148 STRIPED BASS. 



little, the reel overruns and entangles the line, stop* 

 ping the cast ere half delivered with a jerk that 

 threatens its destruction. The fisherman must bo 

 able to use either hand on the reel to rest his arms 

 and to take advantage of the wind. 



If he is an adept he will drive the greasy bait 

 straight and true directly to the desired spot, and if 

 the weather is favorable and the fates propitious, he 

 will bring up some scaly monster of twenty-five or 

 mayhap thirty pounds, who will start seaward with 

 bait, and hook, and line, and only be persuaded, 

 after many efforts and determined rushes, that it is 

 in vain. The strong ocean breeze will play with his 

 hair and the salt spume wet his cheek ; the vessels, 

 like floating marine monsters, will drift across the 

 waste of waters before him, the seagulls will hover 

 round uttering their harsh cry, and he will cast and 

 cast till arms and legs are weary, and he may kill 

 in a single day a thousand weight of fish. The 

 fresh air will give such a tone to his system, and the 

 exercise such strength to his muscles, and the ex- 

 citement such vigor to his nerves, that he will hardly 

 believe himself the same relaxed, despondent, list- 

 less individual that left the city a week previous. 



The most famous localities for the sport are West 

 Island, Pasque and Cuttyhunk Islands, all of 

 which have been purchased by clubs of gentlemen, 

 and Point Judith ; so that except at the latter, 

 there is now no free fishing to be had, in spite of 

 the venerable and ancient law of the Commonwealth 

 expressed so quaintly, "fishing and fowling are 



