110 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATEKS. 



heaving of the anchor for good fishing. The charge for pas- 

 sage includes hand-line tackle and bait, so that a man may 

 start in the morning empty-handed, and be landed at home 

 the same evening with a large mess of fish. 



The porgee is a pan-fish of sweet and delicate flavor when 

 first caught, but its juices soon become absorbed, and } with 

 the loss of its juiciness, becomes nearly tasteless. While 

 casting along the coast for striped bass, anglers frequently 

 hook these nimble shiners, and. the guides always draw them 

 at once and place them in moss between a cleft of rocks for 

 their own eating, preferring them to the striped bass. 



The porgee is supposed to spawn on the weedy banks with 

 the sea bass and tautog early in spring, when the last year's 

 hatch leave for estuaries, purveying to the head of tide- 

 waters. In angling for this fish perch tackle is used. The 

 rod is from ten to eleven feet in length, multiplying reel car- 

 rying a hundred yards of fine linen or silk line, cork float, and 

 swivel sinker, single -gut leader and snells, with minnow 

 hooks. Taking them is pretty sport for ladies and children. 

 Use shrimp or clam bait, and let the bait nearly cover the 

 point of the hook; and where they are numerous as they are 

 throughout summer in nearly all tidal waters in and above 

 the estuaries the angler will pair them nearly every time 

 he baits his hooks. The fashion is becoming more and more 

 prevalent along the tidal waters of the Atlantic coast, where 

 they are shut in from the heaving and throbbing of the sea, 

 for whole families to take a seat in a row-boat toward even- 

 ing, and row out to some favorite ground not far from shore, 

 but at a sufficient distance to enjoy different landscape views 

 of both shores, and there to anchor the boat and angle for 

 porgees, with an occasional sea bass, squeteague, and black- 

 fish. Rocking in a boat over the running tide is great food 

 to vitality, and the evening scenes from the water, with the 

 pleasing exercise of angling, are blessings to be thankful 

 for. 



