60 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



Now, having finished our rig, we will cast our anchor here, 

 about a hundred feet above the hedge, and fish toward it un- 

 til the tide turns, when we will anchor about as far the other 

 side of the hedge. These hedges were made to lead shad 

 into channels, across which nets were spread, as you perceive 

 by the spaces left in the different rows of hedges. I always 

 anchor my boat so as to cast at an edge of an opening, or 

 channel, through the hedges. Our boat is not so near as to 

 alarm the fish, while a gentle cast of seventy-five feet reaches 

 them. Make your cast, and let your sinker settle naturally, 

 so that your line be straight, when you will feel the slightest 

 nibble, though bass generally grab the bait and dash away, 

 and, if they feel the hook, continue going until they become 

 exhausted, when they rise to the surface, which is called 

 " breaking water." In this act they inhale a little open air 

 oxygen, which renders them so gay and sportive as to be 

 almost unmanageable. You should therefore always wear 

 thumbstalls or cots on the thumb, a neglect of which has 

 caused numerous thumbs to be blistered by the friction of 

 the line when endeavoring to snub a striped-sided racer, or 

 a bluefish, which intrudes as a guerrilla, and, with its steel 

 jaws, chops up your tackle and occupies the post with impu- 

 nity ; and if perchance you hook a bass, he is sure to liberate 

 it in the endeavor to get the bait, by biting the line off be- 

 fore the mouth of the bass. Gimp snells are as straw to 

 their saw-set teeth, and nothing but piano wire has yet been 

 found strong enough to resist their bite. 



There, sir ! When you jerk at a bite like that, reel in the 

 slack you have caused, and let your sinker settle so as to 

 keep your line straight. Well done ! That fish is game. I 

 will reel up, or he will cross my line, and, by becoming en- 

 tangled, you may lose your fish. After all, he is not so large 

 as to require a gaff. It is best to have both a gaff and large 

 scap-net in the boat for such fishing. 



Our sport bids fair to-day. We have already taken a 

 dozen bass, besides a few squeteague and blackfish, and the 



