THE TARPON 141 



One day while fishing along the beach the water was clear 

 and shallow. I climbed up on the bow and watched a large 

 school of fish swim under and around the boat. There were 

 several hundred. The larger ones swam deep and the smaller 

 played along the surface, manifesting no alarm when close to 

 the drifting boat. The speed of the fish was about four miles 

 an hour. They were closely packed from the bottom to the sur- 

 face. It was a sight which would gladden the heart of any 

 angler and it will be long remembered. When viewing such a 

 school from a distance, the comparatively few fish that show 

 gives no adequate conception of the number it contains. Most 

 of the fish are invisible unless you are very close. 



If the boat is carefully managed it is not diflBcult to get close 

 to a school and to run parallel with it only a hundred feet or 

 so away. But if alarmed or run through the school will acceler- 

 ate its pace to ten or fifteen miles an hour or possibly seek 

 deep water. But my observation which has been long continued 

 and close indicates that the proximity of a carefully managed 

 and quiet boat creats little nervousness in the school and one 

 may follow it closely for miles. 



In years past it was generally believed that traveling fish 

 would not take the bait; but this is not the case during the 

 months of May, June and July on the West Coast of Florida. 

 They usually take the bait eagerly but are difficult to capture 

 for many release themselves by jumping to which they quickly 

 resort owing to the shallow water. 



Two methods of fishing are suggested. In these months the 

 fish may take crabs or a fillet of mullet secured to the hook as 

 suggested elsewhere. Small catfish and pinfish are excellent 

 baits. The hook used in Pass fishing (Nos. 8 or 9) answers 

 very well and a resilient rod not too light seems most effec- 

 tive. The line pays out better if coated with beeswax or some 

 other substance serving the same purpose. A float, usually a 

 common net cork, is secured about six or seven feet above the 

 hook. The boat is quietly brought alongside the school, using 



