The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-03
o ON THE TRAIL OF THE rARpoM
Fishes About which Little IL Known-The
YOUNG of Fishea-Mxsteriea of Flah Life.

rbnes ABOUT which Little IL KnOwn-The
EounE of Fishes-Mysteries of Fish Life.
1t Is somewhat remarkable fact" said an
authority on fishes. who had been investi
eating things piscatorial In Texas, that some
| OF the bost known fishes are. so far as their
breeding habits are concerned. almost un-
| known. have Just been down on the Gulf
coast OF Texas. tarpon fishing. and to say that
| 1t IL remarkable fishing ground but family
| expresses 1t. The tarpon come UP the coast in
| the spring and remain until late In the fall
| and at times the sport Is fast and furious The
| tarron is, you know. a gigantic herring, king
| OF the sardlnes armed or coated with scales
that are covered with coating OF silver Of the
| most beautiful description. while the bnck Is a
steel blue. Tho fish is the type OF activity and
powerful antagonist. ranking next to the
great tuna OF southern California as a hard
fighter. On the Gulf coast they fish for them
with the rod nowadays and have some fine
sport.
was attracted to the Texas locality by
notice In railroad pamphlet that in describ-
Ing the sport went on to state that not only
was the adult tarpon worry plentiful. but that
the young tarpon only few inches in length.
afforded excellent fly fishing. Now" con-
tinued tho fish expert. this. IL true. was an
important discovery which the railroad people
had made. as even the United States Fish
ofthe country do not lay claim to any knowledge
OF the subject; in word, the breeding habits
OF the tarpon appear to be unknown. To at
tract attention to what l wanted l wrote
to the papers published near the tarpon
grounds and offered reward to any
one who would give me tarpon six inches
long or under. l Immediately received
several answers; One man said it was foolish
to offer reward. as could go and catch all
wanted. l investigated this. and found that
the so-called young tarpon were merely sar-
dimes that bore striking resent lance to their
giant ally and the average citizen was very
much surprised to earn that the little tarpons
aud that they eonl! not m oct my offsrr and even
t9iday YOU VII md men az Aransas Pass and
bree5s sns 6 that the @
market with the young. Yet the singular fact
remains that absolutely nothing IS known re-
supposed to come north alongshore to deposit
It's spawn. but where the spawn is no man
AT times the coast OF Texas. especially the
passes. Is boiling with tarpons. and their won
and the stories that are told regarding them
would fiji Il volume. A fish hooked has been
known to leap thirty feet into the air: hut along
or twelve feet into the mir In magnificent leap.
The terpon jumps almost always after it is
shallow water and the fish cannot sound.
When tarpon Is struck in blue water it d3shes
/ coming down the st. Johns once in Florida,
when a tarpon leaped over boat that was
Morse. On 1V another trip a group Of men we're
sitting by the pilot ouse talking, and. for
all know. they may have been discussing the
tarpon. In any event tarpon made pro-
diaious leap and struck the man who was lean
ing against tho pilothouse fairly in the Lap,
fish was caught. One Qfthe most exciting ex-
periences in ,tarpon ,nshing happened to Sen
when u large Ash leaped into his boat and al
most wrecked it, On the Gull coast and along
struck on the head by va" ta T and When
haul ing seine the fishermen are extremely
careful to see that the tarron have clear
field to jump. MS when alarmed the fish dash
accidents have occurred by men being in tho
range. It has been caught of New York and
is found far down on the South American
One Of the great puzzles in the study OF
fishes relates to this very question of tho
young: Take the great game tish Of southern
San Pedro. Santa Barbara and Santa Catalina
when asked will tell you that ,whilS the ocean
even colorng the water by their numbers, they
have never sscn one under four Or Ave mounds.
Californian islands in August and September,
and Sp'etb with long swoFd and
to engage in terrific, contests. once
found large so-called bilinsh in Cata-
spsHd its sWoId hsd see 6"
the tip and it vase cut and puncturcd in various
places by some antagonist that had come OF
best An acluant lance OF IN inc witnessed such
a contest. He saw the rushing OF two large
fish. and on rowing near found that he was the
Witness OF duel between two swordfshes.
They we're swimming around one another.
would dash at each other like two furies. They
swan at each other head on. and once became
locked. Finally one was killed and turned
belly up. the other swimming of. The dead
fish was punctured completely through and
through in several places and one blow struck
IL in the gills from behind. the point OF the
sword coming out through the eye. This I'M
doubtedly caused death. though several other
blows were sufficent to X Il 1t.
These swordfsh are frequently seen. and
the one found was full OF spawn. On the day
OF nv find visited camp OF fishermen and
offered a reward for young swordhsh under a
garnsh. which they undoubtedly supposed
were young swordlsh-at least thought So
but do not believe that one o, them had ever
seen young swordhsh. nor has any one. to
my knowledge. on the Pacific coast
The mystery is equally great regarding the
young OF the great Jewish: yet in California
they are brought in ranging from / 30 pounds
tn 400 and the smallest fish ever seen il not
under seventy pounds. Yet tho jewish spawn
here and are filed with enormous roe in July
and August Where the young go is one OF the
mysteries. 1t is nv own belief that they i'm
medintely go out to deep water and remain
water fishermen do not take them. and tho
same can be said about other fishes that in the
adult stage are well known"
MINORITY Police COMMISSIONERS