lArpon Pishing in Florida 



camps, for the waters fished by the fre- 

 quenters of each are adjacent, St. James 

 City and Punta Rassa. Looking at the 

 map of southwestern Florida, you will no- 

 tice, at some distance to the southward of 

 Tampa, Charlotte Harbor, lying between 

 the 26th and 2/th parallels of latitude, 

 which extends no less than thirty miles 

 from north to south, and varies from ten 

 to fifteen miles in width. It is protected 

 on its westerly side by the islands or keys 

 Gasparilla, La Costa, Captiva, and Sanibel, 

 which form a sort of natural barrier against 

 the storms in the Gulf of Mexico ; and 

 within these comparatively peaceful waters 

 is situated Pine Island, fourteen miles in 

 length, and from two to four in breadth, 

 on the southerly end of which is St. James 

 City, so called, a village that owes its pres- 

 ent flourishing condition to the enthusiasm 

 of tarpon fishermen. Opposite to it, to 

 the southeast, on the mainland, and but a 

 few miles distant, is Punta Rassa, the other 

 resort. Excepting yachtsmen who live on 

 board their vessels and cruise along the 

 coast, persons desiring to kill a tarpon have 

 hitherto made their headquarters at one 

 of these two places. 



At St. James City, which is moderately 

 tropical in its vegetation, and which is 



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