March 21, 1908.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
459 
rods. Aluminum tubing of almost any desired 
size is obtainable from the supply companies, at 
20 to 50 cents per foot, and fibre tubing of simi¬ 
lar sizes can be had from some hardwaremen at 
about the same prices. Both fibre and aluminum 
tubes are made in sizes up to about two inches. 
For long rods a tube of some sort is very handy. 
It can be fitted with corks, or with a screw cap 
on one end, and in such a case a rod is safe. 
Tip cases are sometimes made to order by 
houses that supply mailing tubes. The method 
of winding the strips of strawboard spirally 
makes these tubes tough and strong, and if the 
walls are thick, the ends corked and the tube 
supplied with a canvas case, the rod will be well 
protected. I have seen these tubes as small as 
one inch in diameter, for long tips. Sometimes 
they are covered with leather. They are fre¬ 
quently made thus for bait-casting rods which 
have separate handgrasps, the grasps to be car¬ 
ried in a pocket or tackle case. 
A very good plan is to groove a piece of 
white pine so that the tips of the rod will lie 
below the surface, the grooves being enlarged to 
let the guides go underneath, then inclose this 
form in a canvas case with the butt and joint, 
the whole rod being fairly well protected. 
Still another way is to employ a canvas case 
of the form illustrated in Figs. 56 and 5 7 - The 
upper end is bound with braid or is hemmed, 
the lower edge turned over and sewed to the 
upper one, then three seams sewed lengthwise 
and three tapes attached to the back. This 
leaves pockets for the butt, the joint and the two 
tips. One of the tip pockets is made large 
enough to admit a piece of wood a half-inch 
square and of the same length as the tips. Round 
off its corners and it will not injure the tip. 
When the rod is taken out of the case this piece 
of wood will remain to protect the extra tip, 
which might otherwise be broken. 
Conclusion. 
One of the greatest temptations the amateur 
rodmaker is called on to resist is that which 
leads him to poke into all sorts of out-of-the- 
way places in search of possible rod timber. 
Every piece of tropical wood, and every bundle 
of canes he inspects tempts him to buy. If he 
yields there is no peace for him until he has made 
still another rod. It is the same with silk and 
varnish and mountings. 
Many of these articles are found only in cer 
tain places in the large cities, and anglers resid¬ 
ing at a distance find it difficult to obtain them. 
If, therefore, such anglers will write to me, in¬ 
closing a stamped and addressed envelope, I will 
take pleasure in giving them any information in 
my possession. 
The Surf-Casting Record. 
Surf-casting has become so popular on the 
Pacific coast that it will figure prominently in the 
tournaments to be held by fishing clubs this sea¬ 
son, and such good practice work is being done 
that we have been asked as to the record. 
In May, 1887, the National Rod and Reel As¬ 
sociation held a tournament in Central Park, 
New York city. One event was held on the old 
Polo Grounds; it called for rods not longer than 
nine feet, lines not smaller than 12-thread, and 
weights of 2p$ ounces. W. H. Wood won. His 
casts follow: 234 feet 6 inches, 240 feet 4 
inches, 241 feet 7 inches, 260 feet 1 inch, 255 feet 
9 inches; average, 246 feet 5 2-5 inches. 
Angling in Florida. 
The warm genial State of Florida holds much 
sport for the lover of the gun, but it is indeed a 
paradise for the angler. Although fishing is 
widely distributed in this favored clime, there arc 
certain localities where the best sport can be had, 
and in response to the numerous inquiries which 
1 have received in regard to Florida fishing, I 
have taken considerable pleasure in preparing 
this article from the jottings and notes of my 
Florida experiences. 
It may be mentioned at the beginning that I 
have made no attempt to write a story, but have 
rather endeavored to put before the intending 
visitor such practical information as will help 
him to choose his tackle, assist him in finding 
convenient angling waters, together with a briefly 
worded description of the principal game fishes, 
tackle suitable for, and the mode which anglers 
have adopted for Southern waters. With the 
practical end in view I will first speak of the fish 
and fishing, and then take up the best angling 
parts of Florida—the sections which have gen¬ 
erally proved the most enjoyable'for anglers. 
A great surprise lies in store for the North¬ 
erner when he first wets his line in the warm 
waters of the South and commences to become 
acquainted with the many varieties of fish that 
inhabit gulf and ocean. The United States Fish 
Commission has recorded no less than 5 76 species 
and among this large number the visiting an¬ 
gler has considerable choice. As the reader is, of 
course, interested only in those species which 
furnish the most sport for the rod, I will confine 
my remarks to the most prominent of the South¬ 
ern game fishes. These species include the tat - 
port, Spanish mackerel, cero, kingfish, cavalli, 
cobia, spotted sea-trout, sea-bass, drum, redfish, 
jewfish, striped bass, red grouper, sheepshead, 
yellowtail, dolphin, pompano, red snapper, blue 
fish, sea-catfish, angel fish, bone fish, lady fish 
and the large-mouth, fresh water black bass. W e 
will take them up in the order named and append 
to the description of each species my idea as to 
the correct tackle to be used in angling for these 
fishes. 
There is one Southern fish, however, which for 
sameness and strength stands head and shoul¬ 
ders above all others. To the large majority of 
sportsmen the tarpon stands for the maximum 
of sport which can fall to a rod, and the mere 
mention of this magic name is sufficient to at¬ 
tract and hold the interest of all sea anglers. 
The world wide reputation which the tarpon has 
gained from a sporting standpoint is a well- 
merited one, and with the single exception of the 
tuna, no fish offers so much sport for the rod. 
The tarpon is every inch a fighter, and when one 
considers the great rapidity of its movements 
backed by its heavy weight, it is not surprising to 
learn in what high esteem this fish is held by all 
anglers who have once matched their skill with 
the gamiest fish that swims. 
The tarpon (Mccjalops atlanticus) is known by 
several local names; tarpum, grandacoy, silver 
fish, sabol, savanilla, silver king and jewfish being 
in quite general use. It resembles in, general ap¬ 
pearance that of the big-eyed herring, having the 
same elongated form. It is reported that the tai- 
pon attains a length of 8'/ 2 to 9 feet and a weight 
of 300 pounds, but fishing records show a much 
less length and weight.* A tarpon of 200 pounds 
is the largest I ever saw, but even this weight is 
by no means frequently killed by the rod. lhe 
average weight will probably be in the neighbor¬ 
hood of some 70 or 80 pounds. Small tarpon are 
caught upon the hook and a 15 or 25 pound fish 
will—to the unbiased sportsman—put up a fight 
in nowise inferior, pound for pound, to that of 
the gamiest salmon or the liveliest brook trout. 
Up to the year 1884, the tarpon was only oc¬ 
casionally killed with the grains, or but very sel¬ 
dom taken by accident when trolling for bluefish 
or mackerel with a large jig or spoon. Mr. Will¬ 
iam Hood caught the first Florida tarpon upon a 
hook and line, and it is to his observations that 
we owe much of our knowledge of th'e habits of 
this great game fish. While many of the tarpon s 
habits are yet unknown, it is undoubtedly a 
warm-water fish, and no doubt lingers in the 
vicinity of the Florida keys throughout the en¬ 
tire year. In the early spring months the tarpon 
appear at Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and Punta 
Rassa. and working up the gulf coast, they are 
found in large numbers in the waters of St. An¬ 
drew's Bay, on the gulf coast, 100 odd miles east 
of Pensacola. Unlike most salt-water fishes, 
which bite better upon the incoming or flood 
tide, the tarpon seems to be less influenced by the 
tide, often biting quite as well upon the ebb, late 
flood or slack water. The appetite of the tarpon 
is extremely variable, and it is not unusual for 
them to refuse a bait when feeding on some par¬ 
ticularly choice food fish, and this is especially 
noted when they are traveling in large schools. 
The heart of the tarpon is singularly small for 
so large a fish, smaller in fact than an egg. The 
tissues of the mouth and gullet are very haul and 
bony, with the single exception of a small solt 
spot lying just under the eye and upon a line 
with the lips or the upper part of the lower jaw. 
This soft tissue is covered or protected by a 
kind of bony plate when the mouth is closed, the 
plate moving forward as the mouth is opened, 
thus exposing the soft part. If the hook strikes 
this softer tissue the barb has no difficulty in 
penetrating deeply, but if the hook strikes the 
surrounding bony plate of the mouth, it is im¬ 
possible for the hook to secure a firm hold. This 
explains why so many tarpon are apparently 
hooked only to get away or eject the hook at its 
first leap. 
The activity of the tarpon is truly remarkable 
in so large a fish, and they are often found many 
miles up rivers and large streams, frequently 
running into fresh water in pursuit of small 
fishes. Although possessing all the good points 
of other heavy game fishes, the tarpon is re¬ 
markable for one characteristic which has capti¬ 
vated all anglers who thoroughly enjoy a hard 
fought battle. The leaping qualities of this fish 
are well known and it is indeed a pretty sight to 
see that graceful silvery body raise its curving 
tail clear of the water as it makes the turn of 1 
six-foot leap, and then strikes the blue water in a 
swirl of foaming, flying spray. Tarpon weigh¬ 
ing from 10 to 30 pounds are caught in the nu¬ 
merous streams of brackish water, upon the arti¬ 
ficial fly, and with suitable tackle these small tar¬ 
pon are fighting furies of no mean proportion. 
The best all-around tarpon rod is unquestion- 
*The largest tarpon killed by rod is credited to a New 
York sportsman, the fish weighing -40 pounds. Larger 
fish have been frequently mentioned, but up to the 
year 1907 this record is the only attested one in which 
standard tackle was used. 
