d the water grew so cold that it drove the
fish out. The last two or three days have been warm and to-day it was
hot. However, I did not expect the bonefish in yet, and when we went in
bathing at flood-tide I was very glad to see two fish. I hurried out and
got my rod and began to try. Presently I had a little strike. I waited
and it was repeated; then I jerked and felt the fish. He made a wave and
that was the last I knew of him.

Reeling in, I looked at my bait, to find that it had been pretty badly
chewed, but I fastened it on again and made another cast. I set down the
rod. Then I went back after the bucket for the rest of the bait. Upon my
return I saw the line jerking and I ran to the rod. I saw a little
splash, and a big white tail of a bonefish stick out of the water. I put
my thumb on the reel and jerked hard. Instantly I felt the fish, heavy
and powerful. He made a surge and then ran straight out. The line burned
my thumb so I could not hold it. I put on the click and the fish made a
swifter, harder run for at least a hundred yards, and he tore the hook
out.

This makes a number of fish that have gotten away from me in this
manner. It is exasperating and difficult to explain. I have to use a
pretty heavy sinker in order to cast the bait out. I have arranged this
sinker, which has a hole through it, so that the line will run freely.
This seems to work all right on the bite, but I am afraid it does not
work after the fish is hooked. That sinker drags on the bottom. This is
the best rigging that I can plan at the present stage of the game. I
have an idea now that a bonefish should be hooked hard and then very
carefully handled.

I fished off the beach awhile in front of the cabin. We used both kinds
of crabs, soldier and hermit. I fished two hours and a half, from the
late rising tide to the first of the ebb, without a sign or sight of a
fish. R. C. finally got tired and set his rod and went in bathing. Then
it happened. I heard his reel singing and saw his rod nodding; then I
made a dash for it. The fish was running straight out, heavy and fast,
and he broke the line.

This may have been caused by the heavy sinker catching in the weeds. We
must do more planning to get a suitable rig for these bonefish.

* * * * *

Day before yesterday R. C. and I went up to the Long Key point, and
rowed in on the mangrove shoal where once before I saw so many bonefish.
The tide was about one