We Go A-Fishing 125 



found a fleet of from twenty to two hundred 

 boats on the lookout for bluefish. The fishing 

 industry of Babylon is entirely devoted to 

 taking out parties for bluefishing ; the profes- 

 sional fisherman scarcely professes to fish at 

 all. His duty is to keep his smack in order, 

 to furnish bait and lines, and to be ready to 

 pilot his patrons to the best place in the bay for 

 a catch. Whether fish are caught or not, the fish- 

 erman gets his dollars, and finds it more profit- 

 able to take people fishing than to fish himself. 



Oysters, of course, have remained one of the 

 great resources of the Great South Bay. The 

 famous Blue Point, so named because of the 

 blue tint of the weeds which formerly covered 

 the point, still remains the ideal spot of this 

 region for oyster-dredging, and when the sum- 

 mer visitor runs away frightened by the first 

 September storm, the oysterman takes off the 

 fancy trimmings of his boat, stores away the 

 awnings, camp chairs, and cushions, and pre- 

 pares for hard work. In reality, the first two 

 months of oystering are what is to me the 

 pleasantest time of the year. Once the Sep- 

 tember gales have abated, the weather settles 



