264 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



who well deserved his liberty. On the following day iny twelfth 

 was brought on shore and, although I fished again, he proved 

 the last. Altogether I had battles with twenty-eight tarpon, of 

 which twelve were landed ; the line broke three times, once 

 entirely due to carelessness, and the others were insufficiently 

 hooked. 



5th April 1 of 95 Ibs 



lof 66 



7th ,, Iof92 



,, lot 50 



8th ,, lof34J 



16th ... 1 of 75 



With a good guide, 

 Gyles black. 



From now till the 1st of May I fished on every possible day 

 but got no strikes, owing greatly, no doubt, to a worse than 

 useless guide Black Joe by name. 



1st May 1 of 100 Ibs 



2nd 1 of 111 , 



,, lof 92, 



, 1 of 75 , 



3rd 1 of 50 , 



6th lof 83, 



With the best guide 



there, Johnny Baines 



(a Scotchman). 



I am sure that success depends on the guide to a very great 

 extent. 



My score compared favourably with that of others, and had I 

 not been obliged to employ a useless guide, the others being 

 engaged, from the 16th of April to the 1st of May, it probably 

 would have been greatly better. But the season was a very bad 

 one, the fish scarce and small. The largest killed weighed 

 171 Ibs., but the very great majority scaled less than 100 Ibs. 

 Every one went away disappointed but greatly impressed by the 

 sport and very eager to have another try as soon as possible. 



MEMS. 



Get there by April 15th. 



Engage the best guide long before starting. 



Avoid a flat-bottomed boat. 



Get the very best tackle to be procured. 



Fish deep (54 feet) with plenty of lead two sinkers. 



