ON BOTH COASTS 1,15 



by inches. Then it decided upon a reversal, and 

 came up so rapidly that only by reeling madly was 

 the line kept taut. After that the fish took a notion 

 to circumnavigate the boat, which he proceeded to 

 do in spite of protests from the fisherman. When 

 one is fishing from a row-boat with anchor safely 

 stowed away in the bow, there can be no serious 

 objections urged if the fish decides to describe a 

 circle about the boat; but on a sail-boat at anchor, 

 the case is radically different. It is not easy to 

 manipulate your rod successfully under the anchor 

 rope, crawl under the boom, keep clear of the 

 rudder, and never, for a second, give the fish the 

 least slack line. One such experience is more than 

 enough, and when that fish repeated the perform- 

 ance three times he almost exhausted the fisher- 

 man's patience. But all things have an end, even 

 the antics of a fish that objects to being caught, 

 and at last the sturdy fighter began to grow amen- 

 able to discipline. Slowly, line was reeled in and, 

 after many flurries and plunges, he was landed 

 safely in the boat. Natives assured the captor that 

 eighteen pounds was not very large for a channel 

 bass; but even their efforts to minimize the im- 

 portance of the event did not entirely destroy the 

 angler's satisfaction. 



If there is a more uninteresting ride anywhere 

 than that from Palatka to Charlotte Harbour, we do 

 not care to find it. Scrub palmetto, pines, sand, 

 and then sand, pines and scrub palmetto, until the 



