4 WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO CATCH FISH 



then the State has been covered with a network of railroads, reaching 

 all important points on both coasts, except Key West. 



While this transformation has been in progress, I know of no book 

 having been published wholly devoted to the angler's pursuit in the 

 State, the field having been only partially covered by articles in, and 

 contributions to, "Forest and Stream," the "American Angler," 

 various isolated articles in other sporting papers and magazines, and 

 in a few books. Among the latter I will mention "American Game 

 Fishes," published by Rand & McNally, 1892, which contains contri- 

 butions by W. N. Haldeman on the Tarpon ; the Bluefish, by G. 

 Browne Goode ; and Sea Bass and other Fishes, by S. C. Clarke. All 

 of these are fragmentary and desultory, so can be of but little prac- 

 tical use to the angling visitor who desires to know where he ought to 

 go to get fair success at the present time. It has seemed strange to 

 me that no one of the very many anglers of well-known literary abil- 

 ity has undertaken to write a systematic book of information and in- 

 struction on the game fishes of the State, for which there is certainly 

 an apparent need. 



As no one has appeared to take the task, it has occurred to me 

 that possibly I could assume it, although not as fully qualified in every 

 respect as many other anglers of more literary experience would be. 

 I have, to quote Thaddeus Norris in his introduction to "American 

 Anglers Book," "overcome my scruples as to my shortcomings as a 

 writer, for I profess to be only an angler," and have decided to write 

 and publish the book, with the hope that it will be of substantial 

 benefit to my brothers of the craft. In the preparation of the book I 

 am to have the assistance of Capt. John Gardner of Ponce Park 

 (Mosquito Inlet), Florida, who has had thirty years' experience as 

 fisherman, boatman and guide on the East Coast. In order to show 

 the reader the captain's qualifications and my own, to impart the 

 information contained in the book, I think it well to give a short 

 account of our experience on the waters included in the territory I 

 treat of. 



Capt. Gardner was born in the interior of Florida, and at an 

 early age removed to St. Augustine, where he " fished on de sea wall " 

 with the Minorcan boys, and since 1871 has resided on the Halifax 

 River, Hillsboro River, and Mosquito Lagoon, all of which waters 

 are connected and continuous, extending from the Tomoka River, four 

 miles north of Ormond, south to the north end of Indian River. At 



