The Ordway new era., 1910-04-08

longing these warm March ides FOR
days sport on tn. banks Of Lake Meri-
dith or padding his boat along
its banks with watchful eye on
the featheral "Quack." What a
temptation to "play hockey, ,'-run
wild for day regardless Of con.
sequences in that private Interview
that may follow, with Professor Van
Hose! wonderful these same feel.
ings ever come .tothose boys "gr"wn
tall?" Has not every well-developed
man or boy little, of this savage left
in him and do we really want to
evolve this entirely from our natures:
think not.
So while this "run-away-to-F Florida"
boy is about to return to home and
work, penitently promising to "never
do SD again." he will make place for
you OF kindred taste and. like Peter,
"gu fishing.' Here is my boat, Jap
-l6 feet long. and 81 feet wide,
equipped with l2-foot mutton leg
sail. As usual, the breeze Is just
enough TO take US three or four miles
per hour-out toward Elliott's key,
which you may lind On the map.
Now while we glide outward bound
you may select your fish from the l23
edible species which inhabit these
waters. II you are an adept with
spear you may Ill your bucket with
out using your line, but that Is too
strenuous. The pleasure OF fishing
is not so much the catching as the de-
lightful laziness that steals over you
and the great expectation that Is
always Just ut hand. What Is that
big thing diving under our boat :
Only u young sea turt!c-ab0ut htty
pounds, should judge. Had you
been little quicker and caught him
we might have had delicious soup
for dinner and the proTerbial seven
meats besides. These turtles some
times reach the enormous size OF
1000 pounds.
Those are the common coarse
sponges that you see attached to the
white rocks on the bOttom-Of no
commercial value. The waters at
Key West are much warmer and the
sponge business Is carried on there is
u main resource.
Now, Mr.. Editor Il will bank on
his trunnc,). II you will push that an
chor of the PROV and drop the sail,
we will try for thusc sand perch YOU
See ddrting from weed to rock. Put Il
mite OF fat bacon on Il diminutive
hook and drop it to within six inches
OF the bottom. Don't get excited or
you may turn turtle" with the boat.
About as fast as we can draw them
but such small fry, 5 or 6 to the pound
but very firm and toothsome; very
much the appearance OF our mouatain
trout except these have the trans
verse stripes and no spots.
The great fish OF these waters is
the Spanish mackerel-frOm one to
five pounds-no scales, and whose
meat Is white as chicken breast, 1t
sells for about double the ordinary
catch but in order to place him on
our string we must go out about three
miles to the middle OF the bay and
troll Il large hook baitcd with
small piece OF white muslin rcScm
bling the squid that this fish Is so
fond Of These fish drive in great
schools across the bay and the record
some Of these professional fishermen
make is almost unbelievable, unless
you are a witness. saw Il man and
boy weigh up 400 pounds of mackcrcl
from ten hours work-all caught
with houk-nctting them near $40 for
the days work; but these men can
never make but Il meagrc living, the
days that they don't bite outnumbcr-
ing by far the lucky ones.
Every variety has its own season
and time OF going north and return
ing south and the season Of passing is
commercial fish, the small frv and
others, as the baracantaa, re home
stavers.
The reflections on the lives of these
poor fishermen lead us to think they
are tied to this occupation FOR
life. They are strong men physi
cal Y and intelligent so far as the sea
is concerned but they seem tied to the
tides. Occasionally one moves on
land and tries farming or other bust
ness but lie soon gyratcs back to the
water. Whether 1t is the salt air, the
rocking motion of his boat or the
| the hnundlcSS YirW. Or his incnmnc.