FEB. 3, 1906.] 

FOREST AND STREAM. 
187 






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THE YELLOWTAIL. 

THE DOLPHIN. 
withal is a better and gamier fish than its north- 
ern brother. The ‘trout’ is usually taken of 2 
or 3 pounds in weight, and occasionally of 6 or 
8 pounds. It is a bold biter and gives consid- 
erable play, and being a surface feeder rises well 
to the artificial fly. It is found not only in the 
bays and about the inlets, but it runs up the 
streams to fresh water, where it is frequently 
taken with bait and fly. 
“The Henshall black bass rod of 8-ounce is 
just the tool for bait-fishing. A medium-sized 
multiplying reel and a braided E line, linen or 
silk, with Sproat hook, 3-0 to 4-0, on gimp snell, 
constitute the tackle for ‘trout’ fishing on the 
Florida coasts. 
“The bait should be pilchard, an anchovy or a 
small mullet, all of which swarm in great schools 
in Florida waters. The shrimp is also an excel- 
lent bait, and the artificial rubber minnow may 
be used if kept in constant motion. The anglers 
of Tampa have great sport in taking the ‘trout’ 
from the piers at Port Tampa in March and 
April, when they appear in schools on the. flood 
ues following the swarms of pilchard and other 
ry. 
“For fly-fishing a heavy black bass fly-rod of 
not less than nine or ten ounces is preferable to 
a lighter rod, for there is no knowing what fish 
may take a fancy to the angler’s fly, it not being 
unusual for a ravallia or tarpon of 20 pounds to 
snap up the feathery lure. The line should be of 
enameled silk, size E, and the fly tied on a 3-0 
Sproat hook. Almost any style or color of fly 
may be used, but one with some red or brown in 
it is best. If the tide serves right about sun- 
down or later the fly-fisher will not be disap- 
pointed in the ‘trout’ of Florida.” 
THE WHITING or KinGFIsH (Menticirrus ameri- 
canus).—Among the popular names of this fish 
are: Carolina whiting, ground mullet, barb and 
kingfish. The whiting is found on the’ south 
Atlantic coast from New Jersey to Florida, and 
in the Gulf of Mexico. 
It frequents the deep channels and rarely ap- 
proaches the shores. It prefers sandy bottoms. 
The whiting subsists upon crustaceans, including 
crabs and shrimp. It seizes the bait with a strong 
rush and fights hard for liberty. In Florida the 
average weight, according to Goode, is about 
three-quarters of a pound; Clarke states it to be 
one pound. The maximum is recorded as about 
1% pounds. 
“The whiting, or barb kingfish, is more com- 
mon on the east coast than on the Gulf coast of 
Florida, though I have never found it abundant 
anywhere in that State, and it is rare about the 
Florida keys—it is rather a brackish water fish 
of the bays and estuaries. The whiting is quite 
palatable when perfectly fresh, and is a fair game 
fish, giving considerable play, and weighs from 1 
to 5 pounds, though usually about 2 pounds in 
weight. It has a small, tough mouth and holds 
the hook well. Black bass, or similar tackle, is 
quite suitable for this fish. 
“In all coast fishing the weight of the sinker 
must be adapted to the strength and swiftness of 
the tidal currents, and may vary from the small- 
est size to one weighing four ounces or more for 
rod and reel fishing. Small Sproat hooks, not 
larger than No. 1, are best, and the bait may be 
crab, fiddler or clam. On the Jersey and Long 
Island shores the kingfish is of more importance, 
being found in greater abundance than in 
Florida.” 
THe Drum (Pogonias chromis).—Common 
names of this species are black drum (adult), 
banded drum, striped drum and little drum 
(young). The name is derived from the sound 
produced by the fish in some uncertain way. 
The drum is found along the east coast from 
Cape Cod to Florida, and is abundant in the Gulf 
of Mexico. The young ascend rivers for short 
distances. In the St. Johns, Goode records them 
at Jacksonville and Doctor’s Lake. North of New 
Jersey the drum is a comparatively rare fish, and 
none but adults are seen. The drum migrates in 
schools along the coast, but its northern limit in 
winter is not recorded; it does not arrive on the 
New England shores until July. It lives on the 
bottom, where it passes a _ sluggish existence 
among the oysters, crabs and shrimps upon which 
it feeds. The chin is provided with sensitive bar- 
bels, which are supposed to aid the fish in its 
search for food. In the pharynx are series of 
large molar teeth, which enable the fish to crush 
oysters and other shellfish with great ease. Some 
naturalists believe that the drumming is caused 
by clapping together the pavement-like teeth of 
the pharynx; others think it due to some action 
of the air bladder; some ignorantly attribute it 
to the fishes beating the tail against the bottom of 
the vessel, to rid themselves of parasites infest- 
ing that region of the body. The sound is heard 
more especially in the breeding season, and is 
sometimes regarded as a signal between mates. 
The drum is generally considered very destruc- 
tive to oysters. 
The drum is one of the largest game fishes on 
our coast. It is said that individuals have been 
taken exceeding 100 pounds in weight and meas- 
uring four feet in length. The usual size is far 
below this; examples weighing 20 pounds are ma- 
ture. The bands are said to continue in speci- 
mens of I0 or 12 pounds, and such fish are pre- 
ferred to larger.ones. Its food, as already stated, 
is hard-shelled invertebrates, and especially oys- 
ters, mussels, clams and crabs. Scallops have 
been given to it in aquaria. The male is larger 
than the female and more noisy. The young are 
