l-'ISHES OF THE EAST ATLANTIC COAST. 173 



River, skirt the southwest shore of Lake Ochechobee ; enter and 

 pass thi\;ngh the canal to the Cullowahatchin River and descend 

 this stream to Charlotte Harbor. 



In the streams along the coast between St. Marks and Cedar Keys 

 the fislier will find a piscatorial incognito. The coast is shoal and 

 can be navigated in a small boat. The streams are numerous, and 

 excellent camping-grounds will be found on their banks. The shoals 

 waters along the coast abound with ducks, the shores with beach 

 birds, and the land with deer and turkeys. All the streams abound 

 with black bass (southern trout), channel bass, cavalli, sheepshoad, 

 bream and sea trout. On these streams a fly rod would be found 

 very useful. As the coast referred to is not inhabited, parties visit- 

 ing it must provide for tlie inner man. 



At Cedar Keys fair fishing can at times be obtained. On one oc- 

 casion during a forenoon I landed 383 pounds of sea trout at thia 

 point. Alfred Jones, formerly of Homosassa, has opened a house 

 at Scale Key, distant two or three miles from Cedar Keys. At Car- 

 digan's Reefs, a short row from the house, fair channel bass, sea 

 trout, sheepshead and blackfish fishing can be secured. The able 

 New York steamer Eliza Hancox, Captain Post, has been placed on 

 the route between Cedar Keys and Tampa, and travelers will be 

 pleased with the accommodations on this able boat. 



Homosassa, the sportsman's paradise, has been patronized in the 

 past by hundreds, but the old building has been destroyed by fire. 

 The fishing is good, but Mother Jones' table and her clean soft bedg 

 are wanting. A new hotel has been erected at Anclote, and rauck 

 has been written about the salt water fishing at this point, but I 

 must confess that I could not find the "superior" part of it. Lake 

 Butler, a pliort distance from the hotel, affords good fishing for black 

 bass. On several occasions I endeavored to find good fishing at 

 Clear "Water Harbor, but failed. At St. John's Pass I found fair 

 8bi'»'»isiH^a<iiiig. 



Much has been written about the superior fishing at Tampa Bay 

 but I was disappointed. At the oyster bank off Point Gadsden, nini« 

 miles from Tampa, fair sheepsheadmg can be secured. At the m>utli 

 of the Hillsboro River at Tampa, on the young flood, sheepshead 



