ON THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA. 245 



Creek, Angelfish Creek, Jewfish Creek, Boggy, Tavernier Creek, 

 Cow Pen, Indian Key, and Bahia Honda, at all of which places I 

 had very poor success, except at Indian Key, Boggy and Cow Pen, 

 owing to prevailing " Northers." At Indian Key I had fine Barra- 

 cuda fishing, trolling with rod and reel, 10# hook, cut fish bait, 

 around Alligator Lighthouse, and inside in the channels for the 

 assortment of bottom fishes and Pompano. At Boggy and Cow Pen, 

 Snappers, Groupers, Grunts, etc. 



The above cruise shows plainly the effect cold weather will have 

 on the fishing. I had warm days at the points named, where I did 

 well, and cold at all the others. This season, so far, has been an 

 unusually cold, wet, and windy one, the worst I have ever seen m 



Florida. 



I ascertained that a new inlet had been cut at New River, which 

 carries six to seven feet of water, and that the fishing there had im- 

 proved. I came through the canal to the inlet going through it, and 

 outside to Bears Cut on Biscay ne Bay. 



Before taking leave of my readers I will say that during an angling 

 experience of sixty-four years I have never had as much pleasure in 

 any other locality as I have on the East Coast of Florida. 



Not many years ago it was the fashion among the Brook Trout, 

 Black Bass, Salmon, Onananiche, and other fresh water anglers of the 

 North to look down upon their salt water brothers ; but that feeling 

 does not now prevail to any great extent, because more and more of 

 the fraternity have taken to the ocean fishes, and especially so since 

 the Tarpon has become known as a game fish, and since the Flagler 

 System of Hotels on the East Coast and the Plant System on the 

 West Coast have been inaugurated. 



The Tarpon, Barracuda, Amber Jack, Kingfish, and Bonefish, 

 when caught with rod and reel, certainly deserve to rank with the 

 Salmon and Mascalonge in game qualities ; the Lady-fish and Pompano 

 are the equals of the Onananiche ; and the Mangrove Snapper, 

 Spanish Mackerel, and Bluefish far excel the Black Bass, Wall-eyed 

 Pike and Pickerel in game and edible qualities. 



I have fished in nearly all of the States and Territories of the 

 Union, including the Pacific Coast, and in British America, in many 

 places, from Victoria on the West to Lake St. John and the Saguenay 

 River on the east, including the north and south and east and west 

 shores of the Great Lakes, Georgian Bay, and the St. Lawrence 



