146 APPENDIX. 



think it worth their wliile to pause there, but proceed at once to Sam 

 Carman's, at Fireplace, eighteen miles eastward from Lilf. Snedecor's ; 

 these two being in fact the par excellence fishing grounds of the Island, 

 and the difference between the two rather a matter of individual preju- 

 dice and fancy, than of any real or well grounded opinion. 



The character of the fishing at Fireplace is nearly similar to that at 

 Islip; the stream fiowing from the pond is larger, and contains much 

 larger H;>h, the most beautiful, both in shape and brightness of color, of 

 any on the island. In this stream two pounds is a very common size ; 

 perhaps, fish are as frequently taken of this weight as under it, and up- 

 wards to four pounds. Their flesh is very highly colored, and their 

 flavor, as I have observed before, second to none. Indeed, it is but a few 

 years since Carman's fish were estimated by old sportsmen the only fish 

 worth eating ; of late, however, fashion — which rules in gastronomic 

 tastes as otherwise — has veered a little in favor of the Islip trout, and it 

 remains at present a debatable point between the two. The course of 

 Carman's stream lies chiefly through open salt meadows, and the banks 

 are entirely destitute of covert, so that very careful and delicate fishing 

 is necessary in order to fill a basket. Even with ground bait it is desi- 

 rable to keep completely out of sight, walking as far from the bank as 

 possible, and to avoid jarring the water, so wary and shy are the larger 

 fish. It is also advisable to fish down wind. Trolling is very success- 

 ful in this water, the same precautions being taken, and the bait-fish 

 being dropped as lightly on the surface as if it were a fly, so as to create 

 neither splash nor sound. The pond above is likewise deservedly cele- 

 brated, the fish averaging at least a pound in weight, and equal in all 

 respects to any pond trout in this or any other region. The fly-fishing 

 here in season is probably the best on Long Island, although of late, here 

 as everywhere else, trout are becoming comparatively few in number ; 

 BO that it has been found necessary to impose a limit on sportsmen. 



Not many years ago, a celebrated English shot and angler, who has 

 since left this country, and who, I believe, was among the first, if not 

 the very first, to use the fly on Long Island waters, took between forty 

 and fifty good fish in this pond before dinner, and in the afternoon bas- 

 keted above a dozen of yet larger size in the stream below. 



This feat, the like of which will not, I fear, be soon heard of again, 

 was performed with a fly, the body of which was composed of hare's- 

 ear fur, and the hackle of a woodcock's wings — a very killing fly, be it 

 observed, for all waters, especially early in the season. 



On the same stream with Carman's pond, and at but a short distance 

 above it, is another called Middle Island Pond, with a saw and flour mill 

 at the outlet, which contains a great number of fish, of very large and 

 very uniform size, running from one and a half to two pounds weight. 

 It is remarkable, however, that the trout in the lower pond being esteemed 

 the best, those in the upper should be the worst of any taken on the south 

 side of the Island. Such, notwithstanding, is the case ; they are long, 

 shallow, ill-fed fish, dingy-colored, and woody-flavored. They are not, 

 however, black-mouthed, as are the fish of a pond which I shall have 

 occasion to mention hereafter. 



