STRIPED BASS. 211 
erel, the young of the blue-fish, Temnodon saltator, with 
single gut half worn through, and the lightest tackle. 
I liad been quite successful, much to the disgust of older 
men who were fishing in the usual manner with live 
killey and no luck, and finally made a cast right among 
a number of their floats. Suddenly, from the turbid 
depths, shot a huge bass, gleamed for a moment in the 
sunlight, and disappeared beneath the surface carrying 
my spearing in his mouth. It was a splendid fish, and 
my skill was tried to the utmost ; many a run I was 
forced to give to, and only the great length of line I had 
on the reel saved him ; after a good half hour's excellent 
sport I brought him to the net, and my companions were 
still more disgusted at their want of luck. I again made 
a few^ casts, catching several snappers, wdien another 
bass, full as large as the first, struck me and was landed 
after an equally spirited contest. This was early in Sep- 
tember, and before the fish were taken by trolling in 
that neighborhood. 
In June and October, bass of great size are captured 
off Point Judith with half a mossbunker, otherwise men- 
haden, hard-head or bony-fish, the Alosa raenhaden^ 
thrown from the rocks by rod or hand into the surf. The 
bait is" ordinarily tied on the hook, which is large, and 
thrown without float or sinker as far into the sea as its 
weight will enable the fisherman to cast, and then slowly 
reeled or drawn in. Similar fishing is pursued at E'ew- 
port, and bass are frequently taken of over forty pounds. 
A favorite mode of catching these fish is by trolling 
from a boat either with rod and line or hand-line and 
with the natural squid, or the imitation made of pewter, 
