Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-02-10
THE GAME TARPOy
HOOK NC A BIG FELLOW AN ExpeRI
ENcE NOT EASILY FoRGoTrsA.

Tbs Proper Ontnt That Il Reoufred-rn.
Ft.h IL WHY and Ns.ar. Ha. Eauipp~S
Him for = >srusgis-Hls Mouth P.ve<
| with Hone Plates.
Provided the aspiring farpoon SLAYER
is prepared 10 expend anywhere from,
SO TO $50 or more he NAV suppIy
himself with ali excellent ourfit
through any respectable dealer. Ii
goes without saying that no really
conscientious disciple of Isaak Wal
| ton VIII be content TO order his out
| ft offhand, leaving everything TO the
dealer. thereby sacrificing the exquis-
ite satisfaction of making his own
| selections. Yet such IS the spirit of
| the age that not few of our SIided
/ youth are prone TO order their fish
| ing tackle as they do their trousers
| by the dozen-and leave sill details to
| the tailor. Let such 20 their way;
| they viii probably catch no tarpon.
The approved rod for this sport is
seven 10 nine feet long, fitted with n
large multiplying click reel that will
hold some two hundred yards of fifteen
to twenty one thread linen line
Tastes differ regarding the hooks, but
the best authorities favor something
not far from 100 in size forged and
n
fayorite with some successful fish
erS.
The smell, the connecting link be-
tween the hook and the line. offers
the most difficult problem. The tar
pom jaws are SO constructed that the
smell must be built TO order TO cir
cumvent them. These jaws, be il
known, have overlapping side plates
which are in effect quite efficient
shears. They will cut anything not
made of metal that has body enough
to offer resistance. Naturally chain
was the first resort but the minute
Sir Tarpon closed upon a chain he
knew it, and elected il forthwith, bait
and all. for his mouth is conveniently
paved throughout with bone plates
upon which no hook has the least
hold.
At last the ingenious device was
hit upon of using a smell made of
several strands of rather soft-laid cot
ton lire. dyed some dark color so as to
be inconspicuous when wet. When
the jaw shears close upon this it
spreads apart into separate strands
and becomes too thin TO cut. Sir
Tarpon perceived nothing wrong. SO
the portion of mullet covering the hook
continues its downward course. TAX
goes (the smell should be twenty four |
TO twenty eight inches long and pur- |
sues its way rejoicing until a sudden |
wrench at an inward locality not pro- |
vided with armor plates tells him that |
he is hooked, and then the fun begins. |
His first act is to throw himself |
bodily out of water. with his huge /
jaws wide open. and jerk his head /
from side to side. If the
bait is not completely gorged he will |
o. zen force it out. But if the hook
secures a hold the effort is vain, and
the struggle of skill against energy |
goes on.
Again and again, sometimes a score
of times. the fish leaps from the water
to shake himself free. Miles upon
miles he swims, doubling upon his
circling. sulking until he often |
tires out his would-be captor. who is |
glad to hand the rod over to his boat
man for a rest. Such a confession
of weakness is, however SO humil- |
ating to a true fisherman that if he
has any sand" in his composition
he will fight it out to a victorious
finish or an honorable defeat.
Such an experience is not easily for
gotten, and the fastidious coquettish-
ness Of the tarpon in the matter OF
hat to the average fisherman killing
1 tarpon will not become tedious
through frequent repetitions. Far
more likely is it that his patience will
give on. after a few days under a
.ropic4 sun upon GREATNESS sea.
ana Will never experience the thrill
II tn staver Kings break Tor ff5erty.f,
TheNArpon seas in Florida waters J
,egins IN March and improves through
nut the Summer the best of it coming F!
ong after most visitors have fed |
to escape the heat with its
attendant pests.
AS table fish the tarpon is not a
great success, though with such sauces
is French chef knows how to pre-
,are 1t is not altogether to be despiSed |
when nothing better can be had. As a
'taple article of food. however. it has
is uses :song the Florida beaches, |
or there the native fisherman spears
he magnificent fellows, scrape off |,
heir silver scales with a hoe, cut their
persons up in long strips and dry them
n the sun for provision when other
hog and ominy" fail