92 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



of the boat, so that the tide will carry them astern and at- 

 tract the fish. 



With the sail lowered over the centre of the stern and 

 lashed, the judge takes his stand on one side of it and my- 

 self on the other, when each w r ith a single-rigged hook, as be- 

 fore stated, and well baited with shedder crab, make our first 

 cast. 



" Judge, permit me to advise that when your sinker touch- 

 es the water you do not slack your line or permit any to run 

 from the reel, but let it sink naturally, and the tide will keep 

 your line straight, so that you will be able to distinguish the 

 faintest nibble after it settles on the bottom. If you do not 

 get a bite in a minute, jerk as if you intend to hook a fish 

 and reel in a yard or two of the slack caused by the jerk, and 

 then let the sinker settle as at first. Keep striking and reel- 

 ing a few feet every minute until you have effectually fished 

 over all the ground from where you cast to the boat. Then 

 reel all the way up and repair damage to bait, and cast again. 

 I have cast and reeled in for hours, sometimes without get- 

 ting a single bite from a ' head,' and in such cases my friends 

 resorted to segars and other expedients to prevent them from 

 becoming discouraged ; and if they saw the hand-line men 

 catch a few and string them to a cord fastened to the thole- 

 pins, leaving the fish in the water to keep them alive, they 

 would forthwith order our captain to bargain for a few at a 

 dollar each. But, before we or they discontinued fishing, we 

 would take the greatest number of any craft in the bay, and 

 frequently more than we knew how to dispose of. But the 

 tide slackens, and ' head' will begin to bite very soon. Keep 

 your line clear on the reel, and straight from the tip of your 

 rod to the sinker." " There ! I've hooked one !" " His shoot- 

 ing up to the top of the water is no sign of weakness, for you 

 perceive that I can not prevent him from diving to the bot- 

 tom quicker than he came up. Captain, man the landing- 

 net, and be ready and careful, for he is a fifteen-pounder ! 

 There, he is off again ; you perceive that I can turn him and 



