52' FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



lar, giving him the benefit of its spring, for he is bony-mouth- 

 ed, though the teeth in his upper jaw are too small and short 

 to bite or even chafe off a silk-worm gut snell. Keep your 

 fish out of the swiftest of the tide, and, after playing him un- 

 til he succumbs from exhaustion, land him on the shore, for 

 he is too heavy to lift upon the bridge. Well done ! Now 

 bait quickly and cast for another. You perceive that at the 

 foot of the rapid tide the bass lie in wait for bait, for our 

 floats dip at that place. But the fish move away from there 

 after the tide gets running its'full strength, and an hour is all 

 of first-rate fishing we may expect in one tide, therefore it is 

 necessary to be active in baiting and expert at casting and 

 playing a fish, always using shrimp on the upper hook and 

 shedder on the lower one, when you use two'baits at a time 

 in this style of fishing. Now, as the tide has become too 

 swift for float-fishing, just step into this boat, and we will row 

 down to the first island in the creek, seventy-five rods beyond 

 the west bridge, and try Spuyten Duyvel Creek. The fish 

 are smaller here, but they bite more generously. I took 174 

 here in one day, and yet Judge Brevoort, my companion, 

 beat me by one fish. See ! one on each hook at every cast ! 

 Say you not that angling for small bass with light tackle 

 forms a pleasing excitement? Well, having fished out the 

 tide, suppose we return to the hotel and take our vehicle for 

 home ? This place is accessible by public conveyances over 

 several routes, but as it is only eleven miles from the City 

 Hall, I prefer to drive out. We have taken between thirty 

 and forty bass which scale from half a pound to a pound 

 each only three two-pound fish and one three-pounder ; and 

 this may be regarded as an average morning's sport. 



SECTION THIRD. 



TROLLING IN HELL GATE. 



You doubtless perceived, brother angler, that the sport 

 which we yesterday enjoyed at King's Bridge might be 

 practiced and greatly relished by ladies. Many ladies of 



