The Giant Fish of Florida

CHAPTER I.--THE GIANT TARPON.

Chapter 1410 wordsPublic domain

“ II.--AMONG THE ALLIGATORS.

“ III.--HOW TO CATCH TARPON.

“ IV.--A LIVELY MORNING IN THE PASS.

“ V.--LADIES WHO LOVE THE SPORT.

“ VI.--ENORMOUS RAYS OR DEVIL-FISH.

“ VII.--HARPOONING A MONSTER.

“ VIII.--THE LOGGERHEAD TURTLE.

“ IX.--CATFISH AS SCAVENGERS.

“ X.--BONY FISH--JACK--GARFISH--JEWFISH--SQUEATEAGUE--AND BASS.

“ XI.--SPOTTED EELS--CRAB-EATERS--SURF-WHITING--MOONFISH--LEATHER JACKETS--TRIGGER-FISH--AND MULLET.

“ XII.--STRIPED MULLET--SHARKS--BIRD LIFE.

INDEX.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE.

1. A WHIP RAY LEAPING _Frontispiece_

2. THE TARPON 23

3. THE FLOATING HOTEL 27

4. INTERIOR OF AN ALLIGATOR ISLAND 31

5. THE ALLIGATOR MADE STRAIGHT FOR THE OPEN SEA 37

6. A TARPON GUIDE 45

7. A GOOD CATCH OF TARPON FOR A LADY 56

8. A HOOKED PIECE OF CORAL WHICH WAS MISTAKEN FOR A JEWFISH 57

9. KINGFISH ACCIDENTALLY FOUL-HOOKED 62

10. WITH LIGHTNING SPEED THE KINGFISH CHASED THE LIVELY SKIPJACK 63

11. THE KINGFISH LEAPT SOME TWENTY FEET INTO THE AIR 67

12. A BIG JEWFISH FOR A WOMAN TO LAND 76

13. JEWFISH WITH SUCKER CLINGING TO IT 77

14. A VANQUISHED WHIP RAY 82

15. THE WHIP RAY TURNED HELPLESSLY ON ITS BACK 83

16. THE HOOKED TARPON FOLLOWED THE BOAT TOWARDS SHORE 83

17. THE CREWS OF SIX BOATS TOWING A HARPOONED WHIP RAY 83

18. A STRANDED WHIP RAY 95

19. HARPOONED DEVIL-FISH IN SHALLOW WATER 102

20. HARPOONED DEVIL-FISH WITH JAWS PROPPED OPEN 103

21. A TURTLE SWIMMING 109

22. HARPOONING A TURTLE 114

23. PLAYING A TURTLE 115

24. HOISTING A TURTLE ON BOARD 119

25. DEAD GROUPER BEING DEVOURED BY CATFISH AND BREAM 127

26. GAFF TOPSAIL CATFISH AND YOUNG HAMMERHEAD SHARK 131

27. THE SHEEPSHEAD 135

28. TOAD FISH WATCHING BONY FISH AS THEY LEAP 139

29. GARFISH PURSUED BY A KINGFISH 143

30. A MARMORATUS LYING MOTIONLESS 146

31. A CARANX HIPPOS 147

32. THE MIGHTY PERCH AND HIS DEEP-WATER COMPANION, THE RED GROUPER 149

33. PIECE OF SNAKE-LIKE CONCH SPAWN, AND SEA TROUT 156

34. CHANNEL BASS AND RED GROUPER 157

35. CURIOUS, SNAKE-LIKE EEL 163

36. THE COBIA, OR CRAB EATER 168

37. SURF WHITING AND MANGO SNAPPER 169

38. A MOON FISH 174

39. A LEATHER JACKET 175

40. THE TRIGGER FISH AND THE ANGEL FISH 180

41. SILVER MULLET 181

42. MULLET LEAPING 187

43. CAPTURED SAWFISH WITH SUCKER 192

44. HAMMERHEAD SHARK 193

45. HOOKED SHARK SEIZED BY ANOTHER 193

46. EXTRACTING A FIRMLY EMBEDDED HOOK FROM A SHARK 198

47. ALL HANDS GIVE THE SHARK A MIGHTY HEAVE ASHORE 199

48. LEOPARD SHARK 203