TackLte FoR WEAKFISH. 79 
WEAKFIsH, or SqueTEacuL.—Labrus Squeteague.—Storer. 
CHAPTER IV. 
WEAKFISH, OR SQUETEAGUE. 
Tuis fish is considered the second in interest by the angler 
of the coast and estuaries of our Eastern and Middle States. 
It never visits fresh water, and either spawns along the sea- 
shores, or on deep middle-grounds of estuaries or bayous, the 
latter being small bays and back-sets of tide waters. It is 
probably a family of the Clupea genus, one of the marked 
characteristics of which is that it contains roe in different 
stages of approximate maturity, though this fish differs by 
continuing to spawn at different times from the last of March 
until the first of November. It is, therefore, quite probable 
that the squeteague visits our shores to spawn, and that it re- 
mains during the spawning season; and if it be true that the 
time of their stay is regulated by the duration of their spawn- 
ing season, then we may reasonably suppose that they spawn 
along the term of time between March and November, 
though the best time to angle for the squeteague is from the 
first of June until October. From the middle of June until 
September the tidal parts of rivers from Chesapeake Bay to 
Vineyard Sound actually teem with them. TI have taken 
with light bassing-tackle, comprised of a nine-foot jointed 
rod, a reel carrying a hundred yards of fine linen line, a swivel 
sinker, single-gut leader, hooks snelled on single gut, like 
those represented on the plate for taking small striped bass, 
medium-sized cork float, and shrimp bait, on many occasions, 
