The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-08
TARPON FISHING.
Remarkable Capture Of a "Snvel
King at Eomosassa-

Remarkable Capture Of a SILVER
King at Eomosassa-
Hoposassd (FId) Correspondence OcaId
Banner.
1t may be interesting to some of your
readers to peruse the following account of
a tarpon, captured at Homosassa on the
afternoon of June %. The tackle consisted
of q o. foot tarpon rod, Cowroy reel, $50
yards of small linen line, and a phantom
minnow, the latter having been presented
TO me by my friend, j. O. Clarke, of
Ocala:
was trolling with this little minnow in
the mouth of Prices creek, one mile from
the HomosasSa inn, where tlrpon struck
1t thirty yards IN my rear. and springing
seven or eight feet perpendicularly il the
air, with mouth wide open and gills ex-
tended, he shook his head violently In a
vain effort to extricate himself from the
delusive bats
Almost at the same instant, with aston
ishing rapidity, he passed my boat. accom-
panied by another tarpon, and made his
second leap about the same hight, fifty
yards in advance of me. He resembled a
sheat of FURNISHED silver as his handsome
profile reflected in the sunlight After
rising six consecutive times he made a cir
cultous movement, apparently seeking the
channel, which he finally reached and then
struck up the creek, which is very narrow
aud crooked. By this time had reeled in
all of my line, with the exception of
about ten yards, and with the asst ,tance OF
Squire Mattea, tcolored), who was rowing
the boat for me, and to whom much credit
is due for the Skillful manner in which he
kept the boat in posi- ion, | succeeded in
bri ging the fish under my control. He
now confined himself strictly to the deepest
part of the channel, and keeping close to
the bottom, moved slowly but steadily up
stream. l soon discovered that so long as
he moved quietly the tension of my line was
sufficient to stand the tow of The boat,
and by keeping steady strain per-
mltted him to give us a free ride.
Occasionally, when disturbed by some
other tarpon, which | frequently saw pass
my boat, he would make run ofjtwenty or
thirty yards and rise three or four feet out
of the water, but | would simply let him go
as far as he pleased, always keeping tight
line and the reel close uD to line again.
In the course Of q half mile, he diminished
his speed; his eff rts to leap were less fire.
quent and more feeble, until at length he
would barely come to the surface to blow,
and l knew that l was getting the best of
him. w hen he reached deep hole ODD )Site
Joe Smitl'S landing, he began to succumb
to his fate, and after a few weak hounces,
came to the surface almost exhausted, but
renewed again and made final but fruit
less effort 10 escape from his enemy.
As had no gaff with which to land him,
ordered Squire to improvise one by wrap
ping large hook on the end of my crab net
staff, and as the tarpon rose for the last
time, l brought him alongside of the boat,
and Squire WITH his grab hook caught hun
in the jaw, and in a few minutes the "Silver
King" lay at our feet conquered.
What astoniShed me most was that the
tarpOn did not cut the small line, but upon
landing him the mystery was solved, for
the little phantom minnow, instead of
hooking him in the mouth, had caught him
u der che jaw from tue outside and stuck
to him with faithful tenaclty
The fish weighed so pounds and was Al
feet in length.