HOW TO CATCH THE FLOUNDER. 55 



The Flounder. 



This is an odd-looking fish, his belly being on one 

 side and his back on the other. He is shaped some- 

 thing like the sun-fish or pumpkin seed, and on the 

 edges, where the belly and back of an ordinary fish 

 would naturally be, he has continuous fins from neck 

 to tail. The back is of a dark color, both eyes being 

 on that side, and guaged to look upwards at an angle 

 about one-fifth forward from perpendicular ; and his 

 belly is usually white. The size of the flounder va- 

 ries from five to fifteen, and sometimes to twenty-four 

 inches in length, the breadth being about one-half the 

 length. Their feeding ground is the soft mud of the 

 bottom, near to bridge spiles, docks, and other bot- 

 tom incumbrances, and they are sometimes found on 

 bass grounds. They feed on the spawn of fishes, 

 and on muscles and insects. 



The time for fishing the flounder is the spring and 

 fall months. In the summer he may be taken, but 

 his flesh is soft and unwholesome. He will bite at 

 almost anything used in salt water for fish bait, and 

 in fishing him you may use any kind of tackle. A 

 small hook is however necessary No. 8 being the 

 usual size. Flounders are an excellent pan fish ; but 

 they should be cooked as soon as possible after being 

 taken. They are very plentiful on the shores of 

 Long Island Sound, in New York Bay, and in the 

 inlets of New Jersey. The Boston market is abun- 

 dantly supplied with them from the numerous fishing 

 grounds of that neighborhood. 



