The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-04-23
A BIG FISHING FROLIC.

JOurnal.-When l last wrote you | fully
expected to be at home by this time, but
our chaperoLe had arranged to take the
family out or fishing excursion, hence
my detention, and can now give you a
fish tale that is one sure enough. On
Wednesday morning last. a party OF seven
OF us set out for South End" place So
called at the lower end OF the island, some
fourteen miles from here. Having ar.
ranged for boat to be at the fishing place
ON the Nassau river and although l did
not fully get my consent to risk myself on
the water, the temptation was too great.
aud when halt way across we dropped
anchor. Although little rough at first it
soon Gained down, and all we had to do
was to drop our hooks down twenty-five Or
thirty feet and caught fish as fast as we
wanted to. We dshed three or tour hours,
and when we quit we had sack full of
lao fish, not counting rs or 80 cat fish,
which wa knocked in the head and threw
overheard, rs the cats are not eaten hsre,
the Whiting being much better eating.
Having arranged to stay over night we
went back to the bungalow, as it is called
being rough house Of two rooms, bull.
expressly for fishing parties and soon had
plenty OF FISH cleaned and on the stove
cooking for cur supper, which we enjoyed
as hungry fisherman can and as we did.
Bed time came on and we soon lad pallets
down on the floor, but who could sleep. as
the roar OF the ocean waters never ceases
and only few hundred yards from the
surging water.
A sun rise scene across the ocean is
something, am told. not oue-tenth part
of the population OF Fernandina have ever
witnessed. although in two miles OF the
ocean. 1t was grand and sublime sight,
simply wonderful, nothing else being any
ways like it, and worth going miles to see.
The sun seemed as though it was coming
right out of the ocean as large around as q
big wagon wheel.
Breakfast was the next thing and that
being over, we were ready to start to the
fishing place half q mile down TO the river,
but had to wait on the tide to go out, but
once there again we were soon on the
boat and out on the broad Nassau, and as
the fish would bite we pulled them in just
the same. After fishing few hours, my
daughter. Mrs. Herndon, one of our party,
says, There is drum at my hook, I can
tell from the way he bites" so she let him
play around at least twenty minutes, and
when tired down he gave up and she grad
ually pulled him to the boat, and our
darkey took him by the gills and lifted
him in, and no mortal woman was ever
any prouder of any thing than she was.
She clapped her hands and whooped, and
| no wonder, she was the heroine of the
party, pulling in a drum over three feet
long and weighing thirty pounds.
AS we are now in the midst of the fish
ing season, the Amelia river is dotted
with fishing boats all day long and have
stood on the dock and counted as many as
thirty boats at one time. April and May
being the time to catch the drum, parties
not unfrequently bring in ten to thirty and
forty IF Frank Northcutt Howard Corr
yell, Alban Gilbert, Paul Leake. and others
who enjoy the sport, we're to fish in the
waters down here they would not want to
quit inside OF ten days.
Our party caught 275 from ten to
twenty inches long, not counting the cats.
We think it was good day or days for
fishing and all seemed satisfied. We
cleaned them saltsd them in box and
brought them home and gave the biggest
part of them to neighbors and friends
Now, you may think this big fish tale,
but il is all straight goods" and just as I
have told you. We left the beach OF the
ocean little after sunset, and l said good
bye to the broad Atlantic, perhaps forever,
and a bigger time any fishing party ever
had, would be hard to strike up with. Our
chaperoDe was jolly good fellow and
jolly good time we had.
A. d. RUEDE.