Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-05
QUAY ANDTHE SHARK.
The Senator Tells of q Thrilling EX-
perience Which He Had
WHILE TRYING TOLAND A TARPON.
A Long Battle, Fought Scientifically, Re-
suits in Draw,
TIE COLONEL GETTING THEPISFsHEAD

sion in Florida. When 8 Philadelphi
Times reporter broached the subject of tar
pom fishing to the junior Senator from Penn
sylvania, in his rooms at the Continenta
just after he had breakfasted, Mr.. Qua.
swung round in his chair, and with charac
teristic animation proceeded to relate his re
cent experiences on Indian river.
Il expected" he said, "to have goo'
deal of sport among the tarpon, but tn
weather was so bad that l had but thre
days genuine sport alter these great ant
gamey fish. For six DAYS I was Storm bounC
after we started from Punta Rassa, ant
when the cold snap from the North reached
us that ended the fishing, for the tarpor
will not bite in cold weather. With {
heavy. stout rod and 21-thread line on :
big reel, tarpon fishing is not the sport i
ought TO be. Ii, however, the fisherman
uses 15-thread line, with light, flexible
rod, be will find the fish has at least an even
chance to get away. Indeed, saw one OF
my friends, and d splendid fisherman al
that, last spring lose three fine tarpon III
single hour Mr.. Wood, of New York, is
recognized as the most persistent angler
after this big finny game in all Florida, and
cordially agree with him when he says
that the tarpon is the coming game fish ior
sporting fishermen.
DELIGHTS OF THE SPORT.
"The abundance of this fish, the desperate
fights thev make, their taking the still bait,
and the magnificent response the silver king
gives when securely hooked by Immediately
leaping many feet out of the water, his swift
running between leaps, his beautiful shape,
and his bright and superb metallic luster,
added to his magnificent proportions, make
this kind OF fishing delight to the fortunate
sportsman. The very difficulty always ex-
perienced in bagging a good-sized tarpon
adds wonderfully to the joy of the sport. All
you need is a courageous man to row your
boat, which is usually light skiff with a
sail-the fishing skiff nearly twice the size
of the 'sharpie' used by Peter Goose, who is
Alderman McMuIlen's fisherman, conhdante
and guide at Atlantic City.
81 have killed, with William r. Leeds,
half dozen red drum in a morning off
Brigantine Beach with half the trouble it
has cost me to bring to boat a 96-pound
tarpon with 15-ounce flexible rod and a
strong 1S-thread line. The last big fish
caught this spring was in the Indian river,
and played him one hour and so minutes
before Ben Sooy, who was with me, got the
prize into our little boat But this is the
very acme of tarpon fishing, for with a big
reel and strong cord and wire snood, any
man can hook on to tarpon and let him
run the little boat up the Indian river till
the great fish is tired out, and then the
fisherman pulls his game in by main force.
"But there is no skill in that. It's a
good deal like punching quail and shoot
ing them on the ground. None but a pot
hunter will do that, and so no real sports
man wants to fight tarpon without giving
him 4 chance for his life.
THE LARGEST HE EVER CAUGHT.
1.-The last tarpon 1 caught in March, with
Ben Soov, weighed 112 pounds. hooked
him with a fresh mullet for bait (the best
bait known, and he dragged the boat for
three miles up Indian river, and jumped ten
feet out of water his silver scale shining
like the metallic roofs Of the Quebec houses
in the morning sun. 1t took us Just two
hours to bag that fish, and then both my
boatman and myself were too tired to fish
any more that day.
"Our party of three" continued the SEN
ator, "in one week of good weather in the
early part of March (and the best month is
April) hooked 16 tarpon, but only killed
ten and six got away, partly from lack of
skill and mainly because the strong and
gamey fish disgorged the hook. which they
are apt to do if not caught in the cartilege
near the mouth. Only in two instances did
they succeed in breaking the line.
There was one singular instance hap
pened during my last trip, when had Ben
Sooy with me and a colored boy of 16 to
manage the boat, while Ben was to help
manage the gaff and keep an eye on the ne
gro boT with the paddle.
Just before sunset with a lot of new lines
rugged by hrider, we anchored in my favor
lite spot in Indian river where the water was
only four feet deep, as the big fish feed here
and the tarpon always bites best in shallow
water. You usually see the fish before he
takes the bait.
A MOMENT OF ANXIETY,
81 carefully put on the mullet myself
and made the cast from the sail-boat lar out
on tho river. Not six minutes had elapsed
when, not ten feet from my boat above the
CLASSY surface of the sluggish river, the tail
of magnificent tarpon appeared directly
above the mullet bait. Then / knew the
fun was about to begin. There was a sud-
den swirl in the water, and Ben Soov and
the negro came near tumbling into the river
from sheer excitement. Selling nv supple
and ben nding rod / pulled off and gave the
running fish some 80 feet of slack line, then
when my line was taut gave sudden
twist to nv wrist and made good strike
There was mighty leap, the sheen of sill
like that of wild Texas steer and 'whizz'
went my big reel.
81 stood up in the boat with my hand on
the reel and bade the negro paddle for his
life to help the fish pull the boat. Every
five minutes the tarpon repeated his evolu-
tions, shaking his broad jaws each time he
jumped to dislodge the barb. But be was
securely hooked, and quietly enioyed his
exciting rushes and enormous leaps out of
water. giving him each time he rushed
plenty of line. l was wearing the monster
out fast, and felt glad. But stopl Fifty |
feet away noticed a huge fin cutting the |
still water like the bow of steam yacht.
The tarpon, too, as if he had human feeling |
(he certainly exhibited human fear), soon |
knew that an immense shark was around |
and that new danger threatened him. He |
shot ahead like streak Of summer light |
ming.
SHARK APPEARS.
"But he was weary. pulled him gently |
toward me. He stopped. The great shark, |
intent on full supper, circled swiftly round |
both boat and fish. felt chilly sensation |
myself to see the big fellow outlined in the |
water as be darted under our boat, revealing
IA feet of his spotted back. He doubled,
prepared to play the same trick. / yelled
70 Ben:
"'Strike him with the oar in the jaw
And Ben struck him powerful blow that
made him swerve, but only for an instant.
rI pulled the tarpon to the boats side and
aid: Ben, shoot the shark with your re-
rolyer and get the gaffP' but Sooy was too
much ratified with the conflict and never
bought of his gun The tarpon acted as
f crazy with fear and did his best to get
way from both enemies. 1t was too late.
had the fish within ten feet of the skif,
nd he came belly up, bleeding at the gills
'lentifully. Suddenly cleaying the water,
he big man-eater came like an arrow.
there was a splash-more blood on the