182 WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO CATCH FISH 



CHAPTER VIII. 



ORMOND ON THE HALIFAX RIVER. 

 ORMOND BY THE SEA. 

 ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE MILES SOUTH OF JACKSONVILLE. 



Here the best season is the same as at St. Augustine, and the fishes 

 are Channel Bass (usually quite small), Sea Trout, Sheepshead, Mullet. 



The fishing is mostly done by walking to and fro on the bridge, 

 with rod and reel, trolling with phantom Minnow, spoon, live Min- 

 now, Shrimp, or cut Mullet, or from the bridge, still fishing, with 

 Shrimp, Fiddlers or other Crustacea bait, for Sheepshead. A moder- 

 ate number of fishes can be caught here all the year round, but, as 

 stated above, the best season is from April to November. 



The Tomoko River and Smith's Creek, each about four miles 

 north from Ormond, afford some Large-mouth Black Bass fishing, and 

 the rivers are reached by launches from Ormond. 



At Ormond-by-the-Sea, or Ormond Beach, there is fair Channel 

 Bass fishing in the surf, hand line, or rod and reel ; and Pompano run 

 there through the summer months. 



I think it well to here say that the term "river," as applied to 

 the so-called Halifax, Hillsboro, and Indian rivers, is a misnomer. 

 They are salt-water lagoons, bays or arms of the sea, with a few fresh- 

 water streams emptying into them ; and are connected and continuous 

 from four miles north of Ormond to Jupiter, counting the Haulover 

 Canal (one-half mile long) between Mosquito Lagoon and Indian 

 River as part of their water, which it really is. They are navigable 

 for light-draught boats (say three feet) the entire distance of 182 

 miles (railroad measurement). They have four inlets from the Atlan- 

 tic Ocean, namely, Mosquito, Indian River, Gilbert's Bar, and Jupi- 

 ter, the latter temporarily closed. 



DAYTONA, WEST SIDE OF THE HALIFAX RIVER. 

 ONE HUNDRED AND TEN MILES FROM JACKSONVILLE. 

 Season about the same as at Ormond, but the best fishing com- 

 mences a little earlier and lasts longer. 



