Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-24
Fly Fishing in Florida.

Observation and Experience of a Vetera n Angler
 [Dr. Prime in the New York Journal of Commerce I The black bass abounds in the fresh and
 brackish waters of the southern States, where he is universally called trout. This misnomer
 leads to constant misunderstanding, by north
 ern anglers, of paragraphs from southern newspapers describing large trout, or large
 catches of trout. The confusion is in
 aseased by the fact that the genuine brook
 trout is fourd in great abundance in the
 streams of western North Carolina am
 not aware that the salmo fontinalis is any where in the world found 80 far southward
 as in this country. I have taken trout in the
 waters of the Tyrol which How to the Medi-
 terranean, and have no doubt the fish might streams. This, however, is not further south than territory here in which trout abound
 As general rule when southern pews- paper mentions trout or trout fishing it re- fers to black bass. I have met with only one species in southern waters. The fish grow much larger at the south than at the north
 In former years have seen larger specimens in Florida than l happened to see this winter. have taken nothing above seven pounds, and although have heard of twelve pound bass saw none above eight The angler needs for Florida bass fishing the same tackle as at the north, with this ex- ception, that light fly rods are to be left at home. There is no need of long casting the fish rising boldly close to the boat, and there is very little fighting on his part after he is struck. strong flexible rod to lift him to the surface is the desirable rod. Large fish go down and drag down. or go for cover among the lily stems. What we call lily pad the southerner calls bonnet. A reason ably strong twelve or fourteen ounce fly rod is best for Florida use with these fish. The waters are almost everywhere dark and thick. Fish cannot see far through them. Light or bright flies are therefore best But frankly confess that 1t seems disgrace to 8 well tied fly to waste it on Florida bass. They take anything moving in the water. found large
 white moths by much the most taking fly.
 Thereafter I took some white feathers and
 rude punches of them on hooks not attempt ing to preserve fly forms, and with these did
 as well as desired. A white rag proved ser- viceable and perhaps as much as any fly
 In the upper St. Johh's and it's tributary streams and lakes, while casting for bass,
 took several varieties of fish seldom reaching pound in weight, in shape like large rouch (pumpkin seed), in color varying from black l to brown and yellow. Almost as common in l and neaE> Lake Monroe was the ''gogele eye, D | 8 brilliant active fish, of which took several | weighing from one to two pounds each He | is somewhat like rook-bass of the St. Law | renee, more brilliant in cobra very beauti- | ful fish, and the strongest and most active of | the St. Jehn's fish. A constant nuisance in
 casting along shore for bass is found in the | abundance of gar-ish, sometimes called bill l fish from the long, slender bill armed with
 sharp teeth into which the head extends l
 took one of the family unlike any had ever
 seen. His bill, instead of being long and \ sharp, closely resembles that of duck. His ! round body was more chuuked than the gar and his black and yellow skin was covered
 with thick brown slime He was 8 vile-look- | ing animal and at Sanford no one, white or | colored, had ever seen one like him.
 The negroes say, and I have no doubt ! truthfuIly, that the bass fishing in summer is | vastly better than in winter; that they crowd | the waters and are taken in abundance from ! the shore and docks everywhere. That they 4 are plenty I had good evidence, not only in the quantity taken, but from what l saw. One morning as we rowed out of the mouth of Woodruff creek into Lake Monroe, where the shallow water is bordered for long dis
 tance by lily pads and thick grass, we were ast0nished to find the water in all directions lashed into foam by fish. Shoals Of small fish were in and around the grass and pads,
 and thousands of bass were going from them.
 The scene was exciting and curious; the more so because it was in shallow water where tho grass was so thick that could do little or nothing with a fly. How many bass of Lake Monroe had come there to feed will not estimate, but in oyer six acres of shallow water along the shore there was no unbroken surface, large fish running and rolling in con- fusion and small fish leaping into the air to escape them, while the noise was like the rapids of strong stream or the breaking of small waves on rocks. It was the largest ex- hlbition of bass have ever seen. I suc- 1ofka ,1,sI s- outer edge of the rough water. The aston ishment and it's vociferous expression of my oarsnnan was as good as the sight of the fish. He had never seen fy-fshing before and this happened to be the first time I had struck two fish on cast. His yell of delight might have been heard two miles of at Sanford
 A great many bass are taken in Florida