Tarfon Fishing in Florida 



pon two or three nours, to be willing to 

 sacrifice the chances of big game to the 

 paltry satisfaction of filling one's boat with 

 ordinary fish. I was Spartan enough to 

 act upon his counsel, even to the extent 

 of eating my luncheon in the boat with 

 my finger still on the line, without going 

 ashore. About one o'clock, when the 

 tide turned, I shifted my position to an- 

 other ground about a mile distant, where 

 Pierce thought we should be more likely 

 to hook fish returning with the ebb ; and 

 there I remained until nearly five o'clock, 

 without getting a bite of any kind. 



It was hardly inconsistent with good- 

 fellowship that I did not feel any keen 

 regrets to find, on reaching the hotel, that 

 no one of the fifteen other fishermen had 

 fared any better than I as regards tarpon. 

 The landing-stage at the wharf was cov- 

 ered with small fish, of from two to ten 

 pounds weight, but no one could boast of 

 having even hooked a " Silver King." The 

 general verdict was that the atmosphere 

 and water were still a little cool for good 

 tarpon-fishing. 



The next morning dawned warm and 



beautiful. I was up betimes, with the 



intent of visiting a more distant ground 



known as the "Six-mile Rookery," where 



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