The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-06-16
The GREAT TARPON.
a FLORIDA Sportsman Chats PLEASE "a tiy
About q 0amey Fish.

4 q kiofids Sportsman Chats Fleassn tly
About - 0apey Fish.
As n vaulIer tlie tsrpOn Is unequaled.
and his 10 .ial feats must be seen 10 be
| appreciated. On one occasion my
friend e.. aud a companion were row.
ing through Salt river Ga tributary of
! the lIDmOsassD In six teen-foot
Whitehall boat A tarpon was sum
ming himself in the grass. aud. being
disturbed. made for deep water Find
ing the water shallow and tho boat In
| the way. lac endeaYored TO clear IL at
an angle. The head Of the fish anne
IN contact with the side Of G.'s COM
panion. which DETECTED him from his
course. and he past under ono Of the
boat seats. A pocket-knifo was used
80 settle his hash" but IL would not
penetrate The ivory-like armor Of the
fsh Oars were used 10 dispatch the
prisoner, but il was found that il he
were interfered with the boat would
suffer from the vigorous blows OF his
head and tail. O. seated himself In
the stern and his companion in the
bow and for the time the fish was
awarded The post Of honor unm olested.
When peace was declared the gontle-
men resumed their oars but tho one
who DETECTED the silver king in his
course found that he could not paddle
his own canoe" for several OF his ribs
were fractured. G.. rowod the boat 10
Jones Landing on the Homosassa
and tho tnrpon was weighed. tipping
tho scales at lj3 pounds. The above
statement is not in the least exagger.
ated.
Among other instances cited, one in
which The captain Of the Water Lily
suffered Is remarkable. The captain
was seated on chair in the center 81
the forward deck with his back to the
pilot-house Of the steamer while en-
route from Jacksonville TO Mays.
port As the boat was passing ST.
Johns bluff frisky tarpon leaped
from tho water, clearing the guards
aud landed in the captain Lao. The
captain was knocked over by the
shock, but the briny vauller was Sc
cured. weighing sixty-elght pounds.
The capture Of II tarpon with hook
and line Is difficult undertaking.
Every summer many are hooked, bui
few are landed. IL have had on many
occasions" writes Dr. Kenworthy
"ihcse fish seize my bait and run with
lightning-like rapidity for twenty or
hundred yards. then leap into the air
and shake their heads, like terrier
shaking n rat, and expel the bait
The colorcd gentry have learned by
experience never to interfere with n
tarpon while in his playful moods.
for one Of their number while fishing
in Trout creek. a few years ago. had
the sinkcr thrown at his head by
frisky member of the family The fish
had taken the bait aud rushed of only
fow rods. when he vaulted off into
the air and threw the bait, sinker and
all clear into the boat. striking the
man on the head. He never attempt
ed the experiment again"
The able writer continues In this
strain to give his experience. and
fin ally gives a complete description of
barbarous and unsportsmanlike rig
for the capture of this noble fish. lie
uses piano wire and makes three joints
six inches long aud three or four
inches In width. He soldiers the joints,
tins them 10 prevent rust, and attaches
u brass swivel two aud half inches
in length. Two hooks are soldered in
each link. and two lines of hooks are
presented when completed. Plenty OF
hne.%,pper wire is used in wrapping
the hooks and links together. and with
solder the union Is perfect Tho bait
used is mullet cut from head To tail.
Each link IL attached to- the bait by
fine Iwine. and an attractive bait is
offered with hooks partially concealed
and an invisible sEood. This lackling
possesses great strength, for sharks
nine feet in length have been captured
with the rig. Jacksonville (Fla)
NeWS- Herdid