THE GAME FISHES OF THE WORLD 



engine-room of a steamer. I know of a pound and a quarter 

 flying fish that leaped aboard the ocean-going steamer Hermosa 

 in the Santa Catalina Island Channel, and landed in the bar, 

 to the destruction of glass ware. 



If the angler can find a good locality in Florida where he 

 can fish for the big jack from the shore, he should not miss the 

 opportunity. Such a place feU to my good fortune at Long Key, 

 not the famous tarpon and swordfish locality of the upper reef, 

 but at the Tortugas group, sixty miles west of Key West. Here 

 on the east side of the Key the jacks would beat almost every- 

 day in summer. At such time I would wade out a few feet on 

 the south side and cast my sardine into the blue channel, that 

 like an artery wound in and out among these gardens of the sea> 

 It would not be long before I would have a strike, and what a 

 strike ! It was a condensed tuna, taken on the rush, with a bang, 

 smash, and if you did not have affairs — ^hne, reel, etc. — rin shape, 

 something would ^ve, and then would begin a fight worth while, 

 the rod bending to the breaking point, the jack makiag great 

 characteristic side runs, and a splendid exhibition, as I gradu- 

 ally backed in and played him in the shallows within reach of 

 the negro's grains in lieu of gaff. 



To interpolate, there is a feature of the fishing in Florida 

 that was particularly fascinating to me, and I observe that the 

 late Mr. Arthur St. John Newbury in his charming book on 

 Florida fishing, gives a picture illustrating it. This is bait 

 catching. There are so many fishes to catch here, with so many 

 varied appetites, that the tyro wHl often fail because he innocently 

 attempts to force an impossible bait on a fish. Some fancy 

 crabs ; others fish. One wiU take sardines or hardheads ; 

 another takes conch, or crayfish or shrimp. The taking of this 

 bait is a fasdnation, or was to me. Many an early morning at 

 sunrise, I was on the shallow lagoon, grains (spear, with two 

 short prongs) in hand, to take crayfish. Or later followed them and 

 took them where their whips appeared, as they lived beneath 

 every coral head or bunch. Or we drifted along, diving for 



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