The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-20
A SPORT FOR KINGS.
No Music in the World Like the
Whirr of a Reel.

tDchNeI INepQDlfcdHJ
While Colorado is often referred to as
the trout fisherman's paradise, it does
not follow that all Colorado fishermen
are devoted to this king of the small
streams and lakes. On the contrary,
there are many Colorado fishermen who
find little excitement in hooking and
playing" the trout, for the reason that
they have tasted the joys of tarpon
fishing off the coast of Texas and con-
sequently cannot content themselves
with any tanner sport.
There are many of these Texas tar
pom fishermen in Denver, but J. Z. Ma
son is probably the most enthusiastic
as well as the most expert of the lot.
Mr.. Mason is one of the pioneers of
tarpon fishing. if such a term is per-
missible- He is one of the oldest men,
bers of the Tarpon club at Sport,
Texas, and has been the means of in
ducing many Denver men to join this
club. To his friendly advice many a
man has owed a fine seasons sport in
! the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico,
and the Colorado contingent in Texas
would be small indeed if it had not
/ been for. Mr. Mason's example for as
yet the advantages of Texas in the
matter of fishing are comparatively
/ little known. The better advertised re-
/ sorts of Florida and California catch
/ most of the tarpOn fishermen At
J these resorts the man who fishes for
: tarpon is lucky if his expenses are
: under $40 a day, and he is also lucky
( if he gets so much as strike" in two
or three days OF hard work. but off
the coast of Texas. where Mr.. Mason
| and his Colorado companions fish, there
are cheap and excellent accommoda-
tons for the man who must practice
p economy, while the tarpon are so much
more numerous that it is nothing for
the novice 10 get as high as six good
! strikes" in one day. OF course, the
I novice does not always land his six
nsh. but, as Mr.. Kipling would say if
he had ever tackled tarpOn fishing,
that is another variation of the tale.
According TO the man who has once
[ played a tarpon. there is nothing else
in the piscatorial line that VIII give so
much blood quickening excitement 70
the minute When a tarpon strikes
and starts off with the big, hand-forged
hook in his mouth there Is long fght
I ahead-a fight that never lets up The
fish is full of rushes and surprises. 1t
viii jump high in the air, sometimes
/ going ten or twelve feet over the sur
face of the water, shaking the water
in showers from its silvery sides When
a. taruon Jumps it never fails 10 throw
its whole body clear of the water. Then
il Is likely TO make turn and rush at
( the boat ar an express train rate OF
speed. There is no such thing as reel
ing in the line when such rush is
made. All the fisherman can do is TO
see that he keeps his line clear OF the
sides Of the boat when the big fish goes
under Then, with both thumbs pressed
hard on the brake. and with the reel
singing the kind of song that Is music
10 the fisherman's ear, the tarpon eA-
pert. begins the long work OF trins the
FISH so that the monster can be con-
o1lered. The fight is never over until
me tsrpon is pulled upon the beach
( soy, tl,is magnificent fish is probably the
only finnv fighter that knows not a
! 1,,nnaDr of absolute exhaustion or thai
aoas MOI display a "sfreak Of yellow.
! Z Fishermen who have tackled every
/ thing from trout. nuskellunge ana sal
, mon Of northern waters 20 the IedPins
u t,lna the kingfish and the sea pass o.
II <o,,tbaY-r, California declare that mo-
|, Ir,e Of these varieties can compare Wit
! the tsrpon. All other fish know mo-
y,,ents OF sulking. but the tarpen never
5 ceases TO leap and struggle until ne
ont of his native element
! There are many other varieties OF ASl
in gulf waters tn2t Woulu De q Us = =
: 70 the angler were not the tarpoh Z
Ne fo,nS near at hand The kingnsl
2 LII make a fight at the start that VII
s ro,,,,7sre favora bly, with the rush o
tt,s tarpon. This fish makes ferOelou
I rnsbes but. unlike its more powerful
:, rival it soon tires and then the ex
5 citement is over The jack hsn.- 1eN
fish and pike also afford GOOD spori
: There are plenty OF weaknsh.
: ..sDeckled trout" 10 be caught me
4 ,,,al,e delicious eating as do counties
osber varieties of gulf fish The man
Il asfins- shark occasionally makes thing
5 sxciting for the tarpon fishermen, an
: some enormous specimens OF these rs
1870 been caught. The shark is
heavy. stubborn fighter. but there
). Ettle dash and excitement IN sandln
= littiS =. ,>cya determined tha
; 4..;-i-, sD5 n Is only question OF tug
!, sins 10 get him TO the beach. even Wit