Fish and Fishing 



spearing, killifish, lant, smelt, mullet, eel, alewife, 

 and menhaden, the latter being most famous for 

 surf fishing. On certain rivers, eel-tail is used; 

 another bait seldom heard of at present, but for- 

 merly much used, is shad roe. Artificial lures for 

 trolling include the bone, or block-tin squid, 

 spoons, spinners, and their allies, attached 

 to a single hook. Artificial flies are available for 

 striped-bass fishing in fresh or brackish water only, 

 and are best in the spring when the bass are as- 

 cending fresh water. The best fishing is at sun- 

 down. Showy flies are the favorites, red ibis, blue- 

 jay, oriole, royal coachman, polka, silver doctor, 

 Parmachenee Belle. Trolling the fly is best, with 

 plenty of line, and working the line at the surface, 

 sinking it a foot or two, and then jerking it. 



Casting in the surf, with menhaden bait, is re- 

 garded as the highest type of expert angling for 

 striped bass on the Atlantic Coast. Most com- 

 plete outfits are provided by the tackle 

 the*Surf in dealers according to the taste and 

 means of the angler. Skilled anglers 

 cast a distance of 120 yards, though the average is 

 much less. In making the cast, the line is reeled 

 up to two feet from the tip, one hand grasping the 

 rod above the reel, the other below it; the thumb 

 of the lower hand on the thumb stall controls the 

 line so that it travels the same rate as the bait. 

 The motion of casting is peculiar and requires 

 long practice. The cast may be made with either 

 hand, the body being turned to one side or the 

 other as occasion requires. The one great essen- 



