210 STRIPED BASS. 



of the shore, and often fill a pail with minnows or spear- 

 ing at one haul. 



The killey-fish, so called by our ancestors from being 

 caught in the kills or creeks, and which, by the by, are 

 at least of three kinds without counting sticklebacks, 

 will rush about and try to creep under the net ; but spear- 

 ing, which always go in shoals, when once in the net do 

 not seem to be able to escape, and will stay there as long 

 as it is kept in motion. No fisherman living near the 

 water should be without this contrivance, as nothing is 

 so annoying as to be unable to get bait ; he will soon 

 acquire considerable skill in its use, and if he is as boy- 

 ish as a fisherman ought always, though grey-headed, to 

 be, he will experience much excitement in the pursuit 

 even of his bait. If spearing cannot be had, though 

 that is rare, the barred killey, vulgarly called the bass 

 killey, is the next in beauty and attractiveness ; it is the 

 Fundulus fasciatus, or striped killey-fish of De Kay, 

 and if it cannot be had, the ugly green killey-fish, Fun- 

 dulus viridescens, may be used, but with doubtful suc- 

 cess. 



To cast with spearing in the manner here suggested 

 successfully, a stout long salmon rod will be requisite. 

 A small hook is run through the spearing's mouth and 

 out at his side, for he is long since dead, and a cast is 

 made into the foaming torrent of a mill-tail or rushing 

 tide. The bait is drawn irregularly over the surface of 

 the water, and again cast and played like the fly. The 

 bass strike it as trout or salmon take the latter ; and 

 there is the same skill and uncertainty in the pursuit. 



I was once fishing in this manner for snapping mack- 



