The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-07
FIGHT WITH A TARPoN.
Col. Bill Sterrett Writes Fish Story
Relating Moments of Agony.

Relating moLueuLh VI AbOhy.
Washington Starr
IL Is that season of the year when
fishermen Of mountain streams. on
placid lakes or on tempest salt waters
send greetings through the newspapers
and magazines 20 their brothers. seeth-
ing hot in their offices at home. Hence
90 is that season when marvellous sto-
rIes rs fast and an uninitlated world
stands with mouth agape in interest
only "a few days ago ! read a most
entertaining and truthful article In one
OF The magazines or tarpon fishing az
Arkansas Pass. The writer. Mr.. Mason,
frankly stated al the out et that il was
addressed 10 the true sportsman OF rod
and reel. Hence 10 might be correctly
termed "A technical dissertation or es-
say on the subject treated. and there
fore one which the first-class sports
mau would consider as invaluable.
After reading the article mentioned
and the magazine articles about mann
moth trout. pipes and tobacco and the
Inevitable birch couch-in fact about
ell the belongings of the fireside fisher
mani have concluded that something
IS due 20 what the publications call
"the great masses" and what ] mean
By due here is a truthful. unvar-
nished story void OF the technicalities
or the fishing game, and one that a
man can hand over 10 his innocent on
spring and say 10 Il; Go. my son, and
become informed. Go learn how 10
avoid eXaggeration IN fish stories. Go
and learn In part from what you read
how much OF truth is in what is
termed the true enjoyment of certain
kinds OF angling"
1 received a note from an eminent
surgeon at Fort Worth on one occa-
SOn and IL read thus:
Dear BIZ. / saw a man this morn
ing from Los Angeles, and he said fish
were biting. Come over tomorrow and
let us hurry out mere before they
quit"
Now. this surgeon friend is a true
fisherman. His note 20 me shows Il.
He had no legs 10 saw of that day.
That fact, and the further one that the
nsh were biting several thousand miles
away, so completely filled him that he
forgot that ! was working for a news
paper and that II would hardly be pos
sibe for me 20 walk the distance he
fore the school of fish which he had
heard OF had passed on. or even II I
we're able 10 walk % trip would have
20 eat something on the route. II re-
newspaper man to raise 81 900 for a
fishing trip. But, as have said, my
friend is "a true angler, and true an
slers never think OF such small things
as money 20 pay travelling expenses,
or OF the obligations OF an employee 10
the employer. or. In fact. about any
thing else except 10 get where the FISH
are biting. and do il in the most ex-
peditlOus way. ! mention this incident
first. 10 throw a light on the character
Of the fisherman, and. secondly, be-
cause as a tarpon fisherman he did
more than all other persons or things
20 make me essay the task OF taking
one OF these tish, and consequently OF
lowering me in my own estimation.
] resolved 10 catch a tarpOn. ! was
not unacquainted with the fish. In
younger days / knew him at Fort La
vaca. But I did not want TO catch
him then. one grandmammy told me
that white man came 10 Port La
yaca before the war and had line on
a spool. and his spool was tied to a
fishing pole. She said he wound up the
spool with a little crank. He threw his
line away out Ia the water. and one OF
hose monsters tackled IL. AS soon as
Z did so the fisherman started down
the wharf toward shore, unrOlling his
spool, as she called Il. as he ran. He
jumped of the wharf on the beach
and commenced 10 roll up his spool.
According 20 the aged Afro-Port La
vacan, II must have been a great
hsht She said that this stranger was
sometimes up to his armpits in the
water and then he was out on land
and the fish right up on the beach.
But according TO her story, de
stranger" as she called him. finally
had his game topping on the dry sand.
Den what you s'pOse IL done 10 himy'
she asked. ! would not venture sug-
gestion as 20 the probable conduct OF
such a fish. "Well, suh.' she said. hit
Topped deere morn a mint. just as II
Il was fghtin' mad. Den II got up on
iJs tail and jumped in de air. Ebery
time It rose il jlst spanked him Wild
It's tail Deed. IL looked like il was
kckin' him. You see whar dat pilin'
is down dar about 200 yards? Wen,
right dar 10 gin him de last kick ana
knocked him a someSet. Den IL
Jumped about fifty yards out In de
bay" She had told that a hundred
times and believed a. Being revered
among her kind, that kind, either
through fear Of loss Of tackle or
through fear OF being spanked along
the beach BY this monster. always
pulled up its lines when IL was in the
ueighbOrhOOd.
After my ambition had been aroused
by my surgeon friend. I began 90 select
tackle. I was advised 20 get a Hall q.
a Hall so. a Hail this. that and t0ther
Hooks % ali kinds were suggested, and
reels or every size and make Endorsed,
l wanted 20 win, and I was careful 10
select weapons. and unfortunately for
me, ! finally got the best. l borrowed
rod with strength enough 20 pry up
"a house. read Ia Job, "Canst thou
draw ont the leviathan with hook. or
his tongue with a cord which thou let
tes, down?" and I went out 70 get a
hook and line. so that when my work
was done I could write in nv Bible
40 the end Of the interrogation. Yea.
Z not only can do IL. but have done H.
and 10 was easy" Thus panopiied. and
ta.s Is the proper word, because IL Is
@ sort OF war term. and later on found
] had been in war. / repaired TO the
scene OF what I supposed would be my
triumph. that Is. Arkansas Pass FOrt3-
Latriy / secured the services OF a lie
saver as my bOatman- He belonged 10
TIE lte-Saving station at Galveston, IS
named Johnny Holmes. and / take
pleasure IN recommending him TO all
persons who are either wrecked at sea.
hooked up with a tarpon or in other
NlHds OF distress consequent OF foOiishly
having anything 20 DO with salt water.
Johnny went through the Galveston
storm In the bottom OF a lifehOat. after
lAe Ate-saving station was washed
away. As the members OF the life-sav-
ing service are laid on in The summer
months he had repaired % Arkansas
FaSs Tor that ''much-needed rest" and
employed the time in rowing people
around seeking tarpon and reScuing
tAem after the tarpon was found.
lie placed me ia the chair Ia the
boat much after the manner. I imagine.
the officers in New York and Ohio place
ielon IN the electric chair. u was
an uDcauny kind OF act or ceremony.