FISHES OF THE EAST ATLANTIC COAST. 1^ 



and dipping, and then know exactly where the bluefish are at their 

 murderous work. 



The run of these fish commences in early spring, and lasts through 

 the whole summer and fall, but in winter the fish disappear. 



The appearance of the bluefish is rakish, as beseems the pirate of 

 the ocean. His body is bounded by graceful curved lines ; the fins 

 are small, considering the great strength and speed of the fish, and 

 look when spread out as if they had been trimmed. The tail is 

 forked ; the first dorsal fin has seven rays, and is much smaller than 

 the second, which has twenty-five rays. The ventral fin is small, 

 and has five rays. The anal fin is larger, and about the same size as 

 the second dorsal. The operculi, or gill covers, are covered with 

 scales ; the mouth is very large and its edges are full of very sharp 

 teeth, good to tear and cut (hence one of its scientific names — tem- 

 nodon). The head is more than one-fourth the length of the body. 

 The whole fish in form is beautiful and symmetrical. The color is 

 white, or greenish white on the belly, gradually deepening into a 

 steel blue as it nears the dorsal fin. 



Of the various ways of taking the bluefish I will first describe the 

 most important to all classes of fishermen — trolling with hand lines. 

 There are some who think no true angler will take aught but the 

 salmon or the black bass ; there are others who limit the angler's 

 skill to casting the artificial fly ; there are many more who will allow 

 him no "gentlemanly" method of fishing save with the rod. I think 

 they are mistaken as well as selfish. I would give as a truer defin- 

 ition of the art : fishing of every kind requiring skill and carried on 

 humanely and for enjoyment. If, then, the " gentleman angler" will 

 not feel less of the gentleman while trolling, he may enjoy the de- 

 lightful sport in the following way : 



Have a staunch fast-sailing catboat or sloop, one that will " turn 

 on a shilling," as the phrase goes, and a good-natured old sea-dog to 

 handle it. In a good breeze he will make his craft tack to and fro 

 through the shoal of bluefish, jamming the helm hard down and cans 

 ing her to spin round without losing headway. 



The next requisite is a good stout line, generally of cotton, two 

 or three hundred feet long, carrying a heavy sinker, and below this 



