94 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATEKS. 



The captain counts eleven as our take. Moderate, but 

 enough. Suppose we reel up ? Captain, head the craft home- 

 ward. Let's unjoin t our rods, put them in their cases, and 

 enjoy the sail. To our left is the lower bay of New York, 

 the fortifications and shore of New Jersey. To our right is 

 Rockaway, and the great South Bay. Those birds in the 

 weeds are yellow-leg snipe, and those on the sand-bars are 

 summer snipe, of numerous varieties. The gulls seem to be 

 at war, for they sally from the islets and descend on spearing 

 and shoals of small fry as if they were storming a fortification. 



Our horse is ready, and our fish are stowed under the car- 

 riage seat. We will try to drive home before sundown. 



There are many places along our shores better than Jamai- 

 ca Bay, where we fished to-day, for sheepshead. The hand- 

 line-committee make it pay at Fire Island, and there are 

 many superior feeding-places in the South Bay. About the 

 wreck of the Black Warrior, near the Narrows, is celebrated 

 for great numbers of them. In truth, our whole coast south 

 of Long Island is rendered inviting by this delicious fish. 



Late in autumn the sheepshead are numerous along the 

 shores of Virginia and the Carolinas, but they are not so 

 good any where else as within the latitude of the State of 

 New York. The sheepshead of our northern chain of lakes 

 is an inferior fish, and should not be confounded with our 

 coast and estuary delicacy. 



Along the shores of New Jersey sheepshead are numerous 

 from May until October : 



Where inlet of the Barnegat 



Opes to the boiling surf its gate, 

 When the young flood-tide washes in 



Limpet and crab, a luring bait, 

 Then, where the affluent current pours 

 The deepest o'er its mussel floors, 

 The greedy sheepshead hidden lie 

 To seize whatever may float by. 

 And there, in dancing boat that swings 



At anchor in the floating tides, 

 The angler line and plummet flings, 



And takes the robber where he hides. 



