156 SUNSHINE AND SPORT IN 



mackerel, a "lady" and a "cat," the largest being 

 the mackerel, which weighed over 3 lbs. and 

 fought like the Cid. Examples of twice or even 

 three times that weight are caught there, so I 

 understood from Underbill, and in that case it 

 would probably be good-bye to the light tackle. 

 The catfish is the catfish all the world over. It is 

 neither pretty nor a good fighter, and a derisive 

 chorus of "miaowing" generally goes up from 

 neighbouring boats as soon as one of the party is 

 seen catching " cats." Sympathy with misfortune 

 is the angler's badge. 



The small fish of these backwaters have one 

 advantage over those in the Pass. They are for 

 the most part good to eat, though the "ladies" are 

 very bony and the " trout " are at this season full 

 of worms. 



The Spanish mackerel, if a little rich, was 

 admirable, and the sheepshead — a black fish with 

 silver bands, not unlike the sargo of Madeira, if 

 indeed they be not identical — is a bonne bouche 

 much appreciated as an acquisition to our some- 

 what meagre island larder. The proper bait for 

 these sheepshead is the fiddler -crab {Gelasimus 

 pugnax), and the best spot thereabouts is at the end 

 of the pier opposite the Chateau Roach on the half- 

 flood. A float should be used, and the bait, 

 hooked through the tail, allowed to drift just clear 

 of the bottom. The sheepshead, which I caught up 

 to 4 lbs., shows great fight, and it needs some 

 tact and diplomacy (of the new sort) to keep it 

 away from the piles, round which it would foul the 

 gut tackle in a twinkling. 



When fishing here for sheepshead, the angler is 



