72 FISHES OF THE EAST ATLANTIC COAST. 



ported by a float on the surface and are left out during the night, 

 pulled in in the morning, baited again, and once more visited during 

 the afternoon. 



Then again there is dory fishing for codfish (the dory is a slim 

 and long skiff, sharp at bow and stern, and as light on the waves as 

 a cork). This is the most exciting and dangerous kind of fishing 

 that can be indulged in. A fising smack starts for the " banks " and 

 on reaching them anchors. ■ Then such of the crew as may be chosen 

 are sent out in dories with an allowance of water and a little some- 

 thing to eat. These hardy fishermen row away over the waves 

 (each one of the great rollers rising higher than the total length of 

 his light craft), and soon lose sight of the schooner. Reaching his 

 appointed grounds each man anchors, bows on to the ocean swell, 

 having an anchor at bow and stern. A moment in the trough of the 

 sea would be instant destruction. Standing up in his tossing boat, 

 with a line in both hands, surrounded by the shifting fogs and rhick 

 mists, the toiling fisherman must give constant attention to the lines, 

 straining his muscles with pulling in great halibut, haddock and cod- 

 fish. The fog is close about him, when suddenly the vast, faintly 

 outlined form of a New York-bound Cunarder passes within stone- 

 throw of his dory, or the air grows chill by the nearing presence of 

 some huge iceberg. Such is the life of the cod-fisher, and many are 

 those whom the returning sloop reports as " missing." 



The New York angler knows codfishing in a different aspect ; he 

 sees a notice in his Sunday journal that the commodious, sumptu- 

 ous, etc., etc., palace, etc., etc., steamboat will take a party of gen- 

 tlemen to the " fishing banks " at such and such a time. Excursion 

 ticket one dollar ; lines and bait furnished. Well, he goes ; why 

 not ? After heaving a coarse cotton line and a pound or so of lead 

 an hour or two, he turns from the fishing banks to the fishing bar, 

 calls for a glass of — water, and comes home disgusted with things 

 in general. The bait on these occasions is chopped fish or clams. 

 The codfish, when hooked, makes two or three lunges and then comes 

 lip like a log. I have said too much about the codfish — he is an ugly 

 gray fish in my opinion, good neither to eat nor to catch. In the 

 fall along the Jersey coast codfish are sometimes taken by skittering 

 with a piece of red flannel as a lure. 



