National Republican., 1883-03-24
SOME FISH STORIES.
The Monster Channel Bass, GrOupers, and
Black Fish in Florida Rivers.
A Washingtoninn's Experience with His
Elegant Potomac Tacxle-Nary Fish,
Sp,eiai L,Rer.

WOOuS, bCTuu pdlulcllOSi pIlChiy Cdttuoi anu
white sand to this not over enterprising
place Is just the experience to make you ap-
preciate the rich tropical scene that suddenly
bursts upon you as you approach the estuary
or sound on which the Ocean house, two
stores, and few dwellings stand which go to
make up New Smyrna. After travelling
nearly the whole day through the monoton-
Gus, dreary and almost uninhabitcd waste
lands, the road abruptly decends few feet
and crosses q little stream within half milo
of tho town, and from that point ON to the
salt water shore you can well Imagine your
self in a veritable tropical jungle. All the
varieties of the palmetto, intogspersed with
cypress, live oak, and water oak trees grow in
dense profusion, and in the tops of the oaks
mistletOe and airplants cling, some of the
trees named being literally loaded down with
airplants, as If packed on the limbs for storage,
while the whole forest is made apparently
impenetrable by clinging and overhanging
vines, and the long flowing Spanish moss. A
most economical road, scarce the width Of the
wagon, is carved out through this jungle, and
seated in the open vehicle you are obliged to
dodge and duck your head while passing
through to save your eyes, and while thus
engaged it is no great stretch OF the imagina-
tion TO find yourself expecting the king OF
of beasts to stir the echoes with his
majestic defiance aud plant himself in
questioning attitude athwaTt your dark
and dubious path. short struggle
through this bottom land" however, brings
you to the shore where the Halifax river
from tho north and the HillsborOugh from
the south meet and connect with the ocean,
the two estuaries or long sounds mot really
rivers) having numerous sO-Callcd channels,
cuts, creeks and coves, through and into
which the tide flows and GIBBS with great force;
The whole dotted with islands and checked
by bars, forming one of tho best inland salt
water fishing places in this or perhaps any
country. These places swarm with fish, in
Guiding many kinds of the best food fish
known to tho southern waters; and those
breeding and feeding waters for the smaller
fish invite the predatory incursions of the
porpoises and sharks, which are seen con-
stantly in great numbers by the fishermen,
and some of the huge brutes push the hunt SO
far in quest of their food as TO 20 into very
narrow and shoal places, where frequently the
receding tide leaves them foundering ut the
mercy of the gunners who may choose to give
them attention. Esr
On our arrival here everybody was agitated
about "Wigpins's tidal wave" announced for
the ninth of March. As 80 rise of but few feet
of water would cover the whole of this PENN
sula, actual preparations had been made by
not few of the residents on the coast to
have boats conveniently at hand on the dread
date, the unsettled and unrcasonably cold
weather Of the days about the ninth giving
strength to the apprehensions of these seafar-
ing people, who are all more or less governed
by superstitious fear of terrible events by sea
and flood. Dropping into port rife with dis
cussions of this prognostication, we naturally
felt that we had taken great pains to come "
long distance to put ourselves at point on
the sea shore where hills are not known, and
at time when elevated positions might be in
demand.
NewSmyrna, kept two miles away from the
sea beach proper by the waters described and
ett taH hn lnxy ghn NNhn tln ny haq
cleared the wild jungle only enough for the
actual space required by the houses, is not u
pretty or pleasant "resort" of itself, but
merely as place in which to find shelter and
food by the tourists fond of salt water fishing.
1t has for years been the temporary abode of
many Of the most Jealous disciples of Isaak
Walton. 49,. .. -a
Now, my story brings me to the "fshy"
transactions, and / realize that l tread upon
dangerous ground for / want to get out of
this business without an entire loss of reputa-
tion for veracity. With such intent, it re-
quires bold man TO record one half the
occurrences here during the fishing months
in the way of big fish " and large catches"
Channel bass, gray snapper, grouper, sea trout,
black fish, pig fish, and sheepshead are taken
here with hook and line in astonishing guam
titles, and occasionally the enormous striped
bass sometimes called king fish, is captured.
You employ an experienced boatman, who
furnishes everything but the fishing tackle,
and he is able to take you with almost uner-
ring certainty to the place in which to find
any one Of the above kinds to the exclusion
of the others ON any given day, it being one
OF the peculiar arrangements of the affairs of
the finny inhabitants of these populous waters
that n particular bend, hole, point, bar or
channel seems to be set apart for the occu-
pancy almost exclusively of one kind of the
game fish and your boatman must know
thoroughly the effects of weather, wind, and
n. ar
the uninitiated fisherman successful. Next,
you should come prepared with the strongest
and best tackle-large reel, long lines, and
plenty Of the strongest and best hooks, and
strcng, elastic rod. No Potomac black bass
rigging required here. II is all nonsense to
talk about it. As advised, | came with the
very best outfit for black bass fshing-split
bamboo Bounce rod, 1O0-yard silk lines, and
all kinds of spoons and flies, but found my
self wholly unprepared TO wrestle with these
fish.
To illustrate: Mr.. Puryis, Of Philadelphia
genial, whole souled gentleman of about 80
years, veteran fisherman, who has been
spending the winters here for number of
years, has caught since we came n channel
bass weighing Al pounds, another of 90 pounds
and any number from IL to 10 pounds; sea
trouts of IL pounds, and groupers and gray
snappers from 5 TO 10 pounds each. He goes
out every week day, and is always successful
He is keeping himself young by spending the
winters here and the summers in fishing on
the st. Lawrence river.
lady of Brooklyn, N. ", who is here with
her husband and her father ON Saturday last
took with hook and line two channel bass
one % and the other 15 pounds in weight
She, too, goes out every week day, and is as
successful as any of her party. Aud the record
of the past ten days is said to be but repeti-
tion Of the catches made by various persons
throughout the winter and early spring
months.
As for myself have obtained n few fish
and my knowledge of this place in thatschool
in which only II is said certain people absorb
information. | hired an experienced boat
man, who began by laughing at my tackle,
which had thought was the best that could
be procured. / informed him that did not
want to catch whales, ut which he shook his
head ana wanted to know how IN thunder
was going to prevent the big fish from biting.
We went out, and after my map had pulled
up the Hillsborough river two miles and
made our bark fast to the overhangng man
grove bushes where the shore was straight
up and down" and the water fourteen feet
deet Deep asked him what he expected me
TO catch there. He gravely remarked, This
is one of the best places for channel bass in
tho Hillsborough river" had been carry
ing in my hand the case in which was my pet
twelve ounce split bamboo rod, but ON
this announcement / instinctivey put il
down and took out my twenty-fOur
ounce ash rod with lance wood tin,
and then submitted to the boatman's dicta-