l'~i shine in Florida 



cast just as you would for striped bass, let- 

 ting the bait sink to the bottom. You 

 give a little slack, and then you have noth- 

 ing to do but sit still until something hap- 

 pens. You may sit still the whole day 

 without anything happening. I did : not 

 a single genuine bite did I have from half- 

 past seven until half-past four ; and though 

 it was not particularly hot, my man Pierce 

 said that it usually was, and that I should 

 do wisely in supplying myself before start- 

 ing out again with a broad-brimmed Pan- 

 ama hat, such as every one else wore. 



At first it was rather interesting. My 

 reel unfortunately was without a click, and 

 the action of the tide made the line run 

 out a little, unless I kept my finger firmly 

 on it; so that, as I had been told that a 

 tarpon begins by stealing off quietly, I had 

 numerous false alarms, thinking every now 

 and then that something was trifling with 

 my bait. In the meantime my boatman 

 was cutting up mullet, and throwing it 

 overboard to attract the fish to our neigh- 

 borhood. Mullet is the only bait they are 

 known to take. He also suggested put- 

 ting out a hand-line, as I had only one of 

 my rods with me ; but this I forbade, not 

 wishing to diminish my chances of land- 

 ing a tarpon with rod and reel. Forty- 



199 



