212 WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO CATCH FISH 



Ball Brothers of the schooner "Privateer" have invented a 

 method of not catching Kingfish, which affords the same sport as 

 catching them, and gives the Kingfishes themselves opportunity of 

 joining in the amusement. The device is simply the regular King- 

 fish squid with the hook entirely broken off. 



Of course, the fishes will jump at this just the same as they will 

 if the hook were on, knocking the squid sky high, and while Ball 

 Brothers and their "parties" laugh, the Kingfishes can join in the 

 hilarity of the occasion. 



There is fair trolling with rowboat, hand line, or rod and reel, 

 phantom, spoon, cut strip of fish or Minnow bait, along the west 

 shore, any distance north and south of the Royal Palm. Fishes are 

 Spotted Trout mostly, with occasional Groupers, Cavalle, and some 

 of the smaller fishes. 



Up the Miami River affords about the same sport, with an occa- 

 sional small Channel Bass, and the Mudfish or Mud-sucker is caught, 

 mostly, by the colored people. 



Above the rapids a few small Black Bass (large mouth) and Bream 

 (fresh water) can be caught, but the trip of five miles is not worth 

 the candle, as far as the fishing is concerned. The water has been 

 overfished. 



Groupers, Grunts, Porgies, etc. , can be caught, with rod and reel, 

 1$, 2$, 3fo, 4fo hooks, small line, cut Mullet, or Crab bait, opposite 

 the Royal Palm, and just east of the main steamboat channel (or 

 canal), at any place where there is rock bottom, or patches, the whole 

 length of the canal. As the distance is less than a mile from the hotel 

 to the first grounds, it is handy for a rowboat fish of half a day. 



Quite small Mangrove Snappers are caught in the mouth of the 

 river, and toward night, from the dock ; but they are hardly worthy 

 of attention. 



About three miles south of Cocoanut Grove, in Snapper Creek, 

 Mangrove Snappers up to two pounds, and plenty of Grunts, are 

 caught. 



Black Creek, about sixteen miles south of Miami, is a very fine 

 stream (or everglade slough) for Large-mouth Black Bass and Bream 

 (fresh water). The stream where it comes into a small bay is very 

 narrow and sinuous for about four miles, when it opens into some 

 comparatively broad water. There is barely enough width and water 

 to push a skiff through the creek to reach the fishing ground, but it is 



