THE STRIPED BASS. 49 



makes liis appearance in the rivers en route to their 

 spawning beds (from this date he becomes the ob- 

 ject of attention to the pot-hunter, for I can not call 

 the man who tries to capture fish in that state by 

 the name of fisherman), where he remains for some 

 time, probably over a couple of months. This duty 

 performed, they return again to the coast, afibrding 

 sport for a short period, then disappear to return in 

 September and. October in immense numbers, glad- 

 dening with their advent the heart of every sports- 

 man. 



Their size is so varied that they may be taken 

 from the vfeight of a few ounces up to sixty and 

 even more pounds, the heavier fish generally being 

 captured late in the season; and woe betide the 

 angler if unprepared he should strike his hook into 

 one of the leviathans, for all his fishing parapher- 

 nalia will certainly receive so severe a shock as to 

 render it for after use completely worthless, that is, 

 the portion that is left with him. After spawning 

 this fish does not lose its condition like the salmon, 

 therefore his capture immediately subsequent is not 

 nearly so reprehensible, the propagation of his 

 species not injuring him to a noticeable extent, 



therefore, if he be fisJied for in the rivers after that 

 3 



