Tarpon Pishing in Florida 



the train from Jacksonville to Punta Gorda 

 by way of the Jacksonville, Tampa & Key 

 West, and the Florida Southern Railroads, 

 a twelve hours' journey. Punta Gorda, 

 which is the terminus of the railroad, is at 

 the head of Charlotte Harbor, and con- 

 sists of possibly a dozen shanties and a fine 

 hotel with accommodations for five hun- 

 dred people. All the rooms are built on 

 one side of the house, to command the 

 water view. A long pier runs out from 

 the hotel, off which all kinds of fish ex- 

 cept tarpon are taken in abundance. Tar- 

 pon could undoubtedly be caught within 

 a few miles of Punta Gorda, along the 

 Myakka River, and elsewhere, if one were 

 to make a study of the fishing-ground ; 

 but anglers prefer to push on in the little 

 steamer Alice Howard, which starts from 

 there three times a week, a five hours' 

 trip, to St. James City, and slightly longer 

 to Punta Rassa. The company interested 

 in the development of St. James City ex- 

 pect to run a steamer daily another season, 

 and there is talk of a railroad later. 



Arriving at the San Carlos Hotel, at 

 St. James City, early in March of the 

 present year (1889), I was greeted by the 

 unwelcome information that tarpon were 

 very scarce, owing to the coolness of the 



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