The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-09
The Cruise of the Eva" at AN End
\ smart Boat and "A Jolly tru'sc.
On BOARD THE EVA,
Opposite Fruitland, Fla
September 3. 1886.

Special Correspondence Falatka NEWS.
Palatka News, ahoy' The Eva passed
you at 2:i0 p. ia. Wednesday, the LIST
inst. Did not see you out, rather expect
you were anchored in the lea of your
thunder" Did not stop 10 hail you,
for we were squared away before y. f..
wind and going like IA race horse As
we We're anxious to rol! up all the miles
we could with "A fair wind up the narrow
river above PaIatka. We continued on
our course.
We are now anchored snugly at our
homes, with the wind bowling from the
y. T.. This reminds us that we prom
Used you copy of our log and AN ac-
count of our fishing experiences at the
mouth of the st. Johns river. For the
fishing we canncteay much. We learn
ed from those encamped there that they
had heard Of two tarpon and some chan
mel bass being caught some tine hack
All sorts of reasons Were advanced why
this was thusly," but our humble opinion
is that the summer HShjHg at the st
Johns bar for lurg. fish is not good We
know from some experience aud good
authorities that the fishing there during
the winter months IL fine, and that
many fishermen make good catches and
have great sport with forty and sixty
Founders, ana often larger. For sum
mer fishing IN Florida we would recon
mend the Halifax, opposite Palatka, aud
to cruise on down the Mosquito Lagoon
and Indian river, for there one can, with
piece Of mHiict, in one day catch more
fish than can be caught at the bar in ii
week, and perhaps MONTH with the
most tcntpting IF lee bait.
Shrimu bait lS hard To get mt Fort
George and 'iiddlers' have To be relied
upon for steady bait. At about half
tide they can to dug out of the mud.
AT low water they run along the bank of
Iiaulover creek, where the Eva WAS an
chored during our stay at the island.
About the island We iished the creeks
without attaining much success. The
river also failed to give up the big fish"
we hear So much about. Some enter
prising hotel man should tty The ''sea
serpent" next year. The jetties being
the only uuiished place we shouldered
our rods and tied a tin can of fiddler to
our wa SITS, and to the tune they fiddled
on the sides of the cans, we climbed out
on the rocks "A short time before slack
water and remained until the incoming
tide drove Us 10 land. Here we were re-
warded with better success and made
this our fishing ground. Crabs and
r.
the former sucking the bat, the later
| taking bait, ho ok aud liue and fisher
man, too, il gwen have chance
Enough drum ord sheephead We're
| caught u make fine chowders and to
produce, after "A hard days work and n
hearty we'll en- ned dinner, pleasant feel
| ings within ourselves auti for manki ind
in general. Feeling - fine AS Punch,
| we heartily shea al our friends in
nj 4
good d'uner is Il fine thing any where
But what is to lie compared with being in
| camp, with "A stcamiug hot DISH of chow
der made of fish fresh from the SEA 10
| the fire! Then you know there are
chowders-and chowdeIs." We" the
chowders l speak of Ircyc chuWicTS, up
to the mark and we challenge compar-
ison. The maker of them grew fattcr
and better natured than ever after eat
| ing them. lie WAS not a very light
weight either when hc started on the
| cruise.)
| To sum up our whole experience at
| fishing, L may say we had Fisherman :
luck" and therefore have not the mate
rial from which to make good fish st,
ries. But then we prefer 10 give the fact,
| of our cruise and not To mislead your
readers, for we feel that more cruising i'll
| this part of Florida viii be- done For
1
weeks it is ''beyon compare" in. winter
and summer. Cruising and canoeing
are growing more popular az over the
country. Canoe clubs are as common a.
yacht clubs. Canoeing combines all the
pleasures of yachting and many that the
latter does not afford. For is not the ca
noe OF small cruiser the first toreveal III.
attractions of st -eam and lake;
Bathing at Fort George is fine with one
a. Il
| oughly hard as ON the main coast.
While there Jacksonville paper was
handed US by one of the campers from
| that place telling us that the May flow
| er" had been chosen to defend the Amer
icas cup against the Englieh cutter Ga
latea. The Mayfiower Is our boat We
think she is the boat To keep the emp on
this side of the pond, but viii not win
it without a hard struggle.
The Beach House, we heard, : to be
rebuilt, and that the lumber is all ready
! for that purpose. The building is used
| 10y campers and is being rapidly pulled
| To pieces. The pilots on shore use it for
| a ioook- out for vessels. Seven vessels
lay inside waiting for the reported hurri-
cane of the 21th or Goth. Friday several
of them left, also two steam schooners
| from Jacksonville, as the equinox had
passed above Florida. The only effect
here was very high tide, and the old
swell from the Atlantic. y great deal of
| PHOSPHORUS was noticeable both in til,
water and also the sand that had been
washed by the waves.
| BY Saturday, having had enough fi>h
ing, echowder, bathing and salt air l,r
| "A time, and one of us having business il
Jacksony lie, we slowed our boat one.
more. and at 1890 left Font George J.
land for Mayport To get our mail and Gli
our drdter key. The post ma ster, We
! found, had gone of on an inspection
| tour of the new railroad that has Just
been built along the beach TO the near
seaside towns-Brows-d and Burnside
which promise to rival Pablo Beach We
were told that this road, known a. the
MaypOrt * Jacksonville railroad, has
been built and paid for IN cash, the only
| road in Elorida bum in that WAY The