166 



THE STRIPED BASSE. 



" You are to fish as near bottom as possible, either with 

 float or without ; if the tide be too strong, the float should be 

 dispensed with; but a little experience will give proper 

 judgment as to the time of using either, or both." 



The following, from an old and experienced amateur, 

 who has angled for many years in the vicinity of New- York, 

 will be found excellent information for those who think that 



" No angling can surpass 

 The taking of the basse." 



* The Striped Basse is one of the finest fish of our waters. 

 By sportsmen it is considered a game fish of the salt water 

 tribe, affording capital amusement to the angler, by his great 

 strength and activity. There are many places in the vicinity, 

 of New-York city, where these fish are frequently found in 

 great plenty. They commence taking the hook generally in 

 April. The first fishing ground in the neighborhood, in the 

 spring, is in the creeks at Kingsbridge — next at Macomb's 

 Dam, Newtown creek, and Jersey fiats. At this early sea 

 son, shrimp is far the best bait, especially where the water 

 is salt, though in the Passaic, at Belleville, anglers are very 

 successful in the use of shad-roe as a bait. This bait is rather 

 difficult to manage by a novice. The experienced angler 

 makes use of tow, or wool, cutting his bait with as much of 

 the skin as possible, and winding a few strands of the tow 

 or wool around it on the hook, which prevents the current 

 from washing it off, which it would soon do withou* this pre 

 oaution On the reefs of the Passaic and Hackensack rivers, 

 many of these noble fish are taken early in April. The shad- 

 roe has been tried repeatedly at Macomb's Dam and in New- 

 town creek, without success ; the reason is obvious to the 

 writer. The shad run up the fresh water streams to spawn, 

 and are never known to spawn at either of the places just 

 mentioned, and I have never had much success with this. 



