THE GAME FISHES OF THE WOELD 



On the JSew Jersey coast and in the Chesapeake Bay (where 

 I have taken it) down to Georgia and Florida, you may find 

 another weakfish, C. nebulosas, or the spotted sea-trout, on which 

 the spots are very pronounced. Along this entire country, 

 including Hatteras, it is one of the important food fishes. On 

 the Indian Eiver of Florida it runs up to twelve pounds, and is 

 taken with a phantom minnow, spoon, or bait of a varied Mnd. 

 Another species, C. nothus, of a gray silvery tint, ranges in a 

 general way along the Georgia, Florida and Gulf of Mexico waters. 

 It has a dark, often blackish, lower jaw. The spotted trout is 

 very common at Pensacola and Key Westj though I have fished 

 the Tortugas group about sixty nules west, winter and summer, 

 and do not recall it. 



At nearly aU of the places, and I recall ' Old Poiat ' in Virginia, 

 the mouth of the St. John's and St. Mary's, these fishes are present 

 with the channel-bass and others ; but in nine cases out of ten, 

 their game and fighting qualities are utterly lost, due to the use 

 of big poles or hand-lines in taking them. An eight-ounce split 

 bamboo rod, with the reel above the grip, is heavy enough for 

 the average weakfish. I observe that Mr. Turner-Turner in his 

 Big Fish in Florida, refers to the ' trout ' at Boca Grand as 

 taking a grilse-&y. 



This interesting and valuable fish to the inhabitants of so 

 many American states has no representative in Europe ; but 

 when the Panama Canal is finished, the way will be opened, and 

 the field of the Pacific coast presented for a variety of weakfish 

 angling that, to my mind, is not incomparable to sea-trout fish- 

 ing. In a word, h^re, and especially in California, is the ' spotted 

 trout ' or bluefish, Cynoscion parvipinnis, a radiant little fish 

 of six or seven pounds, which I have often taken at Santa Cata- 

 lina and along the mainland of California, and which is found 

 from this island south to Mazatlan, and in the GulE of California, 

 where I have taken it near Guajrmas. California is famed for 

 big things, and among them may be included its fishes, particularly 

 the game fishes of the weakfish family. Here we find them 

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