New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-07


the most enthusiastic tarpon fisher in the country
For three successive years he has held the record
FOR big catches in that section Of the coun'ry-and
70 there is another fisherman in the country VINO
has equalied his record OF surpassed II. tha' man
has not been heard from. Mr.. Armes has Just re
turned from Florida and IL staying at the lmpera.
Hotel He is a tall well-built man. whose muscles
are Ike iron lie is burned 10 bronze color ana
his hands show the marks OF many a not DiV"e
when the line cut. He is enthusiast and IN com
menting upon the fact that he held the record Tor
three years ne remarked:
IL have tho record for three years. and II pretty
near killed me 20 keep IT, I'D all fishing in a
fifteen foot boat with single man attendant ana
often started out at o'clock In the morning ana
didn't come back until away In the night ola
nothing but FISH and shoot while was down there
but Il Is hard The climate is full OF fever ana
malaria Some fellows have made big catches In
that country and fellow. an Engishman. sur
passed my record for big days catch. but there
ia a d. e This fellow came down In a forty
nye-foot y ~. with men. He would 60 to bed
and sleep and let the men ish. When tarpon DIT
they would wake him up He would get UP IN MS
nightshirt and come out and play the 1sh anu
after IL was landed would 90 back for another rest
He used a line as big as a clothes line We don't
call that craftsmanship. ! used a single line not
b,gaer than the pin attachment TO scarfpn. ana
while was fishing hshed right through.
Mr. Armes's greatest fishing day was Tuesday
Nav - OF this year On tndt uhy he Caught 9"'e''
+arpon single handed. the largest weighing 100
nounda and the aggregate weight OF all being ia
nounda the respective weights being 1S5 l15 49, la.
jo SO and % pounds and the respective lengths H.
in IT. ill.,, IT. In. IT in. IT, 10 H. IT,
C in, 4 IT. in.
The consensus OF opinion among fishermen Is
mat this catch has never been equalled and never
,,,u bs s,ain under the same circumstances. While
this WAS a great achievement for mass, the 100
pound nsh was not tho largest one this knight OF
tho rod and reel has taken into camp On May H.
1sa. on the Caloosahatchee. near Fort Meyers. MI
Armes pulled out OF tho water the largest hsh tna'
has ever been seen In that part OF the country the
,ar,.on weighed 17s pounds and measured IT. In
IN length No one but person Initiated into me
mvsteries OF tarpon fishing could appreciate Mr
Tsi @, ths FISH, He says that he thought
he had Whale on he usual ne T He WAS sn his
fifteen foot boat with his single attenda nh uae e
capped the stop watch on al a, ' me boat
after the battle he found mat ne had spen, h .wo
hours and twen'yalns never ne lets FISH get away
but at times this one threa,sned TO ives TO tell
the tale lie has IN his at the he h Ss anded
,hsi nart Of the country He is good shot ana
in while he yaT 6 ON .1s hunt for knssh
Knsish are gamy species found IN t me-, I'm
eTn water s ana Mn ,re Armes. With two companions
made huge catch OF kngish near pa hnve been
I 10 he
made in n ange day with three nhes. ~ ny
Marty were g. r. w Armes Il. w fdrhlno,o az. a..i
II Vandergrift They went out III u sis,i IN a.
one hundred and twentyeght kingsh ave'a ae, at
fifteen pounds in weight. made up me sum -,
and small shark was captured incidentally 10
round out the days sport -. .oro,od I'm in n
The way the shark came to get bs bnrtv Struck
q good locality and making great neaa ,5 a.
when this shark suddenly appeared ana s sh, ~ a
disturbance. He would swim up 10 rsh una ,hIs
hopeiessly entanged line and XII IT, In In,s
way he got away with fifty fish. That was ion .ay,
onous The water was clear and limpld anu e'Wsty
move OF the shark could plainly be seen, ~ ~
Arrnes became Disguised and proposed ta % ' 70
narty change tactics and stop kinsishng ana ~ ~
Shark fishing. In small boat OF that kina WIZ" ~ ba
justy shark as a target the sport promised 70 pe
not only exciting but hazardous. No one opJecteu
boweyer and successful efforts were made TO place
fhe shark upon the retired list. , .ho
Mr. Armes says that 1t is hard JOB keeping nd 'ns
cha mponship but II is great sport. When asked II
he would go back next winter and ny II over AGAIN n
he renied that he undoubtedly should. for when one
became caught in the meshes OF tarpon hshimg me
Sascination was great that II was Impossible 10
hreak AWAY He Is now, he says recuperatihs
orter the struggle OF the winter. The fever ana
,aiara in that section of the country make inroads
,inon any one and while he Is physically strong X
taxes him some time to tone up and get the poison
out Of his system'