Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-05-24
1nE GREAT TARPon.
A florida Sportsman Chats Pleasantly
About o Carney Fish.


A florida Sportsman Chats Pleasant,
About . Carney Fish.
Asa vaulter the tarpon is unequaled.
and his &c ial feats must be seca to be
appreciated. On one occasion my
friend G. and companion were row.
ing through Salt river "a tributary Of
the Homosass;D in a sixteen-foot
Whitehall boat. A tarpon was sum
ming himself in the grass. and, being
disturbed. made for deep water. Find
inc the water shallow and the boat in
the way, he cndeavored to clear it Mt
an angle. The head of the fish came
IN contact with the side of G.'s COM
panion. which DETECTED him from his
course, and he past under one Of the
boat seats. A pocket-knifc was used
80 settle his ilasl,.' but it would not
penetrate the ivory -like armor of the
fish. Oars were used to dispatch the
prisoner, but it was found that if he
were intcrfcred with the boat would
suffer from the vigorous blows of his
head and tail. G. seated himself in
the stern and his companion in the
bow, and for the time the fish was
awarded the post of honor unmolcsted.
When peace was declared the gentle
men resumed their oars, but the 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. rowed the boat TO
Jones' Landing on the Homosassa
and the :arpon was weighed. tipping
the scales at 1873 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 q chair in the center Of
the forward deck with his back to the
pilo:-hOusc of the steamer while en-
route from Jacksonville to Mays
port. AS the boat was passing 81.
Johns bluff frisEy tarpon leaped
from the water. clearing the guards
and landed in the captain lap The
captain was knocked over by the
shock, but the briny vaulter was Sc
cured. weighing sixty-cight pounds.
The capture of a tarpon with hook
and line is difficult undertaking.
Every summer many are hooked, but
few are landed. Il have had on many
occasions" writes Dr.. Kcnworthy.
.rhcse fish seize my Lait and run with
lightning-like rapidity for twenty or
hundred yards. then leap into the air
and shake their heads. like a terrier
shaking u rat. and expel the bait.
The colorcd gentry have learned by
experience never to interfere with a
tarpon while in his playful moods,
for one of their number. while fishing
in Trout creek. few years ago. had
the sinker thrown at his head by
frisky member of the family The fish
had taken the bait and rushed off only
few rods. when he vaulted off into
the air and threw the bait, sinker and
all clear into the boat, striking the
man Oh the head H, never attempt
cd the experiment again"
The able writer continues in this
strain to give his experience. and
finally gives complete description of
barbarous and unsportsmanlike rig
for the capture of this noble fish. He
uses piano wire and makes three joints
six inches long and three or four
inches in width. He soldiers the joints.
tins them to prevent rust, and attaches
brass swivel two and half inches
in length. Two hooks are soldered in
each link. and two lines of hooks are
presented when completed. Plenty of
fac copper wire is used in wrapping
the hooks and links together. and with
solder the union is perfect. The bait
used is muliet cut from head to tail.
Each link is attached to the bait bv
fine Irvine. AMI an attractive bait is
offered with hooks partially concealed
and an invisible sEOod. This tackling
possesses great. strength. for sharks
nine feet in length have been captured
with the rig. -JacksonUille ola
NeaoS- Herald.