88 THE ANGLER'S GUIDE 



Wilstach has had fine experience with large bass and 

 muskellunge in the fresh rivers and lakes, but it is plainly 

 evident that this bluefish is a puzzle to him. 



"He must weigh twenty pounds!" he says to Brant, 

 with a quick side glance. 



"Twenty nothing" replies the bayman, humorously 

 sneering and squinting at the excited angler; "he's a 

 short six pounder or my old head's full o' eel grass; "I 

 aint ever seed one o' twenty poun', thou' Dike Veriety 

 said he onced ketched one aweighing seventeen poun' in 

 the surf out yonder, but Dike's the liarest feller es follers 

 the bay, an' we men ahere aint abelievin' him et his 

 mother's fune'ral. Say, mister Wilstach, you'll lose 

 thet blue ef yer don' keep thet line tight an' comin' all 

 th' time an' bring him in teronc'd !" 



"I'll give him a chance, a fair fight," says Wilstach; 

 wear him out drown him." 



"Drown yer gran'mother yer can't drown' a bluefish. 

 Pull him in er leastwise don' giv' him slack. We'd a hed 

 fifty by now with th' han'lines." 



"True, Captain," says Griggs, "but we'd rather have one 

 just as Wilstach 's getting this one by a fair fight, with 

 some chance for the game to escape, as the sportsman 

 allows his woodcock, grouse or quail, duck or snipe when 

 he insists on bagging it singly in flight rather than potting 

 it boy-bungler like bunched on the ground. Any mere 

 tyro can handline bluefish." 



"All right, genelmen, all right," allowed the Captain, 

 though sorely bewildered at the word tyro, "all right says 

 I, but don' blame me when we go ashore with th' poorest 

 ketch o' all th' boats o' th' day. I mos' allus hev th' 

 bigges' mess, but ef yer genelmen be willin' teh waste 

 time with them little poles an' hev all th' other boats a 

 beatin' us, then don' blame me you've got one, sir!" 

 and the old man violently poked his elbow into Pierce 's 

 ribs. "Ah, he's off! Haul in fer a fresh bait; no use 

 tryin' fer him again now; they won' touch a chewed 

 bait, no sir-ee. Now, Mister Pierce, I says as yer mus' 

 git yer bait down et th' start, an' yer mus' let out th' line 

 quicker and a hull lot o' it in one toss so it'll sink an' float 

 natur'l like with th' chum. Soon es it's full out haul it 

 in quick like fer another try. I says they won' touch 

 chewed bait or bait es is comin' in only when it's runnin' 

 out, runnin' out right', so, yer needn't waste time a foolin' 

 otherwise. Mabbie I knows better'n yeh genelmen darn 

 you, boy, keep that stick even, sluch'er out!" 



Wilstach is still fighting his first fish, but is encouraged 

 by now having it nearer the boat. 



The Captain proves to be correct in every detail ex- 

 cepting the practicability of the light rods and tackle and 

 the game not being drownable, and he is astounded when 

 Wilstach leads the prize close up to the side of the boat 

 clearly a victim of the angler's skill. The great fish is 

 on its side quite on the water's surface, and its glowing 



