Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Among people in the Canal Zone the Pacific and Atlantic coasts are often called Gold
and Silver coast respectively. Very soon I became familiar with these terms, which are used
throughout the Zone, and, needless to say, I never blundered again.
One day I was invited to visit the 'Tarpon Club,' which is situated just below the spillway
near the Gatun Locks. I was informed that tarpon is about the gamest fish that swallows a
hook. I used to think I was a bit of a fisherman myself, although my arms are not abnormally
long.
WhenIwasinvitedIheardsomanystoriesabouttarponsthatIhardlysleptthenightbefore
I was to make their acquaintance. I was told that the Prince of Wales and other celebrities
never missed the opportunity of doing some tarpon fishing on their way through, and heard
that the Prince had caught none on the occasion when he went to the club during his visit to
Panama. If he did the same kind of fishing we did, I should not be in the slightest surprised if
this report were true.
When the visitor enters the 'Tarpon Club' he sees a huge stuffed fish, almost the size of a
small whale, hanging up, and he is informed that this is the largest that has been caught there
since Cleopatra went through the Canal to meet Anthony. He is then requested to divest him-
self of his clothes and to put on short trousers and wickedly spiked shoes, in order not to fall
whilstwadingontheslipperyrocks.WhenIhaddonethis,arodwithahugebrassspool,more
complicated than the instruments of an astronomical observatory, was thrust into my hands.
Whenasmallfish,toserveaslivebait,hadgonethroughtorturesthatrivalledthemostingeni-
ous of the Spanish Inquisition, I must have looked rather pale, for presently a crafty arm was
put into a locker and out came a bottle of medicine. The rest of the fellows crowded around
andwitheagereyeswatchedthecorkbeingdrawn.AfterawhileanotherSesamewasopened,
and a second 'Scotch tarpon' was fished out of it.
The medicine began to take effect, and as time went on the fishing stories became more
befitting the place, until at last the huge stuffed specimen hanging there seemed like a mere
minnow. Towards evening somebody suggested going out to see if the river was still running
its usual course, or, if perhaps it had changed colour, which I thought was a sure sign that the
fishing promised to be good. By this time what, some hours before, had been live bait, was
now the healthy corpse of a small fish, but as I was sure that tarpon were not very particular
about their food I did not change it.
For some time we cast our lines into the swift, deep waters, and then, one by one the com-
pany returned to the clubhouse, saying the fish must have become tired of waiting for us so
long. I began to think there was something in that, and started to take in my line. What was
my surprise to find a small fish wriggling on my hook when I lifted it out of the water. At first
I thought it was merely my bait that had come back to life, or that the medicine had affected
my optic organs. Upon close observation I found that a fish slightly bigger than the bait was
on the hook.
