TALES OF FISHES 



arranged this sinker, which has a hole through it, 

 so that the line will run freely. This seems to work 

 all right on the bite, but I am afraid it does not work 

 after the fish is hooked. That sinker drags on the 

 bottom. This is the best rigging that I can plan at 

 the present stage of the game. I have an idea now 

 that a bonefish should be hooked hard and then 

 very carefully handled. 



I fished off the beach awhile in front of the cabin. 

 We used both kinds of crabs, soldier and hermit. 

 I fished two hours and a half, from the late rising 

 tide to the first of the ebb, without a sign or sight 

 of a fish. R. C. finally got tired and set his rod and 

 went in bathing. Then it happened. I heard his 

 reel singing and saw his rod nodding; then I made 

 a dash for it. The fish was running straight out, 

 heavy and fast, and he broke the line. 



This may have been caused by the heavy sinker 

 catching in the weeds. We must do more planning 

 to get a suitable rig for these bonefish. 



Day before yesterday R. C. and I went up to 

 the Long Key point, and rowed in on the mangrove 

 shoal where once before I saw so many bonefish. 

 The tide was about one-quarter in, and there was 

 a foot of water all over the flats. ' We anchored at 

 the outer edge and began to fish. We had made 

 elaborate preparations in the way of tackle, bait, 

 canoe, etc., and it really would have been remarkable 

 if we had had any luck. After a little while I dis- 

 tinctly felt something at my hook, and upon jerking 

 I had one splendid surge out of a good, heavy bone- 

 fish. That was all that happened in that place. 



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