Striped Bass Fishing 



long. "Oh, no!" says our friend in reply 

 to our exclamation, " he is not over a 

 thirty-pounder, but he is a good one see 

 him fight! " and the victim tugs and tugs, 

 with a desperation born of a foresight of 

 his calamity ; but in vain, and in another 

 ten minutes he loses heart, and sheers in 

 towards the shore, when our friend is put 

 to all his skill to check and reel him in 

 before he reaches a huge rock inshore for 

 which he heads just in time! The next 

 wave moves him bodily this side of that 

 rock, and the road is clear to warping him 

 in. This is done by forcibly elevating the 

 pole and keeping it as far over the shoulder 

 as control will permit ; then rapidly reel- 

 ing and lowering the pole until nearly 

 horizontal, and continuing to repeat the 

 process, thus avoiding the terrible strain 

 on the reel itself, which any attempt to 

 reel his dead weight inshore would pro- 

 duce. And now he is slowly dragged to- 

 wards the stand, and his beautiful color and 

 stripes are plainly seen ; but he still strives 

 by ineffectual runs, first to one side and 

 then the other, to avert his fate, though 

 all in vain, as Tom is now bending low 

 down from the outer end of the plank 

 with his sharp, shining gaff-hook ex- 

 tended. 



144 



