The Florida Jewfisb 303 



Our struggle with the jewfish attracted the at- 

 tention of the skipper of a smack, and as I was 

 about to cast off the fish, he hailed and asked for 

 it. We towed it alongside while he ran up in the 

 wind, then a barbless hook was inserted in its jaw, 

 the crew manned the halyard, and the jewfish was 

 hauled aboard. The skipper, who hailed from 

 Mystic, quickly took a few stitches in its mouth 

 to prevent it from eating the rest of his catch, 

 then the fish was lowered into the well and later 

 carried to Havana, where jewfish steaks were 

 highly esteemed. 



Within thirty miles of this place I caught a 

 number of jewfishes, several giving me exciting 

 contests before subdued. One taken in shallow 

 water fought in a lagoon for three-quarters of an 

 hour before it was landed. The tackle employed 

 for this fish was an ordinary halibut line with a 

 doubled leader six feet long, and a very large 

 hook ; the bait was hooked through the fish just 

 under the dorsal fin, near the tail, so that it was 

 practically uninjured ; a small sinker was used to 

 carry it down. 



There are two genera called jewfish by the 

 habitues of the reef: the black grouper, when of 

 large size, and the " Warsaw," Promicrops itaiara. 



