Evening star., 1901-05-20

Here and along shore are narrow passes in
which the hsh congregate in vast numbers,
and the sport in summer and fall is fast
and furious. The Texan season begins earlv
in March. the fish being seen coming from
the south in small schools from then on
until May. From April II to May IL great
numbers are seen in the shadows and it is
an easy matter to approach them; but for
some reason they are wary of lures of anv
KIND until the latter part of May, when a
chanSe IS apparent, and they bite with
more or less avidity up to December 1,
when they apparently go south, during
the winter being found on the South Amer
lean and Central American shores
An idea of Arkansas Pass sport can be
obtained from the record of an average
year-lS,o. In June of that year 23S tarpons
were AIKEN, the largest measuring seven
Ieet and weighing 100 pounds. Mr.. Bryan
stewart was the fortunate angler. One of
me largest fishes was taken in Corpus
Christi bay, being eight feet three inches in
length and weighing 209 pounds. The catch
OF this entire season for rods was 3G4 fish,
Mr.. s. NJ Sutherland of Chicago taking
thirteen Mr. Silver of Tarpon, Texas. has
taken ten tarpons in one day; Mr.. J. s. In
graham fifty-five in a month. In 1895 Mr.
A. NJ. Houston and Mr.. Perry J. Lewis took
twelve hsh, or six each, in one day, which
may be considered exceptional for tarpon
fishing.
Florida Fishing.
Florida has the advantage of fine hotels
for day in the season waiting for a bite,
while at Aransas and along the Texan coast
the fish are in vast numbers and the catches
made are remarkable. If L mistake not
some of the largest tarpons have been
taken here. Having spent six or seven con-
secutIve years, winter and summer, in
Florida. l not blind to it's delights: and
to wander over the reef or to lie along the
runways in the Punta Rassa country and
wait for the tarpon or on the outer reef in
search of turtle is joy indeed.
A cauStic wit and angler, into whose heart
the iron of disappointment and unrequited
patience had entered describes tarpon fish
ing in Florida as sitting in a Turkish bath
holding a string. It may be warm-yes
hot; the mosquitoes may be alert, but when
the curious putting of the tarpon is heard
when the line begins to run slowly from
the reel and moment later the silver
king cleaveS the air-a living wedge of sill
ver-then the waiting angler is repaid. Up
into the air like bird, shaking it's head
down again like thunderbolt, hurting the
water this way and that; up again, danger
ously the boat, as though not afraid
of it; then plunging away, making the reel
sing thousand airs attuned to the deep sea
Now the line is humming like the string
of some musical instrument; now slack, as
the cleaning fish rushes in, and now SEEM
ingly broken, as it rises bodily in ar seven
or eight feet, quivering. shaking in rage or
fear. Ten or twelve feet have anglers seen
the tarpon leap. Thirty feet it has gone
through the air horizontally. l saw one
leap over boat on the st. Johns, and a
passenger Informed me that tarpon leaped
aboard river steamer.
The time of playing depends upon the
angler and rod. Sometimes the boat is
towed several miles and the struggle is one
of hours: again master hand can force
the fighting and the tarpon is brought to
gaff and dragged ashore or taken into the
boat, as the case may be. The latter is
often dangerous proceedings, as the leaps
OF the hardscaed fish are extraordinary
iS unfortunately a tendency n
siX-foot rods. with which no fish has
chance; rod should not be less than
seven and a half eight feet long, nor
too heavy. This is perhaps due to dealers
who advertise short rods for tarpon The
line should be a sixteen-thread cuttybunk,
though a twenty-one-thread is permissible.
The reel of the best make, capable of hold
ing five six hundred feet The question
of ''snoods'' is an important one, but local
boatmen can decide that for the perplexed
angler.
There are many methods of fishing. Some
anglers prefer still fishing. and certain To-
Calities demand it; others troll, mullet be-
ing the bait of bats, and the natural and
favorite food of the Grande Escaiile.
On the Increase.
Tarpon fishing is on the increase and the
angling resorts of the gulf coast are the
shrines of hundreds of anglers every year
The record catches are mounted and hung
in homes all over the country, while the
scale of the tarpon is engraved with the
weight date and the anglers name-an
impressive card-to send to distant friend
chained to business.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of
| this fish is the utter absence of reliable
| information as to its habits. Having read
that young tarpon of from three to four
| pounds were affording rare sport with fly
| rods at Aransas Pass, | wrote and offered
| a reward for a single specimen, or even
! tarpon roe. sending the notice to all the
Texas papers available but the young tar
| pom proved to be an adult fish of another
| kind-the thread herring An army officer
! stationed here. as the results of two years
| observation, Informed me that the smallest
| tarpon he had ever hooked appeared to be
| about twelve thirteen inches long; the
| smallest he had measured was two feet
! nine inches in length and weighed eleven
| pounds. Doubtless the tarpon come to
| these waters to spawn, but of the facts in
| the case no one knows. and the question is
| surrounded in mystery.
Sues for Damages.
Suit at law to recover damages in the