I06 HUNTING AND FISHING IN FLORIDA. 



fishing really good until quite late in the season. Occasionally good- 

 sized fish are caught during the winter months, but it is well known 

 that Tarpon do not bite well until the warm weather sets in. A good 

 many Tarpon haye been caught near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee 

 Riyer and aboye Fort Myers near Beautiful Island. 



I haye enjoyed good fishing at Captiya Pass opposite Pine Island ; 

 here Tarpon are sometimes yery numerous and other kinds of fish are 

 plentiful enough. South of Ostero Bay at Big Hickory Pass is one 

 of the best fishing grounds in Florida, and several men haye had 

 excellent fly fishing at this point. Mr. George Mixter, of Boston, 

 Mass., was kind enough to give me the following list of the species 

 he has taken at Hickory Pass, using a large silver-bodied fly : — 

 Sea-trout ( Cviiosc/aii maciilata ). 

 Redfish or Channel Bass (Sa'ociia occllata). 

 Cavalia (Caroux hippiis). 



Rovallier or Snook (Antropomus undcciinalis). 

 Spanish Mackerel (S. uiaciilatus). 

 And I believe he has since taken others. 



The huge Jew-fish (Epcncphcliis tiigritiis) is common about 

 Ostero Bay, and in Surveyor's Creek Tarpon are numerous in their 

 season. 



At Big Shark River Mr. Mixter tells me he succeeded in making 

 a very small Tarpon take a fly. He used a large silver-bodied speci- 

 men and fished during the flood tide, which at that point runs like a 

 mill-race. 



For those who are devotees of the harpoon, the great Devil-fish 

 (Manta hirostrls) and the various sharks will afford them all the 

 sport in that fine they desire. 



Probably the finest food fish in southern waters is the Pompano 

 (Trachinatus ornatus), which is very numerous along the coast of 

 Florida, but which is rarely taken with hook and line except at Key 

 West, where, curiously enough, it is often taken in that manner. 



Some years ago the writer made a trip from Fort Myers up the 

 Caloosahatchee River into Lake Okeechobee, Fish-eating Creek, 

 and other places, and then continued on up the Kissimmee River to 



