88 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



is preferred ; and the fine but strong linen leader, or twist- 

 ed or braided hair leader a yard long, is armed with a hook 

 at each end, one to be baited with a whole soft-shell clam 

 by inserting the hook between the shells, and the other 

 with the clam taken out of the shell 



No. 4. Tracing sinker of lead, with a hole through the centre 

 longitudinally. All sinkers should be of lead, as one of the 

 most ponderous metals. At the upper end of the leader 

 which is the same material as the line three fourths of a 

 yard above hook No. 1 , the leader should be tied to a brass 

 swivel, and, after running the end of the line through the 

 sinker, the end of the line should be tied to the upper end of 

 the swivel, to prevent the sinker from falling too near the 

 hook, and still to permit the line to play freely through it 

 when it rests on a mussel-bed at the bottom, so that the 

 angler may feel the slightest nibble. This is also a mark- 

 ed point in still-baiting on the bottom for striped bass and 

 squeteague. 



No. 5. Sinker for hand-line fishing. Tie the end of line to the 

 sinker though the hole in the end. About ten or twelve 

 inches above the sinker, tie to the main line a leader with 

 a hook like No. 3 at each end. The leader should be near- 

 ly a yard long, and if made of hair it will be lighter and 

 play easier than if of linen ; and when the sinker lies on 

 the bed of mussels where sheepshead feed, it is well to have 

 the leader so light that the hooks will be moved about by 

 the tide. One hook should be about a foot from the main 

 line, and the other two feet. When thus rigged, and you 

 have cast as far as you can astern of your anchored, boat, 

 take up all your slack line and your heavy sinker, which 

 will permit you to draw the line straight without moving 

 it, and this will enable even a member of the hand-line- 

 committee to feel the slightest bite. 



I am thus particular in describing the rig for hand-line fish- 

 ing because many good anglers consider the electric dips and 

 dives of a " head" too quick for a line to render before break- 



