New-York tribune., 1905-02-19

chaHenger IS CharfeS Z. Naethfngs and n haA.
pened In this way: Mr.. Naething was tenn,
one night at the clubhouse some tarpon Ass
stories. Every May Mr.. Naething goes aIour
the east coat OF Florida looking for the x
game fish of those waters. and he told his heas
ers that he had often caught as many as sever
tarpon In day. and that he had landed ons
that weighed 1913 pounds after a twenty-ays
minute struggle. He had also caught a sha.s
he said, that weighed 347 pounds.
But bet you can't catch Wells" interrrns.
ed one clubman. who then told how Frederics
]. Wells, one OF the clubs prize swimmers. bas
baffled every fisherman who had ever tackled
him. In reply Mr.. Naething let his Iistensrs
feel his muscle. and after watching them opeo
their eyes. he said:
'rH try Wells, and in spite OF his record
know can land him.
A mutual friend sought out Mr Wells. ana
the contest was arranged for February % "a
be held in the swimming pool Of the clubhouse
Some of the details Of the match are sti1 in TIA
air, but they Will no doubt be settled 10 TIA
satisfaction of both fish and fisherman before
next Saturday.
As the conditions Of the contest stand now
Mr. Naething will use seven-foot greenhear,
rod, a twenty-four strand line that breaks a,
forty-two pounds and the limit ot the struggl.
will be twenty minutes. He VIII wear belt
with a pouch for the butt of the rod. and he
Will be able to walk up and down the fve-foot
floor at the end of the pool He viii have to
pull Mr. Wells from the centre Of the pool to
within seven feet Of the edge. distance q
about thirty feet.
Mr.. Naething realizes. that he VIII have
harder task with Mr.. Wells on the end Of his
ba1 vUirE a hory
Even out of his natural elemenc man proves his
superiority over other forms of life. Though
a man is physically weaker than a fish Of the
same weight, he has mental powers which more
than make UP the difference For example, a
tarpon of 40 pounds can dash forward with
such force as to break a 1j0-pOuni line and
shark of the same weight a 20trpOUnd line
Few men have been able TO break a @-pound
line. Nevertheless, a man does not waste his
strength. As Mr.. Naething says;
"As soon as a tarpOn swallows the spoon bait
it practically goes crazy. 1t thrashes about and
so wears itself out. \ man uses his strength
only when he has TO He lies his back,
with his feet toward the fisherman, and watches
his every move. When the fisherman pulls
hardest he paddles hardest and If as strong as
some men he can break an ordinary tarpon line
1t is a test of endurance. to see whether his
legs and aims are stronger than th= arms and
back of the fisherman. On the other hand, u.
fisherman wants to guard against pulling
too hard, and must be careful TO reel out when
his fish Iunges."
Mr. Wells fifteen years ago defeated william
H Cheseborough in two successive contests
month apart. The first limited to half an
hour, AMI an eighteen strand line. which broke
at twenty-eight pounds, used NIr. Wells
broke the line at the end of twCnty-eight min
utes. The second contest provided for a twenty
one strand line, breaking at thirty-five pounds
and an hour for the struggle Mr.. Wells at the
end of forty minutes broke the rod off one foot
from the butt. Mr.. Wells weighs about 1S
pounds.
Charles F. Naething. the fisherman, is press
dent of the Naethins-L Leslie Thing Company, q
No. 1.123 Broadway Frederick J. Wells the
fish" is associated with Strange & Bro. ths
wholesale ribbon house, of No 9S Princess.
Both are old members of the New-York AthEets
Club.