62 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



how a man can "waste" an occasional day "at the stupid 

 sport of angling." These persons do not even know that the 

 modern angler is as widely different from the ancient dream- 

 er portrayed by good old Izaak Walton as . are percussion 

 caps and locomotives from flint-locks and post-coaches. 



The tide here appears to take longer to make a decided 

 turn than at any place known by me. We will shed a few 

 crabs, as the boat toles nearly right. Notice the landmarks : 

 the dock at Bergen Point is in range with the steeple at New 

 Brighton ; the south side of the Light-house ranges with the 

 high chimney on Staten Island shore. These ranges form the 

 angle where our boat rests, a hundred yards west of the 

 Light-house, and within casting distance of the submerged 

 rocks, seven to the left and five to the right, at the stern of 

 our boat; 



Now for commencing. Cast a trifle to the left, and let 

 your sinker fall just above the seven rocks, and I will cast 

 slightly to the right of the stern, toward the five rocks. 

 There ! I told you so ! You can not sink your bait before 

 you have a bite. Well, this is sport ! Each of us is either 

 playing a bass, landing him, or casting. Under these condi- 

 tions, it will depend on the activity in baiting, and dexterity 

 in playing and landing our fishes, for deciding which will take 

 the greatest number. It is true that they are not large from 

 a pound to two pounds generally, with a three-pounder some- 

 times, and a semi-occasional five-pounder ; but it is rare sport, 

 for all that. The tide becomes more swift, and our fish are 

 harder to play. Deftly and gingerly are the words, while not 

 a moment is to be lost. I have angled here and taken bass 

 throughout the ebb tide ; but if I take from fifteen to twen- 

 ty-five in an hour, I generally become fatigued, and rest the 

 pool for some one else. 



You know George Wilkes, of the SPIRIT ? Well, he and I 

 were once still-baiting here, and, as we were about to leave, 

 after taking between thirty and forty bass, our line on which 

 the fish were strung, and fastened to the thole-pin for keeping 



