. Hunting and fishing in Florida, including a key to the water birds known to occur in the state . pot where the great fish hadrisen. Quick, cried Will; throw well out ahead of that ripple and ifhe takes it give him plenty of time before you strike. Swinging the heavy rod backwards, I made a strong cast and theline, weighted with half of a mullet, ran freely from the reel. It wasa good throw and the piece of fish struck the water not twenty feetfrom the spot where the tarpon had risen. Loosening the line andseeing that it ran freely under the leather thumb check, I waited. 76 HUNTING AND FISHI
. Hunting and fishing in Florida, including a key to the water birds known to occur in the state . pot where the great fish hadrisen. Quick, cried Will; throw well out ahead of that ripple and ifhe takes it give him plenty of time before you strike. Swinging the heavy rod backwards, I made a strong cast and theline, weighted with half of a mullet, ran freely from the reel. It wasa good throw and the piece of fish struck the water not twenty feetfrom the spot where the tarpon had risen. Loosening the line andseeing that it ran freely under the leather thumb check, I waited. 76 HUNTING AND FISHING IN FLORIDA. Will cut up small pieces of mullet and threw them over the water indifferent directions, while I anxiously watched the line. Five min-utes passed, ten minutes — suddenly my line began to run from thereel with a strong, steady movement. Steady, cried Will; give him time to get the bait down histhroat. Dont strike too quick. Now give it to him. Now!Now! Holding the rod firmly with both hands, I checked the reel andstruck hard, so hard that the stout rod bent with the strain, and. instantly, with a tremendous rush, a huge silver, gleaming monsterflung himself completely out of the water, shaking his headsavagely. Down he came in a splash of white foam, and it requiredno warning cry from Will to make me brace myself for the rush TARPON FISHING. 77 which we knew would come. The stout rod bent like a reed, andthe carefully tested line sung from the reel in spite of the strongfriction of the leather check pressed firmly against it; but the strainwas too great to last, and the line ran out slower and slower andpresently the reel ceased to turn ; but with a strong, steady pull thegreat fish moved steadily on, towing our boat rapidly behind him. \
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectfis
