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FOREST AND STREAM 
knuckles. He held on however, and after a 
tussle, beached a big channel bass, which came 
as a surprise for it is rare that this fish will 
take the bait at a jump. Not another bass was 
caught that day, but we soon had our hands full 
with better game. The tide had turned, and 
the clear water of the Gulf came pouring 
through the pass bringing in an immense school 
of shiners, and slashing right and left through 
the school were the biggest mangrove snappers 
we ever saw. Throwing away our crabs, we 
baited with live minnows and in a few minutes 
all were busy with the snappers, so that it was 
not long before we had a nice bunch of the big 
gamy fellows ranging from 3 to 7 pounds each, 
the biggest one which was a perfect beauty, be¬ 
ing caught by my wife. Suddenly, she cried 
out: “Theres goes the shark fine!” Jim got 
there first, and giving the line a vicious jerk, 
called out: “All hands lay to!” We reeled in 
quickly, threw our rods on the beach and ran 
to his assistance. All pulled together, hand oyer 
hand, and over the bank came a jewfish which 
must have weighed 200 pounds or more. It was 
the first jewfish we had ever seen, and we spent 
some time marvelling at its great proportions. 
Jim soon rebaited the big hook and swung it 
out as far as he could, and we resumed our rod 
and reel fishing. 
I had just landed a fine snapper when there 
was another alarm, to which we responded pell 
mell, and after much excitement and yelling, we 
pulled out our second jewfish which was quite 
as large as the first one. We now felt entirely 
satisfied with our luck, but there was more to 
follow. 
It was time for lunch, .and the way the good 
things disappeared showed that fishing is the 
best tonic for an appetite. We were seated in 
a circle on the shell beach finishing up on 
oianges, when the coiled rope straightened out, 
and we made a grand rush for the shark line 
upsetting everything in our way. We soon land¬ 
ed our third jewfish, this time. a small one of 
some 60 or 70 pounds. A little later Miss 
Frances hooked a big fish, and refusing all assist¬ 
ance, triumphantly landed her catch, which 
proved to be a fine grouper. 
By this time the snappers had stopped biting 
and we had about decided that we would get no 
more strikes, when Henry suddenly called out: 
“Help! Help! Everybody!”, and there he was at 
the shark line vainly trying to hold it in check. 
We ran to the rope, and realized at once that 
we had something extraordinary on the other 
end. All hands, seven in all, pulled with might 
and main, meanwhile screaming like school- 
children and slipping and falling in our excite¬ 
ment, until inch by inch, foot by foot, we re¬ 
covered the line, and with a last mighty effort 
dragged our prize jewfish out of the water. It 
was a veritable monster, and we estimated its 
weight at from 400 to 500 pounds. The four 
great jewfish and the big bunch of smaller ones 
made a wonderful sight, and we would have 
given anything if our Northern friends could 
have seen them spread out on the beach. 
Our day’s fishing was over, for the wind had 
changed, and we felt the first chilly puffs of a 
coming norther. Henry bade us hurry and told 
us we would have to leave our one biggest fish 
behind, as we would have heavy seas to fight 
and he was afraid to overload the boat.. With 
great reluctance three of us rolled our prize fish 
overboard, and as it was not long out of its 
element, it swam away unhurt. The other jew¬ 
fish were lashed on the bow and stern of the 
boat, and placing the other fish inside, we made 
off at full speed. 
Henry was right, for the wind increased in 
force, and we had a very rough trip before we 
finally reached the Siesta. We were met at the 
dock by the Captain whose eyes fairly popped 
when he saw our catch. “Well, folks,’ he said, 
“I have had many guests to fish at Little Pass 
and occasionally get one or two jewfish, but 
you are the first to catch four in one day’s fish¬ 
ing.” 
A few days later we waved good-bye to 
Sarasota, and our train pulled out for home. 
We spent a most enjoyable vacation, but all 
agreed that there is one day we will never for¬ 
get, the day with the jewfish. 
Passing of A Pioneer Rod Maker 
Charles Orvis, Famous for Early Development of the Split Bamboo, Dies at Advanced Age 
On Wednesday, March 24th, 1915, there passed 
away, in a little village nestling in the valley of 
the Battenkill, at the foot of Mount Equinox in 
Vermont, a man well known and highly respect¬ 
ed by a wide circle of acquaintances, and much 
beloved by those whose privilege it was to know 
him intimately; on Friday a few of those who 
knew him best and loved him most, laid away 
the body of the veteran rod-maker in the beauti- 
The Late Charles F. Orvis 
ful cemetery of his native place, beside the 
noble wife he had loved so long and well, and 
mourned so deeply, and the gifted daughter who 
had preceded him by but a few months. 
Charles Frederick Orvis was born June 19th, 
1831, in Manchester, Vermont, where, with the 
exception of a few years, he spent his entire 
life, and with-the history of which he was iden¬ 
tified for more than three quarters of a cen¬ 
tury. Fie was an ardent sportsman, and early 
became interested in the making of fly rods, his 
first rod for sale having been made in 1856, and 
with some intervals, during which he engaged 
in other pursuits, he continued their manufac¬ 
ture until his last illness, in the Summer of 
1913, laid him aside, since which time he had 
been a great sufferer until relieved by death. 
Although he was not the first, by some years, to 
make the split-bamboo rod, he was identified, 
with a few other well known men, with its early 
history, and a number of improvements, radical 
at the time, but now practically universal, were 
conceived and first used by him. 
Mr. Orvis was a man of strong character and 
personality, who possessed in a remarkable de¬ 
gree, the faculty of attracting to himself those 
who made his acquaintance, and of forming 
deep and lasting friendships. He had been 
president and postmaster of the village in which 
he was born, and had held other positions of 
trust and responsibility in the gift of his fellow 
citizens, who knew his worth and trusted him 
accordingly. He lacked the advantage of early 
education, yet his strong and vigorous mind was 
stored, through his own efforts, with much of 
practical knowledge and scientific learning, and 
he was genuinely interested in everything that 
concerned the welfare of humanity. Especially 
was he deeply versed in the political history of 
his country, and few men could trace so accu¬ 
rately as he its development from the earliest 
Colonial days to the present, and at all times, 
and upon all subjects, he was a delightful com¬ 
panion and a most interesting talker. 
A man of sterling integrity, scrupulous 
honesty, and indefatigable industry, he will be 
greatly missed in his home, in his native place, 
and by the wider circle of friends the country 
over, who knew him personally, or by corre¬ 
spondence. 
Two sons—Robert J., at present postmaster of 
Manchester, and the Flon. Albert C„ formerly 
member of the legislature—survive him, as also 
do two grandchildren, to all of whom he has 
left the priceless legacy of an upright and hon¬ 
ored life. An only daughter, Mrs. Mary Orvis 
Marbury died only a few months ago. 
H. W. VAN WAGENEN. 
THE MOST INTERESTING AND RELIABLE 
Pittsburgh, Pa., March 30, 1915 - 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I take this occasion -of extending to you my 
congratulations on the splendid appearance of 
your publication under the new form, and the 
only criticism that I have to record is that I en¬ 
joyed the receipt and reading of the Forest and 
Stream under the weekly issue, as I assure you 
I would not receive it too often, and it is some¬ 
what of a disappointment to have to wait a full 
month now before I can get a copy of the issue. 
I consider your publication one of the most 
interesting and reliable in the field which you 
cover. C. E. CORRIGAN. 
