214 HOME LIFE IN FLOKIDA. 



The captive trout, though at the end of the Hue, five to 

 eight feet below the surface, seems always to know and 

 recognize the approach of an enemy as the boat nears the 

 float, and the bobbings and disappearances redouble in fre- 

 quency, until it often becomes a regular game of *' will-o'- 

 the-wisp," to catch the bottle ; like the wicked flea, you 

 put your finger on it, and it is not there. If the fish is 

 large and strong, say a ten-pounder or thereabouts, the 

 bottle is very likely to give the boat a little exercise in the 

 way of chasing, and the enemy being rather erratic and 

 prone to a change of direction at any and all times, with- 

 out reason or rhyme, the sport becomes lively. 



But then, when at last a hold of the fleeing bottle is 

 secured (look out for impromptu baths or capsize, though), 

 and a large, fine trout lies flopping at one's feet, causing 

 visions of an epicurean meal in the near future to rise 

 before the palate's eye, as it were, then one forgives the 

 poor fish for the struggle it has so bravely made for its life. 

 Should two or three of these novel fish-floats be seen bob- 

 bing around at the same time, the rule of ' ' one at a time " 

 becomes tantalizing, especially if the first captive prove to 

 be a refractory soft-shell turtle, as sometimes happens. ■ 



AVe have spoken of the bottles being used in this novel 

 method of fishing ; but, in our own experience, we prefer 

 floats made of small pieces of board twice as long as wide, 

 the line being secured at one end and a slanting hole bored 

 near the other, into which is driven a slender stick bearing 

 a white or scarlet flag. This flag, owing to its sloping po- 

 sition, almost touches the water until the float is pulled 

 down at the other end by the fish, and then it rises almost 

 upright, forming at all times a much plainer guide to the 

 w^hereabouts of the float than does the bottle, and for this 

 reason it is to be preferred ; a stout piece of wire will an- 

 swer for a flag-staff for the bottles. 



