ZOOLOGICAL SOCIKIV BULLETIN 



217 



r.RuoK TROUT, 

 l-'rom a tlash-light photo^jraph. 



SPRING FISHING IN NKW YORK BAY. 



THE first signs that the angler's fancy has turned 

 to thoughts of fishing are the inquiries at the 

 Aquarium for bail. The Aquarium has no bait 

 for sale, as all minnows and shrimps which are 

 obtained are used to feed the big fishes. The 

 angler can, however, get bait from boatmen in 

 numerous places about the bay, and although the 

 best local fishing is not to be had early in the 

 spring, there is some good springtime sport. 



The fishes available during the spring months, 

 are flounders, tomcods, herring, striped bass, weak- 

 fish, blackfish, sea-bass, bluefish, llukc and eels. 



About the loth of May weakfish and sea-bass 

 make their ap|)earance, followed by the blackfish 

 in cjuantities. Bluefish come in about the 15th of 

 May, when they are taken entirely by trolling; lead 

 and red cedar squids being used. Several hundreii, 

 weighing from three and a half to four pounds each, 

 are sometimes taken in a day by one party. 



Weakfish arc more numerous from the 15th of 

 June to the 20th of July, when they are taken by 

 hook in greater numbers than at any other time. 

 During the months of .\pril and May large quanti- 

 ties of eels are taken in near-by waters by boblnng. 

 Sometimes during the month of May a few mackerel 

 are taken, Init the greater run is during the month 

 of June. I'lukes, or toothed tloundcrs, are also 

 taken in May and June by trolling with a live min- 

 now for bait, dragged just clear of the l)ottoni. 

 Occasionally they weigh from eight to ten pounds, 



and it has been a common occurrence for fishing 

 parties to take several hundred pounds during a 

 day's fishing. For most of these fishes, the baits 

 provided by the boatmen, such as clams, worms, and 

 small crabs, shrimp, killifish, spearing, etc., are good. 



Atlantic and Navesink highlands, Sandy Hook, 

 South Beach and other localities around Staten 

 Island, Bayonne, Gravesend Bay, and Fort Ham- 

 ilton, are all good localities for fisliing. Boats 

 cost from 50 cents to Si a day, and are necessary, 

 as fishing from piers does not give much variety. 



The fishing steamers .\ngler and Taunis, making 

 daily trips from the Battery to the fishing banks 

 off the Jersey coast, atTord easy fishing excursions, 

 as tackle, bait, and luncheon can be had on board. 



FEES FOR MEMBERSHIP. 



The fees for membership in the New York Zoological 

 Society are as follows : 



Annu-il membership $ 10.00 



Life membership 200.00 



Patron's fee l,o<x).oo 



Founder's fee 5,000.00 



Benefactor's fee 25,000.00 



Information and blank forms for membership may be 

 obtained at the Service liuilding, at all entrances to the 

 Zoological I'ark, and at the Secretary's Office, No. II 

 Wall Street, New York City. 



