The herald., 1893-06-14
CATCHING a TARP0N.
A BALTIMORE DIWNE's DESCRIPTION
or HIS EXPERIENCE.

A Days Fishing In florida Wntors and
what It Means TO Northerner who Has
Been Accustomed to Trolling In Piaci6
Ponds ana BabbIing Brooke.
''We ought to turn in early tonight,
for we must be up by g."
(rhose stars mean stars in Florida, for
We did not have a cloudy mighty Six
o'clock, and the sun is well up and
mocking birds singing. Breakfast over,
with rods and reels and gaffs and lunch
we walk down the pier to the Minnie, a
22-foot cathoat with rousing sail.
''Where's the bait, Johnnie?
sits coming" said Johnnie, pointing
to fat bottoned dicl1ey carrying dirty
leg-of-mutton sail and jib. In the craft
was Charlie Brown, who was soon along
side with eight mullets Weighing pound
OF moro apiece.
Oats all could got, boss"
Now for Buttonwood harborl The
wind is east, as it was every morning,
and going our way, which sounds very
fine. But sailing with wind is no joke
under Florida sun. You use up the
breeze with your own motion and there's
not ghost of shadow from the sail.
"Here we are, and as we como about
over goes the anchor, down comes the
sail, and we are of in the dickey for
tarpon The bay is almost landlocked-
hernmed in with pines and palmettos TO
the waters edge--tho roar Of the surf on
the gulf side Of the Key filing the air
near the middle of the bay. We anchor
in an immense pool or pocket made by
two aims Of sand bar that nearly meet,
showing purple and orange through the
water. Through the channel that makes
between The tarYoqa come tofeed--if they
do.
Johnnie, give me a head" "And TIL
take a tail. A half pound Of mullet
goes on each hook, and d-agood cast lands
the bait 80 feet away.
Now settle down. Patience and hope
are the words.
Watch the pelicans and cormorants
fishing and the mullet jumping out of
the water; eat oranges, rig a hand line
and catch sinners and grunts, tell stories,
decide what we would do if--if.
A school of porpoises comes putting in
to the bay-a good, sign. Ha! there goes
line paying quietly off the reel.
"Pay outl Give him all he wants"
'Whirt Away he goes! in with your
lines, fellow! Up anchor, Johnnie"
But he doesn't jump. It's shark.
There's nothing to do but work him un-
til you can get him ON o short line.
Now he is within 90 feet Of the boat.
"Hang onl Let him part the linel We've
no time TO waste on sharksp Snap! The
line breaks. A new snood is tied on,
and we are soon back on the old grounds,
anchor down and the line out.
"Let's eat lunch. believe in the law
Of indirection and an unmatched pot"
No sooner said than done. Yes, and in
more senses than one, for we hadn't eat
en- dozen mouthfuls before my line be-
gan TO play out-Grst slowly, then faster
and faster. "In with your linesl Up an
chorr'
Faster goes the line. "TarponT For
out of the waiter $50 feet away leaps
FISH 0 feet long-a mass Of cleaning sill
ver-in a shower of spray, shaking his
head like o horse.
Row harder, Johnnie; he is getting
too much line!" Out he comes again and
again, three straight leaps. gain some
slack on him. He's heading for the boat.
"Back, Johnnie, backp ] get in a hun
dred feet Of line, and he breaks again
clear out Of the water not so feet away
and is off like cannon ball, and now it
is nip and tuck for an hour and a half,
| rowing against him or rowing after him
as he goes off, irresistibly taking the line
in spite Of everything; now working him
hard on a short line, and now letting up
for a second as he comes swiftly to the
surface and breaks, shaking his head in
rage and lashing the water into foam.
1t is hard work Every muscle stiff,
arms aching, thumbs cramped from
pressing the apron on the reel We get
him into shRllow water.
"Eiave the gaff ready!"
No-not this time. Some other time,
for the tarpon decided to go back into
deep water, and there was no stopping
him. This performance was gone through
a dozen times. But at last, and we have
been miles and miles around the bay,
we cot him in three feet of water and
up to the boat--the gaff is in him-a tre-
mendous furry, and Johnnie is i'll the
water with shark hook, and the fight is
over.
Now cut palmetto leaf, for, lashed
to tho peak, it is the most highly priced
and significant ponnon that floats in
those waters. 1t means tarpon, and
the dock win be full of people long be-
fore we are in hailing distance. The
sail home seemed very short. The con-
gratulations were nightly pleasing.
"You are ia great luck. Only ono has
been landed so far this season"
1t did seem TOO good to be true, but
there he lay-0 feet 3 inches long, weigh
ing 118 pounds, and every inch and
ounce "silver king. Baltimore Amer
ican.
The Way People Sito
1t is one thing to have a chair and an