86 



THE ANGLER'S GUIDE 



A large wooden spoon is employed to dash the chum 

 over the side of the boat into the tide way by which it is 

 carried out astern, the large pieces drifting but sinking 

 slowly, while the whole leaves an oily streak on the sur- 

 face that is seen for a hundred yards. 



The pieces of menhaden float away in the green water 

 beneath the oil streak in even form now, and our baited 

 hooks drift in this company. 



"Let out lots o' line quick like at th' start, genelmen, 

 so yer bait'll look like th' chum," calls the bayman. " Let 

 the bait sink near the boat as much as possible, an' 

 remember now, genelmen, th' mos' important thing o' 

 all yer fish '11 be ketched when yer line is running out, 

 an' never a onced when it's a comin' in." 



Pierce hooks a huge fluke (plaice) quite near the stern, 

 and this brings forth another tremendous flow of practical 

 knowledge from the captain, who, yelling loudly, waves 

 his arms and dances about the deck with the excitement 

 of a panic-stricken stockbroker. 



"Yer mus' get yer lines down, I tell yer, genelmen, afore 

 they drift; get 'em down and out; dip over lots o' line th' 

 firs' thing so it'll run free as th' chum. You'll git nothin' 

 'cept fluke an' skate an' dogfish shark near th' boat. Yer 

 line mus' run free an' untaut an' th' bait mus' sink with 

 th' chum right here at th' stern. Oh, Lor', see 'em all 

 about th' boat! There's a million! My stars, me 



Moriches, Long Island, New York. 



