ON THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA. 61 



ventrals yellow and blackish ; anal blackish, with pale edge. Young 

 and old specimens have essentially the same general form, being in 

 all stages more slender than Seriola dumerili. A food-fish of some 

 importance, reaching a weight of 100 pounds and a length of 5 or 6 

 feet." Weight to 100 pounds ; average 25 pounds. 



Caught still fishing, rowboat anchored, without sinker, Tarpon rod 

 and reel, 10$ or Tarpon hook, No. 21 line, with wire snood l 1 /, 

 feet long, Live Spot, Grunt, Mullet or other y^ to x / 2 pound 

 fish. Keep the bait on or near the surface. When the fish bites, 

 let him run ten or fifteen feet, then strike, and play the fish until he 

 surrenders. Or trolling from rowboat, sailboat or launch, with rod 

 and reel, same rig as above, or with hand line T 3 ^- cotton line and 

 squid, a live, or long cut dead fish. These fish are also grained 

 by some of the guides of Biscayne Bay, and " Conchs " of the 

 Keys. 



On quiet days outside Biscayne Bay, around Fowey Rock Light, 

 leave the large boat in rowboat, and fish with rod and reel as above. 

 A very game fish. Barely edible, C. 



During March, 1897, while I was at the Royal Poinciana, I strolled 

 down to the pier just after an early breakfast. As I passed through 

 the gate, the gate-keeper said to me, " There is a fine school of Mul- 

 lets about 200 feet from the shore on the south side of the pier." I 

 went out to look at them, and there they were about 75 feet from 

 the pier, a round school of at least 100 feet diameter and quite solid, 

 with Barracoudas and Amber Jacks surrounding and making dashes 

 among them. 



I went over for Capt. Gardner, who was on the " Hillsboro " 

 in the lake. We picked up rods and went back to the pier. The 

 instant John saw the school he said, "Those are not Mullet, they are 

 Bluefish "; and, sure enough, they were, and on their migration north, 

 the pier evidently having stopped them. John said, " Now is your 

 chance, put on a piece of Mullet, cast into the school, a Bluefish is 

 sure to take it, haul him out of the school, leave him there, and a 

 Barracouda or Jack is sure to take him." I followed instructions, and 

 it turned out just as John said, as I hooked an Amber Jack of fifty 

 pounds or so, but at that stage the business had only commenced, as 

 the Amber Jack had something to say (or do) about it. He charged 

 around, taking and giving line for a few minutes, and then made a 

 straight bolt for the spiles under us, ran around one of them, the bar- 



