5l8 * AUDUBON 



unroll their lines, on one of which, you observe, a cork is 

 fastened, while on another is a bit of light wood, and on 

 the third a grain or two of large shot, to draw it at once 

 to a certain depth. Now their hooks are baited and all 

 are ready. Each casts his line as he thinks best, after 

 he has probed the depth of the stream with his rod, to 

 enable him to place his buoy at the proper point. Bob, 

 bob, goes the cork; down it moves; the bit of wood dis- 

 appears, the leaded line tightens; in a moment up swing 

 the "Sunnies, " which, getting unhooked, are projected 

 far among the grass, where they struggle in vain, until 

 death ends their efforts. The hooks are now baited anew, 

 and dropped into the water. The fish is abundant, the 

 weather propitious and delightful, for it is now October; 

 and so greedy have the " Sunnies " become of grasshoppers 

 and grubs that dozens at once dash at the same bait. The 

 lads, believe me, have now rare sport, and in an hour 

 scarcely a fish remains in the hole. The happy children 

 have caught, perhaps, some hundreds of delicious "pan- 

 fish," to feed their parents and delight their little sisters. 

 Surely their pleasure is fully as great as that experienced 

 by the scientific angler. 



I have known instances when the waters of a dam hav- 

 ing been let out, for some reason better known to the 

 miller than to myself, all the Sunfish have betaken them- 

 selves to one or two deep holes, as if to avoid being car- 

 ried away from their favorite abode. There I have seen 

 them in such multitudes that one could catch as many as 

 he pleased with a pin-hook, fastened to any sort of line, 

 and baited with any sort of worm or insect, or even with 

 a piece of newly caught fish. Yet, and I am not able to 

 account for it, all of a sudden, without apparent cause, 

 they would cease to take, and no allurement whatever 

 could entice them or the other fishes in the pool to seize 

 the hook. 



During high freshets, this species of Perch seldom bites 



