THE GIANT TARPON
In the old country the sport of sea-fishing, though yearly more popular
with its own votaries, can never oust the sport on inland waters, until
at any rate these are fished out. Always excepting sharks as vermin,
there is no British sea fish so mighty as the salmon, or so game as the
trout. American waters, however, provide more than one salt-water giant
calculated to test, if not, perhaps, the finest skill, yet certainly the
greatest endurance that man is likely to bring to its capture. Of these,
the big game of the Atlantic, the tarpon stands easily first.
Better than any detailed description of the fish and dentition, with
measurements, is its picture to be found in this volume. Suffice it to
say that the tarpon is to all outward appearance, bar the long dorsal
fin ray, a gigantic herring, with scales four inches in diameter. It
may weigh over two hundred pounds, and the length of such a monster
would be about seven feet. The qualities that recommend the tarpon to
the sportsman are--first, its power of leaping clear of the water, which
lends excitement to its pursuit, since it may, and not infrequently
does, land in your boat; and further, its mighty strength, endurance,
and cunning, which combine to render it a worthy antagonist. It will,
very often, indeed, completely tire out an angler, who then hands the
rod to his guide, leaving him to finish off the half-exhausted fish, an
alliance that, however unsporting it may seem to the hypercritical, may
be absolutely necessary if the fish, or, indeed, the tackle, is to be
saved. Not that the fish, except as a trophy, is of much use when
gaffed. As food it is of little worth, and it is quite a pity that the
pioneers in tarpon fishing should have thought it necessary to gaff
through the gills and kill every fish, and leave it dead on the
foreshore. Nowadays a more economic and sporting spirit prevails, and
fish are often landed without being gaffed at all, and then allowed to
go free.
Attempts have from time to time been made to compare tarpon and salmon
fishing, to the advantage of one or the other, but the fact is that no
such comparison is possible. As well compare shooting trap pigeons and
rocketing pheasants. The salmon calls for skill, experience, and light
tackle; the
[Illustration: A TARPON SEIZING A BAIT OF MULLET.]
tarpon requires no skill and no experience, but the very strongest of
tackle. It also taxes the angler’s strength and staying power to an
extent that would, save in very exceptional circumstances, be out of the
question in salmon fishing. And why, after all, any call for these
eternal comparisons? To every country and season and income their fish;
and those who have the opportunities may without difficulty kill their
Florida tarpon and their Highland salmon in the same summer. Nor is the
tarpon, though first, the only fish worth catching in those waters, and
I have purposely devoted a page here and there to the sport obtainable
with smaller species, and even with the harpoon.
The best time of tide for sea-fishing at Boca Grand is slack water, and
the interval immediately before and after it. A good deal depends on the
quarter of the moon and direction of the wind, for it is these that
regulate the duration of a fishing-tide. The tides are erratic in those
seas; at times it is possible to fish for three hours on end, while on
other days no sooner are you fairly under way than the tide becomes too
strong, and there is nothing for it but to reel up and go ashore. Much
the same difference is, of course, discernible in sea-fishing at home
during a week of spring or neap tides, but there is much greater
irregularity on the Florida coast.
Tarpon fishing by night is exciting work, somewhat too exciting for many
people. The fish, however, bite with far more certainty than by day,
particularly when the moon is shining. There is an element of danger
about this night-fishing, and more than one nervous system has been
shattered by a porpoise jumping into a boat; indeed, Mr. Otis Mygatt,
one of the most celebrated of tarpon-fishermen, suffered severely from
this startling intrusion.
It is impossible to know how far one is drifting towards the open sea,
and on all sides are heard the plunges of mighty fish, which are far
more likely to land in the boat than during the day. A great tarpon may
seize the bait and get round behind the angler, to his utter confusion.
Even if the shore is reached in time, there is considerable difficulty
and excitement in landing a tarpon on a dark night. Towards the end of
May those who are not strong enough to land their tarpon without delay
lose them to the sharks. As many as five of these monsters will attack a
hooked tarpon at once, and on one occasion I remember four of them while
thus engaged attacking a fifth, and in a few moments not a shred of that
fifth shark remained. The angler recovered only the head of the tarpon.
It is remarkable, seeing the position of the shark’s mouth, what rapid
bites he can take at a struggling tarpon, just as we should take the
first bite of a sandwich. It is no bad plan to carry a rifle in the boat
so late in the season. It will often keep off sharks and save a good
fish.
A few words must now be said as to the means of reaching Boca Grand
Pass, the most fashionable tarpon
[Illustration: THE FLOATING HOTEL.]
ground of to-day, and as to the accommodation to be had there. There
seems to be a mistaken idea that tarpon fishing is an inordinately
costly recreation; but this cannot be upheld when it is remembered that
the total expenses on the spot amount to little more than thirty
shillings a day, including hotel, board and lodging, guide, boat, bait,
and guide’s keep, while the return fare, with forty hours train and four
hours boat after reaching New York, is not more than £32 out and home.
The Boca Grand Pass was not always the headquarters of tarpon trolling,
for this modern method of fishing was first successfully practised some
few years ago in the Captiva Pass. There is also good tarpon fishing in
Aransas Pass, Mexico, where living and other expenses are much less than
at Boca Grand, but the fish run smaller. In 1901 Hughes’ Floating Hotel
was the only accommodation available, with the exception of hired
yachts, and, though most comfortable in every way, had certain
disadvantages arising out of the spot in which it was moored. There was
also, however, to be shortly completed on Museppa Island, about three
miles from Boca Grand Pass, a well-appointed hotel, with every modern
comfort, including a steamer and launches to convey fishers to and from
the Pass. Guides, bait, a photographing room, and shark-proof bathing
establishment were among the attractions to be anticipated at this hotel
for the next fishing season.
Tackle for tarpon fishing should, for the present at any rate, be bought
of Vom Hofe, of New York. English tackle makers have the matter in view,
but it is to be questioned whether the lower prices at which they will
one of these days be able to turn out equally good stuff will not be
more than neutralised by the excessive duties. The rods cost about £3
each, and the reels about £7. Money for use during the trip should be
sent to the bank at Punta Gorda, a little town with few resources beyond
its fashionable hotel.
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF AN ALLIGATOR ISLAND. THE HAUNT OF THE
RATTLESNAKE, GOPHER, TORTOISE, AND RACCOON.]