3° 



AMERICAN FISHES. 



place on the list of American game-fishes. After devoting several chap- 

 ters to other methods of capture, he continues : "Casting menhaden bait 

 for Striped Bass, from the rocky shores of the bays, estuaries, and islands 

 along the Atlantic coasts constitute the highest branch of American ang- 

 ling. It is, indeed, questionable — when considering all the elements which 

 contribute to the sum total of sport in angling — whether this method of 

 Striped Bass fishing is not superior to fly-fishing for salmon, and if so, it 

 outranks any angling in the world. The method is eminently American, 

 and characteristic of the modern angler by its energy of style, and the ex- 

 ercise and activity necessary to success. ' ' The rods used in this kind of fish- 

 ing must not exceed nine feet in length, and are very light, often less than 

 a pound in weight, the lines of linen or hemp, two to three hundred yards 

 long, must be of the utmost strength and elasticity, the reels must represent 

 the perfection of the tackle-maker's skill, triple-multipliers, with jewel- 

 mounted wheels and delicately adjusted balance-cranks. The unsuspecting 

 Basses are lured in by the use of a toll bait of chopped menhaden, which is 

 cast upon the water until an oily surface or slick is produced which ex- 

 tends half a mile or more from the shore. This attracts the fish, which swim 

 toward the angler, stopping now and then to seize the floating bits offish. 

 When they come within reach of the fisherman's line a strong hook, deli- 

 cately baited with a bit of menhaden, pork, or parchment, is quickly 

 off'ered them. "With a dexterity which practice alone can assume," writes 

 Mr. Hallock, "the experienced anglers carefully sway the rod until the 

 squid describes its slowly moving circle around the head, and then, by a 

 quick, inexplicable movement, cause it to dart like an arrow, straight out 

 far over the sea, and the reel whizzes and whirls until it seems to flash fire, 

 and you wait long and patiently for the cessation of the hum, which indicates 

 that the squid has dropped full one hundred feet, perhaps one hundred 

 and fifty feet away. The pleasure and excitement of capture are intense, 

 and often the struggle lasts for an hour when the fish is large." 



On Basque and Cuttyhunk, two of the Elizabeth Islands, lying be- 

 tween Buzzard's Bay and Martha's Vineyard Sound, are several club-houses, 

 sustained by wealthy gentlemen from New York who resort to this region 

 in summer to enjoy this amusement. Long stages project from the rocks 

 into the sound and bay, and from these the anglers cast their squids and 

 play their fish, attended by their " baiters," who do their full share of labor 

 in finding bait, baiting hooks, and gaffing the fish. Ill-natured rumor 



