THE BOOK ABOUT THE SEA GARDENS 



a piece of stolen meat. Kingfish must be struck 

 immediately, and if not hooked will seldom come 

 back, as most of the others will, again and again. 

 Along sandy stretches the old wife may sometimes 

 be taken with live bait or trolling, and even 

 conch. They are not very numerous, but excel- 

 lent sport. I have seen small ones fight like 

 trout. Bonefish are taken with conch or soldier 

 crab ; the latter probably the best. These may be 

 obtained by the simple process of going into the 

 bush on your hands and knees and looking for 

 them. The bait question is ever a serious one 

 in Nassau, as no one makes any provision for 

 anglers. Suffice it to say where soldier crabs 

 are found at all there are generally plenty of 

 them. A rubbish heap near a kitchen window, 

 especially out of town, is a likely hunting ground, 

 and they can be kept in a covered box almost 

 indefinitely, as they will eat anything. Beware 

 their claws, however, for small as they are, they 

 can draw blood with ease, and a large one will 

 lift a piece of flesh right out of a careless 

 finger. 



With these few hints a beginner may fairly 

 start in the path of learning something a,bout 

 the local fishing. Much may be added to them by 

 any experienced angler, but as there is no brother 

 of the angle skilled in the use of rod and line in 

 Nassau, little can be learned about that art. The 



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