Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-06-22

Yes that's NGdttl talU sportsman
but recently returned from Florida, re.
lerrinr to an object about as large as
trade dollar. and aa lustrousas If covered
with molten silver: " scale from thu
silver prince, the gamiest hsh in the
world. The speaker emptied basket
of the enormous scales on the table
where they clistened aud cleaned ia the
sunlight like veritable gems Of metal.
The scales wero half covered with de.
posit that looked exactly like silver leaf
that had been poured on with unsparinp
hand. and, a. the writer is also able to
giving the fish, In the water, .
remarkable appearance. g They LOOK
like i streak Of light when they leave
the water. The sun strikes these scales.
and the entire iish seems to blaze and
sparkle. Imagine fish from six to ten
feet in length covered with these
and other scales, with a long
pointed dorsal fin. and the cut
and trim of privateer, and you can
form some idea Of the tarpon. But its
only when Won have hooked one OF
grained Il that you fully respect it.
They combine the qualities of the shark.
the black bass, aud the salmon, having
the strength of the first and the game Of
the latter. The first time / ever saw
tarpon was down among the keys years
ago. I had q little covered dock built
out from shore, and crept down to it one
day to see Ii couldn't take school Of
mnllet that was moving in shore. As
looked under the dock ] saw the back Of
q fish at least six feet long. not foot
away, and lying in water hardly deep
enough to float It. The next moment ii
saw me, turned, and as the sun caught
tho scales / was fairly dazzled with the
blaze Of light, and with rush the great
fish was of. They have fancy for
shallow water, and later on | caught
many OF them with hook and spear.
They arc without doubt the most agile
fish that swim, and are the finest game fish
yet brought to he-notico of sportsmen.
"a friend of mine, continued the
owner OF the scales, twas sailing up
small creek on tho Gulf coast of Florida,
towing a good sized boat astern, when
tarpon left the water ten feet away and
landed in the boat, and before they
could get the yacht about had thrown
the oars. grains, and seat overheard and
skipped off himself They said it looked
as If lot Of blazing looking. glasses
were dancing up and down in the boat.
s'But IL you want to sec the tarpon in
its glory, you want to take one on line.
A few years ago 1t was considered an
impossibility TO take one on rod. and
gentleman In Florida offered 80 pay any
ones expenses down there and bnck who
would take one in this way. But this
last winter a New York man took q
number with rig that he made for the
purpose, demonstrating that anything is
possible with rod If skillfnliy used.
MY first capture of tarpon was not
wanting in excitement. but there was
not much skill displayed, and il remind
ed me more of shark fishing than any
thing else. We were cruising on the
west coast, and up among the Keys had
noticed good many tarpon, and de.
termined to try them on a line | had a
good cod line, and to this made fast as
large a hook as | had by good stout
chain. With this rig baited with null
let we started out one morning in small
dingey Reaching the place, we cast
over and anchored the dinqey by
q small hook, and waited per-
haps, twenty minutes. Then my
man whispered that school of tar
pom were coming. You could see them
some way of, their backs offering q good
contrast to the bottom. There were five
or six OF them, and they sailed along
slowly. and went right over our muIlet,
and then the line began to run out.
Give them plenty of slack, whispered
the man. Don't jerk before give the
word. Islacked out, / reckon, twenty
feet. Now, let II come taut, said the
Conch. held up, and gradually the
line stilfened, and then the fellow
yelled, Let him have it, andI did |
hooked for good and all, but the next
moment was jerked on to my face 50
quickly that / thought my arms were
torn out. As | picked myself up there
rose from the water magnificent crea
fure. blazing like molten silver in the
sunlight, and for moment it shook its
head aavagely, then fell heavily and
was of. I've been towed by sharks
and devil fish, but never got of in
quite such q style before In some way
the line got foul, and the first jerk of the
fish sent us on our backs. But we re-
covered, the line was cleared, and we
were soon rushing up the creek as If
possessed. There was wave
ahead of us that threatened
TO come aboard At every turn. Our only
safety seemed to lie In Keeping the line
ID the notch at the bow until the fish
should tire, and this pleasant duty de-
voived upon me. Every moment or 50
the fish would change its course. In
one rush the line slipped and went over
the side. and with the water pouring 10
We climbed to windward and managed
70 keep her over until she headed after
the fish again. This hauling was kept
ZIP for half ~ hour or 80, and then we
began to take ID the slack and try to get
near the game. This took nearly an hour
more, hauling and being hauled, about
the hardest work / ever tried. But
there's an end 70 all things, and we
finally got the tarpon alongside and
killed il. Il was over nine fest long,
and ! should Judge that it weighed
49, 4aM E&Nf 49,