FISH AND FISHEHIES. 41 



fish, and its mode of capture, by Mr. E. S. Hill * : — " Althoiigli by com- 

 parison some would imagine that there was more than one of the same 

 genus along our coast, this, however, is not the case ; the mere 

 difference of shade in their colour, or lanky or chubby appearance, in 

 all j)robability is caused by the abundance or scarcity on their feeding- 

 grounds. The schnapper is migratory, and both herbivorous and car- 

 nivorous. 



" The usual grounds fished in the vicinity of the Heads of Port Jackson 

 are numerous, and for example may be named South Reef, North 

 Head, Blue-fish, Colours, Pine-tree, Tumble-down, and Mud Island, and 

 the wide or Maori ground in deep water, all of which places are known 

 to fishermen by bearing of land-marks. 



*' The usual method of estimating quantity for sale by the fisherman is, 

 as the schnapper or count-fish, the school-fish, and squire, among which, 

 from its metallic appearance, is the coppei--head or copper-colour, and the 

 red bream. Juveniles rank the smallest of the fry, not over an inch or 

 two in length, as the ' cock-schnapper.' The fact, however, is now 

 generally admitted that all these are one and the same genus, merely in 

 different stages of growth. 



" The ordinary schnapper, or count fish, implies that all of a certain 

 size are to count as twelve to the dozen,! the shoal or school-fish, eighteen 

 or twenty-four to the dozen ; and the squire, thirty or thirty-six to the 

 dozen — the latter just according to their size, the red bream at per 

 bushel. With some exceptions, these are usually caught in the vicinity 

 of reefs or rocks, by anchoring your boat according to the turn of tide, 

 so that your line will trend to or along the rocks. Occasionally, when 

 migratory, they are caught further off in deep water, but when in large 

 shoals, wide off and on the top of the water, which is termed schooling,, 

 they will rarely take the bait. 



" Apart from these, however, the largest of the genus is more frequently 

 caught off points within our harbours after nightfall, and at certain 

 time of tide — young flood at some, ebb at others. A fine old fish, 

 monarch of his ground, with a figure-head as bold and defined in its 

 outline as that on the North Head of this port, cunning and fastidious 

 to a degree, a regular epicure — he must be tempted with choice morsels 

 before the well-chosen bit which conceals the hook will eno;a2:e his 

 attention. And you must bear in mind at the same time that (as old 

 Charley Reynolds used to desci-ibe him) he is only a oncer, implying 

 that if he once fairly took the bait, and you pricked or missed him in 

 the strike, it was good-bye for that time ; but fairly hook him with 

 strong tackle your work and anxiety for the time it lasts will be some- 

 what intense. The tugging, jerking motion of the schnapper is unmis- 

 takeable, and when he gets his shoulder to the line he goes off with a 

 rapidity that makes the cord whistle again, either through your fingers 

 or over the boat's gunwale ; a steady and continuous strain, no stray 

 line, together with some skill, enables you to safely land him, at which 

 time you can realize that your patience, toil, and anxiety, are rewarded 

 with a fish from twenty to twenty-five pounds weight, fit to embellish a 

 noble banquet. 



* Fishes of and Fishing in N. S. Wales. Si/dneij Mail, 1874. 



+ Count fish are usually 6 lbs. each, so that a dozen equals 72 lbs. 



F 



