20 



riSHES OF THE EAST A'l'LAXTIC COAST. 



a trolling spoon of ivory, bone or metal. A trolling sinker is made 

 sometimes with a large hook set in the lead. Trolling spoons are of 

 great variety, very costly ones being made of silver and pearl. The 

 trolling sinker or spoon must be attached to the line by a yard 

 length of wire snell, or the tWo will soon part connection, aided by 

 the sharp teeth of the bluefish. 



To protect the h an ;ls of the angler, woollen gloves are often de- 

 sirable. When the bluefish strikes (fiercely, he does, too,) and feels 

 the hook, he begins a famous fight, sometimes running deep, then 

 breaking on the surface, and sometimes surging from side to side. 

 A well-known trick of his is to start off at lightning speed and over- 

 run the hooks. 



Fish caught by trolling run from four to fifteen pounds in weight, 

 and this method of fishing gives great enjoyment. Overhead the 

 blue sky and soaring gulls ; the sparkling waters all about ; tlie 

 swift motion of the boat and the excitement o^ the capture, make 

 the hours pass most delightfully. 



Another good way of taking the bluefish is by chumming. Moss 

 bunkers are chopped fine, as in striped bass fishing, and thrown upon 

 the waier. The rod must have large free guides, the reel be free run 

 ning aad of fine workmanship, and the swivel sinker light. The 

 bait, a piece of menhaden or crab, is cast out in the midst of the 

 ohum-bait and then reeled up ; and be it remembered, that always 

 in bluefishing the hooks must be fastened to the line by apiece of 

 fine wire or gimp snell. 



The best stage of the tide for bluefishing is the rising tide and 

 the slack water at the ebb and flood. 



The bluefish will take the fly and often keep it. If you have anv 

 to bestow, he prefers the large ones, of bright and assorted, colors. 



Where to enjoy bluefishing is easily told. In the Ocean off Cane 

 May, at Long Branch, and all along the coast of New Jersey. Ex- 

 cellent fishing is enjoyed every season at Barnegat and Atlantic City, 

 at Fire Island and on the whole stretch of the Ocean side of Long 

 Island. The natural food of the bluefish is the mossbunker, and un- 

 less something in the shape of legislative action is done to restrict 

 the taking of these fish within a certain period, the mossbunker wilJ 



