THE SHEEPSHEAD. 199 



whole clam. The shedder crab is also a very Sue, attractive 

 bait for them, on grounds where small fish are not numerous. 



" Great care and skill are requisite in playing a sheeps- 

 head. His runs are very vigorous, and his struggles to get 

 rid of the hook very powerful. He will dash head-foremost 

 against a rock, or the bottom of the boat, in the most violent 

 manner, evidently striving to rid himself of the fatal hook, 

 and has often, been known to succeed in breaking the hook 

 and escaping. I once saw a very fine one, which a compan- 

 ion was playing, dash violently against the large rock, (one 

 of the famous stepping stones in Long Island Sound,) and in 

 his next run, rushing against the bottom of the boat, with a 

 loud thump ; and when finally subdued and taken, the shank 

 of the hook was found to be broken, and he was only held by 

 the strong guaging of the line. The experienced fishermen 

 along the Long Island shore of the Sound, often succeed in 

 taking sheepshead, by selecting a rock not usually visited by 

 fishermen, and baiting it by throwing in daily, for a week or 

 two, in the proper season, a half-peck of soft clams, whole, 

 depositing them on the eddy side of the rock, caused by the 

 flood-tide They are thus taken, sometimes, in very shallow 

 water. These cunning fellows carefully conceal the opera- 

 tion of baiting, and when questioned by their competitors, 

 often give evasive answers. I knew one, a fine old fellow, 

 of Great Neck, who, when asked — ' Uncle Jim, where did 

 you catch your sheepshead?' very gravely replied — 'In the 

 mouth.' 



" The general mode of fishing for them is with the hand 

 line, and as before observed, with strong tackle ; but they 

 are also taken, by amateur fishermen, with the rod, and 

 lighter tackle, affording great amusement by their powerful 

 endeavors to escape. When angling for them with the rod, 

 a large landing net should always be at hand. A friend of 

 mine, now deceased, was playing a sheepshead with his rod 



