Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-22
TAXING FLORIDA REDFIsu.
"ettcr sport Thnu Tnrpon, says m
old sais-Nntcr Angler.

hours waiting on the Whlms 81 one Of
these si!yery cpicurcs, and offering him
every daiaiy the market affords while
be baskS ~ tho sun and disdains my bait.
| You can sit within a rod or two Of a
group " tnrpon an tho forenoon and see
! their great iTi1escent backs CLEAN IN The
iigat as they roll iszliy 10 the surface;
| see their great jaws almost rub against
| the tender mullet on your hook. and finally
| see the whole crowd taking sudden no.
| ton, tuTn and lin their IDLE way out to
sea
Now. the nsh take shares I'm whcr-
ever tne SHOCK is offered IS tile honest
| old reddish. He's big too. and a slayer IA
o. hght from casting 10 gazing lie Is all
| bone ana muscle. ana the strong tide
| cddies that he haunts have made him a
| quick ana vigorous swimmer. Best OF
| all. NJ IS always at home % angling
| visitors. ami. be- the weather sunny or
/ stormy. calm or bOicterous. you viii nnd
/ him feeding on the shoals. The only
( point to be observed. and the one that
! VIII govern your success. is the TINE OF
! tide. Tho comfortable way TO 80 b. 10 Get
! biz, rOOmy. stauuch boat. and an old
| Niger TO manage her. Notice the ad-
| Jective as applied 10 the noun nigScr.
| because II indicates one Of the clements
| Or succ ~. \ yOuug niger IS OF np tdithy
| use, Tor be yawgs and Warb,es ami
| whistles, ana jig-stcps and pats Juba' TIL
| there i-nt a Isa LEFT within mile and a
| half 81 the boat. and it's "a hoecake TO a
| York smiling. he'll want to take a swim
| just as you get you: FIRST nibD.e. You
| want o. real, old Uncle Ned for as soon
/ AZ he's found the right place ana an
| CAorcI bell peacefully dols OH 20 sleep.
and q gentle Kick VIII always rouse him
/ ID time 20 ply tne gan. Just when the
| il0od-tde begins 10 move and wrinkles the
| dead pools and makes the Ucmuious eel
| grass qutcr y0u must strike the fishing
! ground
NO BABY TACKLE.
NO baby tackle Will answer for this
| sport. NoI want q short. spriugy rod Of
about sixteen ounces weight preferably
| all lanccwo1c ana big. plain. multiply
Ing reel. carrying 2,J yards OF size No.
q hard-lald. braided. llDcn line. thumb
stall OF heavy. smooth l-atlcr Is ints-
peusahie 90 Comior; and success. and is
Inexpensive The hook must be- either a
80 or an $50. spr0at sueltd on some re-
liable stun. Personally. / prefer yard OF
Soft flexible COttOn-linc, doublc-sttand,
and knotted every four inches II Will
stand any strain, and defy an manner
| Of sudden uips and snaps. ana running
over the line 10 part II. wnie p.auo-wiie
Kinks ana gives way. bi So chain Knots
and Snaris. gimp rdVe.s out aud breaks.
and gut trays out IN the oystcr-bcds ana
RET edges.
"The reddish loves the mud-nats. lie
is fellow of pieheiau tastes. and
doesn't require any s-a-fel1 frcsCOes or
coral pavcments to ornament his home.
The soft luscious blue mud aD1unlins ~
al manner Of things that creep and
IHf 80
ground DO not imagine thaj he is sole
ly a bottom feeder because he lies IN
wait for the suCculent shrimp and pickle
crab iu the depths. 40 fish is quicker
than he 20 dart upon an unsuspecting null
let az the surface, 81 his quick eye de-
tects such victim Fish always with
plenty of line, for 'he water is incredibly
clear on these Florida banks. Every
movement i'm the boat is distinctly visit
bile five or SIX rods away. Use no lead
or weight Of any sort, but. putting on
hit Of fresh muUot or large. lively
shrimp, toss over. and let The rising tide
carry the bait Put no pressure Of any
sort on the line. but continue 10 pay out
and let 10 drift. There are 10 snags to
fear on this mud bottom. and you can
safely let out nifty yards cr more of line.
The chances arc all IN favor OF your line
developing a sudden speed before hall
~ that length has been run of. and its
activity means business. 40 not be
hasty about Investigating. The fish is
q conservative. if ever there was one.
lie makes no inves ment until he has
cautiously inspected. lifted. tasted. and
wiggled the property offered. Let him
sample f. and smack his thick lips with
satisfaction Then when he has reeled
of some twenty or thirty yards look
around and see that everything is in
workng-order. line free and clear. gaff
handy and so on. ana then set your
thumh-stall 10 tho handle and bring up
your zip. II is unnecessary to advise YOU
70 withdraw the thumb after the strike
lf You don't, you viii have case Of
sore hand for a month The handle be-
sins TO revolve like tght-hung jig
saws. and there's no stopping IL.
TOUGH JAWED.
The tough-jawed rascal will be likely
20 tear on 80 yards of line on his first
lash. There is nothing rattle-headcd
about the reddish. Even i'm his sudden
frightened rush be is sly enough always
20 run with the current which, con-
s.fcring the force Of the tide that some
times curls between these mud splits.
gives him a mighty advantage. If the
tackle is strong and the angler new al
The biz the temptation Is almost irresti-
be 90 'snub' the fish. The only possible
result is torn-out hook and an empty
line If the barb is lightly caught IN the
.ip or, II hooked IN the outlet. as is usual
.y the case. n smashed rod and days
sport ended. Give your game a good pull.
however. at the end OF each rush. When
he s1ckens even II only for a moment.
drive the steel into him and in twenty
minutes or half an hour he VIII begin 10
weaken. You can seldom bring reddish
of sixty or seventy pounds 20 gaf within
an hour at best Time and again you Wi
call him done for, ct out the gan, and
Kick your c.trky into consciousness. only
- have the toueh-live1 pluclly fish break
clear away FOR q hundred yards. Two or
three attempts 20 ply the gan will be re-
Qlired. FOR the reddish Is keen-eyed and
the motion with the hook will always
cause him TO rally and squirt away Tor a
few yards. Al last he is too exhausted
Ia sheer of any more and with deal
Of hauling you and .1ur man Friday pull
the big chap abogr.. Two or three Of
them make a hot torcnoon's work. and
you Will find your wrists lame and biceps
aching from the sport
These fellows may be taken all along
the Gulf shore but there are several
localities / can confidently recommend as
particularly tine fishing. Beginning up on
the north end OF the west coast OF the
peninsula. Ia Lafayette county, there is
Dead-Mans bay. Along the reef at the
cad OF the bay, where the Steinhatchee
river flows In, is d noted rediish haunt.
Then bit further south IA Levy coun-
~, is West Main Pass. of the mouth OF
me little river which Christy's Ministries
have made historic-the Suwanee-is an
other famous fs1ing-sround. Near by TO
the southwark. lie tn Derrick, Grassy,
Cedar. and Sca-IIOrse keys. along the cage
OF which great shoals Of mullet always
lie, and, preying upon them, are the tar
Don and redhsh. ST Martins Keys, which
ll.. lust below, where the Crystal rivera
pretty stream with a pretty name-fows
into the Gulf are frequcnted throughout
the year by knowing anglers. Tampa bay,
in Hnsborough county, and adjacent
waters. are pretty thoroughly worked an
the time but there IS rafting good fishing
there. Just the same. Hospital Key ana
sand Key are washed by swift udeways'
where big reddish and channel-bass are
taken. Best Of all. though IS the Big
EDDY. at Boca Ceiga Pass just north OF
Tampa bay. where I've the best boatmen
and fishermen on the coast. Just get Oh
Welt Huston, of the pass. 10 take you
ont some sunny, breezy day. ana II you
don't admit that reddish are game aTti-
Gle from nose TO tail. then there Is no
Snort IN YOU. and my advise ia 10 iron
for something easy" ended the oid pro-