94 Fisnine 1x AMERICAN WATERs. 
The captain counts eleven as our take. Moderate, but 
enough. Suppose we reelup? Captain, head the craft home- 
ward, Let’s unjoint our rods, put them in their cases, and 
enjoy the sail. To our left is the lower bay of New York, 
the fortitications and shore of New Jersey. To our right is 
Rockaway, and the great South Bay. Those bird’ in the 
weeds are yellow-leg snipe, and those on the sand-bars are 
summer snipe, of numerous varieties. The gulls seem to be 
at war, for they sally from the islets and descend on spearing 
and shoals of small fry as if they were storming a fortification. 
Our horse is ready, and our fish are stowed under the car- 
riage seat. We will try to drive home before sundown. 
There are many places along our shores better than Jamai- 
ea Bay, where we fished to-day, for sheepshead. The hand- 
line-committee make it pay at Fire Island, and there are 
many superior feeding-places in the South Bay. About the 
wreck of the Black Warrior, near the Narrows, is celebrated 
for great numbers of them. In truth, our whole coast south 
of Long Island is rendered inviting by this delicious fish. 
the 
shores of Virginia and the Carolinas, but they are not so 
Late in autumn the sheepshead are numerous alon 
oO 
5 
good any where else as within the latitude of the State of 
New York. The sheepshead of our northern chain of lakes 
is an inferior fish, and should not be confounded with our 
coast and estuary delicacy. 
Along the shores of New Jersey sheepshead are numerous 
from May until October: 
Where inlet of the Barnegat 
Opes to the boiling surf its gate, 
When the young flood-tide washes in 
Limpet and crab, a luring bait, 
Then, where the affluent current pours 
The deepest o’er its mussel floors, 
The greedy sheepshead hidden lie 
To seize whatever may float by. 
And there, in dancing boat that swings 
At anchor in the floating tides, 
The angler line and plummet flings, 
And takes the robber where he hides. 
