464 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



dark bars on each side, and a black spot just back of the gills 

 on each side of the body. 



The natural feeding -ground of this excellent pan-fish is 

 the waters which wash the shores of bays and estuaries on 

 the coasts of Virginia and the Carolinas. Its weight is from 

 one-fourth to a pound and a half; but generally about a half- 

 pound. The edge of the small mouth is thickly covered with 

 very fine short pin-teeth, merely forming a rough edge to the 

 jaws. 



The colors of the spot are a blackish green on the back, 

 fading to a yellowish drab at the sides, and white abdomen. 

 The dorsal fins are separated, though both soft -rayed and 

 nearly black, as is also the caudal fin ; but the pectoral fin is 

 light yellow, and the belly fins are white. The top of the 

 head is black; eye yellow, with black pupil. The meat is 

 white and succulent ; will fry in its own fat. It is taken on 

 light bass tackle, with trout hooks and fine linen line. All 

 lines for use in salt water should be of linen, for silk is too 

 elastic to respond, and it wears out sooner than linen. Be- 

 sides, the perfection in the make of linen lines renders them 

 fine enough for almost any kind of fishing. The favorite 

 baits are soft and hard clams ; but it will take shedder-crab 

 and small bits of any shiny parts of the white mullet, or scup. 

 The Virginians call this fish the " spot, or salt-water roach." 

 Its scales are very small, and the fish is beautiful when first 

 taken from the water; and its meat being compact and rath- 

 er solid, it does not soon deteriorate. It is taken from the 

 first of June to the middle of October. 



Few anglers about New York properly appreciate the 

 Lafayette ; they confound it with the sand-porgee, which is 

 one of the smallest and most worthless of the bait-thieves 

 that infest the waters in October about the metropolis; 

 whereas it is the most delicate pan-fish that rubs its scintil- 

 lant sides on the rocky shoals above Fort Wadsworth and 

 off Rabineau's Point, at the confluence of Kill-Van-Kull and 

 Newark Bay. 



