FISHES OF THE EAST ATLANTIC COAST. 15 



art is tliere such opportunity given for work of bead and hand as in 

 landing a great striped bass whose weight is out of all proportion to 

 the tackle used in his capture. 



The time of year when anglers can most enjoy this surf-fishing ia 

 in the months of August and September; the bait they use is the 

 oily menhaden, the shedder crab, and as something new, the meat 

 stripped from the tail of the lobster. The places they go to are 

 Montauk Point and its vicinity. Block Island, Martha's Vineyard, 

 the Elizabeth Islands, and the rocky shores of Connecticut and Mas- 

 sacliusetts. 



For smaller bass any of the bays of South Long Island, along the 

 New Jersey coast, the pleasant inlets of the river at the Sound, 

 and the T larlem River at Kingsbridge, the East River at Hell-Gate, 

 at Harlem Kills, the North River up to fresh water, are good 

 grounds. The tackle for this lighter fishing I have already de- 

 scribed under " trolling." The baits are shedder crab, sand-worms 

 and shedder lobster. ' 



I have touched here and there upon the virtues of the striped bass 

 as a game fish. I will add another to that long list by mentioning 

 the splendid flavor of the fish when rightly served. By all means 

 then, ye angler who like fish cooked as well as (I will not say — bet- 

 ter than) fish alive, let the striped bass of four pounds weight be 

 gashed and broiled, served on a hot dish, sprinkled with a mere 

 dash of red pcjiper and buttered well, and then eaten with the ad- 

 dition of a few drops pressed from the half of a smooth-skinned 

 lemon. Truly you will enjoy a taste putting the fried Saddle Rock 

 to shame, and making the canvass-backed duck hide his diminished 

 head. 



