disposal to keep in 'touch with 
all that is facing c in scientific journals, but if he is able 
to digest even a moiety of all that is recorded in them 
he will be astonished, almost overwhelmed, at the evi- 
dences of the grand work that is being done in all direc- 
tions. 
The value of the results which have been obtained is, 
in many ci,^-s, almost inestimable, in fact, it is often 
quite beyord computation, such as, for example, the dis- 
coveries thr.t have recently been made by Mr. Charles C. 
Jocelyn on the diseases of fishes. Although a vast deal 
has been accomplished, the opportunities for research that 
still remain are limitless, and some of them will prove 
of absorbing interest when the work of investigation be- 
gins. Among these the habits of the Atlantic salmon de- 
serve immediate attention; the information concerning 
them possessed by ichthyologists is astonishingly small, 
and as_ the species seem to be- almost threatened with 
extermination, every opportunity for improving our 
knowledge concerning it should be availed of. 
Among my correspondents, is a gentleman who, al-. 
though well advanced in years, has lost nothing of his 
interest in the study of fishes, which, with him, has been 
the chief occupation of his life. Unfortunately for 
science he is now, by reason of the infirmities which fall 
to most men who attain his great age, unable to perfonp 
the field work for which, as is shown by all his letters, 
he constantly yearns; but he is ever on the alert to ac- 
quire information regarding the habits and characteris- 
tics of our fishes and often makes inquiries of me, some 
of which I am unable to answer. Among them are the 
following : 
"i. Does the salmon spawn annually, or is the work 
of procreation occasionally performed in alternate years 
only ? 
"2. What, in your opinion, is the cause of and use for 
the elongated, hooked jaw of the male fish during the 
mating season? 
"3. Is the early run of salmon which began in the 
eastern rivers of Nova Scotia this year in February, a 
chance occurrence, or do the fish enter those streams 
thus early every year, and long before the ice goes out?" 
To these questions I have been unable to give decisive 
replies, and this, too, although my acquaintance with the 
fish began nearly a half century ago. Biological investi- 
gation in the direction indicated by these interrogatories 
would be attended with no little difficulty, but something 
should be done, and that, too, without much delay, for 
opportunities for conducting it may not always offer, and 
it is for the purpose of calling attention to its necessity 
that I now pen these lines. Possibly the subject may 
create some discussion in these columns from which 
valuable points of information may be obtained. 
Do Salmon Spawn Every Year? 
To this question I cannot give a decisive answer, but 
1 have no: doubt that a certain proportion of these fish 
fail to mature ova in some years. I have not handled 
any of them later in the season than the date prescribed 
by law, which permits their capture by the angler, but 
I have often noticed that while the ova in some females 
is so far advanced at the close of the season that the 
pellets are large, almost one-half the size they attain 
when ready for expulsion, and have much the appear- 
ance of mature eggs, in some of the other fish, taken at 
the same time, the threads of ova are extremely minute, 
almost microscopic; so undeveloped were they, in fact, 
it seemed almost impossible they could in the following 
autumn be matured and ripened sufficiently for cutting, 
in which case they must, if the fish had lived, have gone 
over for another year. 
Reasoning by Acalogy. 
The habits of our salmon and trout are similar in many 
ways, particularly in the matter of reproduction, and that 
.the trout often fails to cast its spawn at the proper season 
in the autumn and goes ,by until the following year I 
have proved to my entire satisfaction. Late in Decem- 
ber, 1904, I was so fortunate as to secure by the courtesy 
of the fishery officers a number of fine specimens, some 
of which were plump and exceedingly well conditioned ; 
they showed no signs whatever of having cast their 
spawn, for the spent fish is always in evidence. One or 
two, however, showed every indication of having 
spawned, for they were thin and gaunt, were, in fact, 
"spent salmon" in miniature in many ways. 
Now-, judging by analogy, and we have a right to do 
that since the two fish belong in the same family, the 
salmon, like the trout, occasionally passes the spawning 
season without maturing its ova. ' 
A Chance for Hatchery Officials. - 
This matter could be readily determined, however, by 
tagging the fish that are stripped at the hatcheries each 
year and noting the proportionate number of tagged fish 
-which return with mature spawn the following season, 
for the salmon invariably returns to its native river in 
which the season of reproduction is passed. 
As to the Hooked Jaw. 
To the second inquiry I replied that, until the matter 
was specially brought to 'my attention, I had not given 
it much thought, but supposed that the hooking of, the 
lower jaw of the male fish was a provision by nature to 
enable him to assist the female in preparing the "ridds" 
or spawning beds by scooping up and carrying to them 
the pebbles of various sizes, of which they are formed; 
but on reflection I saw that this was not a correct solu- 
tion of the problem, for the male salmon takes but little 
part in forming the "ridd," leaving that work to be done 
by his industrious mate. 
I suggested to my friend that it was possible that the 
hooking of the jaw was given the fish as a weapon 
against other males in combats which would be likely to 
occur ; but this supposition also seemed untenable, for the 
reason that the tip is soft and velvety, which condition 
would unfit it for an offensive weapon. 
A Variety of Opinions. 
My friend asked the opinions of a number of other gen- 
tlemen, and the replies that came to him were strange 
and varied; one being to the effect that the elongated 
hooked jaw of the male in the mating season was given 
him for the purpose of holding the female somewhat 
after the manner in which the domestic cock seizes and 
holds the hen. Another gentleman of wide reputation 
as a scientist, replied that the "male salmon had his jaw 
hooked because he could not help it," and others believed 
that the curious formation was given the fish to serve 
as a weapon. 
My correspondent did not accept any of these replies 
to his interrogatories as being of very much value, but 
he has, after much thought and study, worked out a 
. theory which, to me, seems perfectly plausible and which, 
in my opinion, he ought to elaborate before the scientific 
world without delay, and I hope when he reads these 
lines in Forest and Stream he will give in detail the 
views he has formed and show how and by what methods 
of observation he has arrived at his conclusions. I an- 
