186 FOREST AND STREAM. [FEB. 3, 1906. 


satisfactorily to a medium-sized, gay-tinted fly of 
almost any color, and it is by all odds the fittest 
and most desirable method of fishing for the 
cavalli and its kindred. In bait-fishing or fly- 
fishing for cavalli near the inlets and passes the 
angler will often take the ‘lady,’ or ‘bonefish,’ 
and the ‘ten-pounder,’ both of which are game to 
the backbone, and fight.as well in the air as in 
the water. They are long, slender and round, 
spindle-shaped fishes, belonging to the herring 
family, and are as gracefully formed and as 
bright and silvery in appearance, and when fast 
to the angler’s hook fly through the air and water 
like animated silver shuttles. They run from one 
to three pounds usually. I consider the ‘ladyfish’ 
to be the gamiest fish of salt water in proportion 
to its size.” 
THE Pompano (Trachynotus carolinus).—The 
name of this delicious species is corrupted into 
pompynose on some parts of the Gulf coast. The 
Cubans style it palometa. The common pompano 
is found at the Bermudas, in the West Indies, 
northward in summer on our coast to Cape Cod, 
southward to the Gulf of Mexico at least. It has 
been reported in the Gulf of California by Prof. 
C. H. Gilbert. In Florida, according to Dr. Hen- 
shall, “it is very aboundant on the west coast, 
about Charlotte Harbor, and on the east coast at 
Jupiter Inlet and Lake Worth.” 
The species is migratory, and the number on 
our northern coast fluctuates greatly. Its favor- 
ite feeding grounds are holes and gullies in sandy 
beaches, where it finds shells and sand flies. Dr. 
Henshall writes concerning it as follows: “It 
feeds principally on the ‘pompano shell,’ a very 
small and beautiful bivalve that is very abundant 
on the sea beaches of the localities named. It is 
fond also of beach fleas.” 
Stearns mentions the sea beach from Tampa 
Bay to Charlotte Harbor as probably the favorite 
ground for pompano, because of the abundance 
of eet Lake The pompano is soa sities 
a length of 19% inches and a weight o % 
pounds, but the average size is much smaller. ROME PALTRY 
“The pompano is the very best fish that swims 
for the table, and is a fine game fish as well if 
we are so fortunate as to get the hook fast to 
one, which does not often happen. It has quite 
a small mouth and is seldom known to take the 
hook. It runs to a pound or two in weight, 
usually. I have taken several with clam-bait and 
mussel on the flood tide, near the inlets, as they 
were coming in to feed, but I have had more 
pompano jump in my boat of their own accord 
than I ever caught by angling—more’s the pity.” 
THE DorpHiIn (Coryphena hippurus).—The 
dolphin, or dorado, is a pelagic fish, found most 
abundantly on the high seas. It is said to be 
common, also, in the Gulf of Mexico. Our spe- 
cies is believed to occur as well in the Mediter- 
ranean, the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the 
Pacific. 
This powerful swimmer eagerly pursues the 
flying-fishes and other surface species. Sailors 
prize its flesh very highly, and everyone becomes 
more or less enthusiastic over its changing hues 
while dying. The fish is not well known to the 
angler, chiefly because of its inaccessibility. Silas THE STRIPED BASS. 
Stearns has secured a moderately large number 
of individuals in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Hen- 
shall has “seen several taken on heavy trolling 
lines at sea near the Gulf Stream.” 
Tue SEA Trout or WEAKFISH (Cynoscion ma- 
culatum).—Popular names of this fish include 
spotted sea trout, salt-water trout, gray trout, sun 
trout, shad trout, salmon trout, speckled trout, 
weakfish and spotted weakfish. 
The spotted weakfish is found occasionally as 
far north as Long Island, and is common south- 
ward, extending into the Gulf of Mexico. It 
runs up the tidal creeks after its food. In east 
Florida the species is very abundant, and also 
in the Gulf, where it .ranks next to the channel 
bass in importance. In the Halifax River it is 
plentiful in March. It takes the bait with a rush, 
fights hard, and is difficult to bring to net be- 
cause of its tender mouth. In some parts of 
Florida this fish varies in weight from 1 to 5 
pounds. In the Gulf it sometimes reaches Io 
pounds, and measures two feet. 
“The ‘spotted weakfish, or, as it is called in 
Florida, spotted trout, or salt-water trout, is very 
abundant on both the east and west coasts, and THE RED GROUPER. 
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