236 WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO CATCH FISH 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



KEY WEST. 



ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-THREE NAUTICAL MILES 

 FROM MIAMI, USUAL STEAMBOAT COURSE. 



This is a very interesting old city, but I have very little to add, 

 from the angler's standpoint, to what I have already written. Here 

 during a short stay you can usually see every one of the Key fishes 

 brought in alive to the fishermen's wharf, and it is of course quite a 

 rendezvous for yachtsmen and sport fishermen. All sorts of boats 

 can be chartered for long or short cruises, on about the same terms as 

 at Miami. As is well known, it is the market for the spongers of the 

 East Coast, of whom there are hundreds ; and it is the market and 

 supply point for the residents of the near-by Keys. 



The range of the market fishers to the north is, as a general state- 

 ment, to Bahia Honda. Their cruises are from twelve to forty-eight 

 hours, as they cannot keep their fish longer, and their boats are open 

 and small, with little, or no, cabins. 



I made a trip to within a short distance of East Crawfish Key 

 northwest of Key West, where I caught a great variety of fishes, 

 including Snappers (Lane and Mangrove), Groupers, Porgies, Grunts, 

 and the salt-water Bream I have heretofore mentioned, and which I 

 have not been able to identify with anything in Bulletin 47 or any- 

 thing I had caught before. He is a fine game and edible fish. I 

 would rank him A. Weight averages about three-fourths pound. 



Mr. Henry J. Pierce, a veteran pilot, guide, and boatman of Key 

 West, piloted me to the above grounds, and I am indebted to him for 

 the description of the following inside route from Key West to Bahia 

 Honda, which I have never taken ; as also for other information given 

 me regarding fishes, baits, etc., in the Key West waters. 



He recommends as bait for Tarpon : Mullets, Finny Crabs, 

 Pilchards alive, and Bollioes. For Bluefish, Snappers, Mutton-fish, 

 and Groupers : Mullet and Crawfish. Crabs for Permits ; and Craw- 

 fish and Conchs for all the other fishes ; and told me Mullet could be 



