

FORESR ANDY STREAM? 


































































































Winter Fishing in Florida. 
Denver, Colo. Sept. 7.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: It may be of interest and information 
to men I have not fished with to relate my ex- 
perience with a party of friends on the west 
coast of Florida during last winter. — 
We reached Fort Myers, 321 miles south of 
Jacksonvi Florida, the middle of January. 
Myers is the Caloosahatchee River, about 
fifteen miles above where it flows into San Car- 
los Bay. The principal fishing at Myers in win- 
ter is for big-mouth black in the river, 
where they are caught up to eight pounds, aver- 
aging probably two pounds. At Fort Thompson, 
some 50 miles further up the river, the bass fish- 
ing is still better, the fish averaging considerably 
more. Still further up, ten miles or more, in the 
drainage canal from Lake Okeechobee, the num- 
ber and average size increase. There two of us 
caught 81 in less than three hours, 20 of which 
would run from four to six pounds each. We 
turned back all weighing less than two pounds. 
They take almost any spoon with a bit of pork 
rind trailing, 
The Caloosahatchee River is without doubt the 
navigable river in the world. We 
on the small stern-wheel steamer 
Edison. 
le, 
on 
bass 

crookedest 
went up it 
Thomas A. 
In going the fifty-five miles from Myers to 
Thompson, we backed and filled a great many 
times, and at least three times had to get out a 
line and warp around the bends. The trip was, 
however, all the more interesting for that reason. 
Big orange groves, alligators and waterfowl are 
seen on the trip. 
We were soon satisfied with bass fishing, and 
our real object being sea fishing, we chartered a 
aunch and went to Marco Island, about sixty- 
five miles down the coast. There we found a 
tolerably good hotel, and fair sheephead, red fish 
and snapper fishing in Marco Pass, but owing 
o the northers then prevailing, we were unable 
o get out on the reefs for king and other sea 
fishing We had expected to stop at Punta- 
rassa, at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee, but a 
short time before our arrival the hotel there was 
vurned, and with it almost all the boats at the 
ace, they being stored under and about the 
10tel. 

Our next point was Useppa Island, some twen- 
ty-five miles above the mouth of the river, where 

is a really good hotel, save for one thing to 
which I will refer hereafter : ae 
About five miles north of Useppa is Boca 
Grande Pass, and about the same distance to the 
south is Captiva Pass. In these passes and 
among the islands adjacent to Useppa is no doubt 
the best all-round fishing to be found on the west 
coast. The fish to be had near Useppa are tar- 
pon, kingfish, jewfish, Spanish mackerel, redfish, 
grouper, trout, and, in fact, about all fish com- 
mon to the Gulf of Mexico. 
While we were there northers prevailed much 
of the time and then the fishing was not good, 
sut_ on warm days we caught kingfish, jewfish, 
mackerel and redfish and plenty of groupers, the 
atter up to 21 pounds. A few tarpon were seen, 
and two were hooked, but not landed. Sharks 
othered some, but not more than at most other 
ylaces in the gulf. 
The method of tarpon fishing there, and also 
n the Caloosahatchee River, is different from 
any other place that I know of, the bait being 
strips of large mullet, and still-fishing in fifty to 
sixty feet of water, or a very slow troll. So far 
as I could learn, no one had ever tried a small 
mullet and a faster troll, as in other tarpon fish- 
ing grounds; in fact, we were unable to find 
among the bait catchers a net with meshes small 
enough to catch a six-inch mullet. I see no 
reason why, if they could be had, they should 

not be better than the cut bait, as experience 
shows them to be successful elsewhere, 
A small launch belonging to the Useppa Inn 
tows fishing boats to the passes in the morning 
and brings them back in the evening, which 
makes it very convenient and saves much time. 
Generally the Boca Grande Pass furnishes the 
greater variety and the larger fish. 
The hotels on the islands are totally regardless 
of the comfort of their guests in the matter of 
heating their sitting and dining rooms, and 60° 
temperature prevails generally in January and 
February. Guests, men and women, spend the 
evenings and mornings shivering, and often wear 
overcoats and other outdoor wraps into the 
breakfast room, and still the managers seem ob- 
livious. Among a hundred or more persons who 
have had experience there, I have yet to find one 
who does not complain of this, and there is no 
doubt that it is a serious drawback to the win- 
ter business of these hotels. Certain it is, a lot 
of people, including myself, are done with it un- 
less we can be assured of some comfort in that 
respect. 
Sixty-degree weather there is colder than 50° 
weather in Denver, and if we cannot escape cold 
weather by going to the west coast of Florida, 
we must go somewhere else or stay at home. If 
I should learn in the future that these hotel keep- 
ers had discovered their error, and bought a few 
stoves, we would certainly want to enjoy the 
fishing again. D. C. BEAMAN. 

The Asbury Park Tournament. 
OcEAN GRoveE, N. J., Sept. 3.—Editor Forest 
and Stream: The annual surf-casting tourna- 
ment of the Asbury Park Fishing Club was held 
Aug. 17, on the grounds corner of Park and 
Eighth avenues, Asbury Park, from 9:30 A. M. 
until 5 o’clock P. M. Of the fifty-six entries, 
forty toed the mark of the thirty-foot lane. It 
was certainly an off day for the lead slingers 
of the club, as the averages were very low in- 
deed as compared with the last tournament. It 
seemed as though the three-ounce lead was de- 
termined to go outside the line. About ten of 
the forty contestants succeeded in keeping all 
five leads inside the limit. 
The tournament was a decided success in 
every way. A number of out-of-town members, 
with their wives, came down to participate or 
look on. The inclosed cutting from the Asbury 
Park Press gives full particulars, and they are 
correct: 
[It is the intention of the committee to have 
an open tournament next year with at least 
three classes of casting in a thirty-foot lane 
with both three- and four-ounce leads; also un- 
limited casting with the Same weights. This 
will give every one a chance at their own speci- 
alty. Numerous objections were made to the 
three-ounce lead, as so few fish in the surf with 
less than four ounces. Also the thirty-foot lane 
was a tough proposition for quite a number. 
Our club is growing fast, having taken in forty 
new members this year, giving us a membership 
of 170. Several States are represented in our 
membership, as a large part are summer people. 
Fourteen prizes were awarded for averages 
exclusive of the special prize for the longest 
cast. This prize was won by W. H. Moran, of 
New York, who sent his three-ounce bank lead 
a distance of 242 feet 6 inches. 
cluded Lloyd E. 
Scott. Di EH. 
The judges in- 
Marshall, Chairman; Winfield 
Burton, James F. Edge and Wilbur 
H. Pancoast. Most of the prizes were donated 
by business men interested in the club and the 
sport it represents. 
Mr. Moran for his longest cast, which took 
the special prize, received a silver loving cup. 

A complete list of the averages and prizes is | 
as follows: 
First, Captain G. W. 
l1 4-5in., silver cup. 
Second, Thomas Martin, Ocean Grove, 156ft. 11 4-5in., 
silver cup. 
Third, Dr. J. F. Marshall, New York, 148ft. 5 1-5in., 
gold club pin, 
Fourth, Wilbur H. 
7 3-5in., tackle book, 
Fenimore, Ocean Grove, 155ft. 
Pancoast, Asbury Park, 147ft. 
Fifth, J. M. Tallman, New York, 142ft. 10 2-bin., 1,000 
feet of line, 
Sixth, Dr. J. L. Delaney, Washington, 142ft. 6 2-5in., 
600 feet of 21-thread line. 
Seventh, F. P. Johnson, 
pound box of candy, 
Eighth, Millard Reed, Asbury Park, 140ft. 9 1-5in., 
Philadelphia, 141ft. lin., 5- 
rod _ belt. 
Ninth, Joseph Cawthorn, Asbury Park, 1380ft. 10 1-5in., 
dozen leaders. 
Tenth, William Applegate, Asbury Park, 126ft. 7 2-5in., 
box of cigars. 
Eleventh, William Scheffler, New York, 125ft. 
dozen hooks. 
Twelfth, W. C. 
10 1-5in., 
Glass, Asbury Park, 124ft. 8 4-5in., fish 
knife. ; 
Thirteenth, Winfield Scott, Ocean Grove, 128ft. 10in., 
box of cigars. 
Fourteenth, Kenneth 
Jeffrey, New York, 128ft. 5 1-5in., 
gaff hook. 
WINFIELD Scort. 

Canadian Fish and Fishing. 
Quepec, Canada, Sept. 4.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: Lake Edward has enjoyed a wide repu- 
tation for exceptionally large trout ever since 
it has been made accessible to anglers by the 
construction of the railway, but this season it 
fairly surpassed itself in the number of large fish 
yielded and the grandest sport all through the 
summer. Perhaps it is because there has been 
scarcely any hot weather at all at Lake Edward. 
A few days ago a magnificent specimen of fon- 
tinalis, weighing 7%4 pounds, was sent to Que- 
bec from the lake and exhibited. 
Fewer tourists than usual have undertaken the 
ascent of the big rivers, probably owing to the 
fact that the fishing for ouananiche has contin- 
ued good all summer in the lake itself, and in 
the Grand Discharge, where the water is high. 
The leading railway companies are doing as 
the private clubs and individual sportsmen do, 
namely, taking leases of portions of good fishing 
and hunting territories from the government, in 
the names of some of their officials. 
The salmon season just ended has been a most. 
peculiar one. The season was so backward that 
the fish were not in the rivers until weeks later 
than usual. It is usually the case that salmon 
are well up the rivers and have ceased to rise to 
the fly some days before the close of the season 
on Aug. 15. This year there was good fishing 
on some of the rivers up to the last day of the 
season. Particularly was this true of the lower 
pools of the Restigouche. 
As was the case last year on the St. John’s 
River, so during the past season, a good per- 
centage of the fish killed were hooked foul. It 
would seem as if the salmon of the St. John’s 
River were either extremely agile or else ex- 
ceedingly lethargic. E. T. D. CHAmpberrs. 

Bass Fishing in Central Ohio. 
M10, Ohio, Sept.3.—Editor Forest and Stream: 
Bass fishing has been good in Central Ohio for 
the last few weeks. I have not got any very 
large ones, but quite a few of two pounds. We 
have a ten-inch limit law in this State. Lots of 
the boys kick about it, but it suits me. I think 
this law has done a world of good. 
I have hopes of seeing a law passed next win- 
ter that I have been advocating for five years. 
It is a closed season on all fishing during the 
month of May. We now have a closed season 
during this month on bass alone. Too many ang- 
lers on the streams during this month keep every- 
thing they catch. M. P. KEere, 



