298 AMERICAN FISHES. 



trial ; they must, however, fish from a boat, as the width of the 

 streams which Bass frequent do not permit them to be commanded 

 from the shores, even with the double-handed rod. 



Again, the Striped Bass may be caught either with the gorge-hook 

 and the trolling tackle described under the head of Pike-fishing, or 

 with the spinning-fish and swivel-traces recommended for taking the 

 Salmon. Almost any small fish will answer for the bait, but the New 

 York Shiner, the real Smelt, or the Atherine — alias Sand Smelt or 

 Spearling — especially the latter, will the most readily allure him. 

 This method of fishing, second only to the use of the fly, is the most 

 exciting, as it requires finer tackle, and consequently calls forth far 

 more skill, than the ordinary modes of fishing for him at the bottom. 



For boat fishing, a strong ash or hickory, and lance-wood, rod, with 

 patent guides and the new agate funnel-top, which can be procured at 

 Conroy's, and is one of the most perfect improvements of the day, 

 with a Salmon-reel and two hundred yards of silk or grass line, will be 

 found the best ; of course, for Salmon-fishing, the hair and silk line 

 takes the precedence of all others. A rod of twelve or fourteen feet 

 will suffice from a boat, but for bank or bridge fishing one of about 

 eighteen feet is preferred by the best fishers. 



Comparatively few persons troll for Bass as described above ; for, 

 in fact, the great majority, even of our good fishermen, are in some 

 sort pot-anglers, and prefer taking monstrous giants of the water with 

 coarse tackle, to the far greater excitement of skilfully and delicately 

 conquering a moderate-sized fish with the finest tackle. The Striped 

 Bass, it is said, is known to attain the weight of a hundred pounds ; 

 but such giants are rare, though up to forty or fifty pounds they are 

 no rarities. The largest fish are taken in deep, rapid tide-ways, such 

 as Hellgate or the Haerlem river, by trolling from the stern of a row- 

 boat with a strong hand-line and a large hook baited with that hideous 

 piscine reptile, or insect rather, the real squid, or with the artificial 

 squid of tin or pewter. A good deal of skill is required for this mode 

 of fishing, but yet more strength than skill, and it is a very wearisome 

 pursuit. 



Still more fatiguing is the exercise of s(-[uidding for them with the 

 artificial bait in the ocean surfs of the outer beaches, in which the toil 

 of throwing out and dragging in the squid becomes a real labor. 



