March 30, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
405 
Aransas Pass Tarpon Club. 
Akron, Ohio, March 23. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: We are inclosing the awards of prizes 
as given by the Aransas Pass Tarpon Club, at 
Port Aransas, Texas, for the season ending 1911: 
PRIZES AWARDED. 
For longest tarpon of season; silver medal and Chron¬ 
icle cup: Won by Mark Sarazan, Dallas. Length of 
fish, 6 feet 4% inches. 
For the most tarpon taken in any one day for three 
consecutive seasons; silver loving cup: Won by W. C. 
Boschen, New York, and J. E. Cotter, Port Aransas, 
with seven each. In this competition fish brought to 
gaff and released are credited to the angler. 
For longest tarpon of season by beginner; silver lov¬ 
ing cup: Won by Samuel Shoemaker, Philadelphia, and 
W. S. Montgomery, Forth Worth. Length of fish, 6 
feet 3% inches. 
For longest tarpon of season by beginner; umbrella: 
Won by Samuel Shoemaker, Philadelphia, and W. S. 
Montgomery, Fort Worth. Length of fish, G feet 3% 
inches. 
For longest tarpon, over 6 feet 2 inches, taken before 
Sept. 1; bronze flower girl: Won by Mark Sarazan. 
Length of fish, 6 feet 4% inches. 
For longest tarpon of season, over 6 feet 1 inch, taken 
by lady angler residing not less than fifty miles from 
Tarpon, Texas; brooch: Won by Mrs. Will H. Dilg, 
Chicago. Length of fish, 6 feet 2% inches. 
For longest tarpon of season, over 5 feet G inches, 
taken by lady angler during two consecutive seasons; 
silver loving cup: Won by Mrs. Will H. Dilg. Length 
of fish, G feet 2V^ inches. 
For longest gold button tarpon taken by a lady; gold 
vanity box: Won by Mrs. S. S. Boyd, Chicago. Length 
of fish, 5 feet 7 inches. Second; umbrella: Won by 
Samuel Shoemaker, W. S. Montgomery and L. G. 
Murphy. ^ Length of fish, G feet 3% inches. Third; tar¬ 
pon balance, barometer and signet ring: Won by Com¬ 
mander C. W. Trousdale, Royal Navy, London, Eng¬ 
land. Length of fish, G feet 3 inches. 
For longest and second longest silver buton tarpon 
of season; two silver loving cups: Won by Fred H. 
Reed, Oklahoma City, and W. S. Kinnear, Kansas City. 
Length of fish, 6 feet 5% inches. 
For the lOOth tarpon of the season; case of Scotch 
whiskey: Won by A. W. Hooper, Boston. Length of 
fish, G feet 2% inches. 
For last gold button tarpon of season; tarpon rod; 
Won by J. E. Campbell, Nowata, Okla. Length of fish, 
6 feet 7 inches. 
For shortest tarpon of season over 32 inches; reel: 
Won by A. W. Hooper. Length of fish, 35^ inches. 
Second; tarpon hooks: Won by A. B. Gwathmey, Jr., 
New York City: G. A. Franklin, San Antonio. Length 
of fish, 3 feet 1 inch. Prize divided (50 each). 
For shortest tarpon of season taRen by lady; bottle 
of extract: Won by Mrs. Will H. Dilg. Length of 
fish, 4 feet 6 inches. 
For longest tarpon taken on July 4, for shortest tarpon 
taken on July 4; each 25 cigars: Both won by L. I.. 
Lentz, San Antonio. Length of fish, 5 feet 3 inches. 
For longest tarpon taken on Labor Day; 25 cigars: 
Won by G. A. Franklin, San Antonio. Length of fish, 
5 feet 10 inches. 
For shortest tarpon taken on Labor Day; 25 cigars: 
Won by T. C. Frost, San Antonio. Length of fish, 3 
feet 4 inches. 
For longest kingfish of season, over 47 inches; silver 
loving cup: Won by Duval West, San Antonio. Length 
of fish, 5314 inches. 
SPECIAL LINE PRIZES. 
Nine hundred feet nine-thread line, to each: For 
longest gold button tarpon of season; Jefferson tarpon 
line: S. Shoemaker, Philadelphia. Length of fish, G 
feet S% inches. For longest silver button tarpon: W. 
S. Kinnear, Kansas City. Length of fish, 5 feet 5% 
inches. For tenth gold button tarpon: F. H. Reed, 
Oklahoma City. Length of fish, 5 feet 5% inches. For 
fifth silver button tarpon: R. M. Waddell, Houston. 
Length of fish, 5 feet. For longest tarpon taken by be¬ 
ginner: W. S. Montgomery, Fort Worth. Length of 
fish, G feet 3% inches. Second: R. C. Patterson, Hous¬ 
ton. Length of fish, 6 feet. For longest tarpon of sea¬ 
son: Mark Sarazan; second, L. G. Murphy. 
Our club has had a very substantial growth 
from its very beginning and last year we were 
favored with memberships from many of our 
American and foreign anglers. 
The season of 1912 is now open and many 
schools of tarpon have arrived in the bays and 
along the jetties. Fishermen are now contesting 
for one or more of the many valuable prizes 
which the club has offered for the season of 
1912 under the light tackle rules. Any angler 
has a just right to feel it a great honor in hav¬ 
ing landed a tarpon on light tackle, which en¬ 
titles him to ever after wear the gold badge 
which is awarded by the club for so doing. 
Hotel and boatmen’s rates are very reason¬ 
able and the climate is ideal. Large additions 
have been made to our club’s headquarters, Tar¬ 
pon Inn, to take care of the steadily increasing 
business. To those who are interested in tarpon 
fishing I will say that if you go to Port Aransas 
you will surely get all the tarpon you will care 
to catch. The fish are there in large numbers 
and they bite. It is simply up to the angler’s 
skill whether he lands one or not. 
The United States Government is establishing 
a large fort at Port Aransas, spending many 
thousands of dollars on the harbor and improve¬ 
ments generally. This will be a very important 
port when the Panama canal is opened, as much 
of the traffic from and to the United States will 
be passed through this point. 
I will be pleased to give any information to 
any one who has intentions of going to Port 
Aransas. J. E. Pflueger, Cor-Sec’y- 
The Ice Goes Out. 
Sullivan County, N. Y., March 22. —Editor 
Forest and Stream: The ice on the Neversink 
River broke up and went out easily on March 13. 
This is good news, indeed, as it probably means 
that all the streams in this part of the country 
have gotten rid of the ice without injury to 
either fish or insect life. 
As it is said by some of the weather sharps to 
have been the coldest winter in forty-three years, 
the ice in all the ponds and streams was ex¬ 
tremely heavy and we feared a repetition of the 
miserable and disgusting break-up in February, 
1908. Then the ice went out on top of a flood 
and there was mischief generally. Now, I hope 
that the frost will melt out of the ground as 
quickly as possible, so that some of the late 
snows and heavy rains of spring will be enabled 
to soak in and fill up the sources of the springs 
and tributary brooks. For good fishing in June 
and the early part of July we need a full supply 
of water in all the trout rivers. 
A rainy summer used to mean good fishing, but 
it seems a long time since we have seen anything 
but drouths during warm weather. 
Theodore Gordon. 
Indoor Fishing Contests. 
There was a lively discussion at the monthly 
dinner and meeting of the directors of the Ang¬ 
lers’ Club of New York, on March 12, on dry 
and wet-fly fishing for trout. Besides the mem¬ 
bers there were present a number of guests. 
Walter McGuckin and William C. Metcalfe de¬ 
fended the floating fly and the methods that are 
adapted to its use in America, while Dr. Held 
and E. B. Rice spoke of the sunk fly. Each 
speaker was accorded fifteen minutes’ time for 
his remarks, then general discussion was limited 
to five minutes’ time for each speaker, after 
which the first speakers replied to comments or 
criticisms. The evening was thoroughly enjoyed 
by everybody, and many humorous incidents 
and witty remarks were brought out. 
At the next meeting of the club members there 
will be a similar discussion on the respective 
merits of the black bass, its habits and habitat, 
and the tackle and lures with which it is fished 
for. William Arthur Babson will speak of the 
large-mouth and Robert H. Davis of the small- 
mouth bass. The members will dine at the usual 
time and place, the Hotel Navarre, and at 8 
o’clock the talk on bass and fishing will begin. 
Visitors, either to the dinner or the meeting, or 
both, will be welcomed. Particulars may be had 
by writing to the club secretary, A. B. Hubbell, 
144th street and Southern Boulevard, New York 
city. 
Fishing Rights. 
Bloomington, Ill., March 21. — Editor 'Forest and 
Stream: William Courey, of Bloomington, dis¬ 
trict fish warden, was asked to settle a dispute 
regarding the right of a farmer to build a fence 
through a stream, and whether or not a fisher¬ 
man or hunter was privileged to destroy the 
fence. The controversy followed a recent state¬ 
ment by the warden that the State controlled all 
rivers and streams. 
Warden Courey replied that landowners had 
the right to build a fence across any stream, not 
navigable, provided that it did not interfere with 
the passage of fish, and hunters and fishermen 
had no right to damage such a barrier. The 
State controls all streams in so far as the pro¬ 
tection of the fish is concerned, and the owner 
of the land has no more right to catch fish illegal¬ 
ly or fish with an illegal device than any other 
person. The warden also decided that no per¬ 
son had any right to fish in any lake, pond or 
other artificial depression upon the premises of 
any other person without the consent of said 
owner. g. E. Pierson. 
Long Casts with Sea Rods. 
In an old issue of the Anglers’ News is found 
a report of a casting competition held in Dur¬ 
ban, Natal, in October last, in which some great 
casting was done with sea rods. J. G. Hattingh 
cast a four-ounce weight 320 feet 7 inches, a 
six-ounce weight 307H feet, and an eight-ounce 
weight 303^^ feet. 
At the Flood. 
(Cockles are fond of leaping at high tide.) 
Let us start a game of leap-frog, said the Cockle to the 
Shrimp, 
There’s a billow just behind me and the Jellyfish is 
limp; 
This is Leap Year, let me tell you, and the tide has come 
from France 
Just to smooth the ballroom carpet. Will you, won’t 
you, join the dance? 
Let us wander to the greenhouse, said the Maiden trim 
and smart. 
For the tide of love is frisking round the cockles of my 
heart; 
This is Leap Year, bashful lover; like a Jellyfish you 
creep. 
But my heart is full of cockles, and I’m bound to take 
a leap. 
As you will, replied the lover like a zephyr from the 
south, 
I am rather fond q'f cockles, and your heart is in your 
mouth; I 
In the spring a young man’s fancy is awaking from its 
sleep, 
B ■ ■’ •- --•— -- T T>ii join 
