STEIPED BASS. 211 



erel, the young of the blue-fish, Terwnodon saltator, with 

 single gut half worn through, and the lightest tackle. 

 I had been quite successful, much to the disgust of older 

 men who were fishing in the usual manner with live 

 killey and no luck, and finally made a cast right among 

 a number of their floats. Suddenly, from the turbid 

 depths, shot a huge bass, gleamed for a moment in the 

 sunlight, and disappeared beneath the surface carrying 

 my spearing in his mouth. It was a splendid fish, and 

 my skill was tried to the utmost ; many a run I was 

 forced to give to, and only the great length of line I had 

 on the reel saved him ; after a good half hour's excellent 

 sport J. brought him to the net, and my companions were 

 still more disgusted at their want of luck. I again made 

 a few casts, catching several snappers, when another 

 bass, full as large as the first, struck me and was landed 

 after an equally spirited contest. This was early in Sep- 

 tember, and before the fish were taken by trolling in 

 that neighborhood. 



In June and October, bass of great size are captured 

 off Point Judith with half a mossbunker, otherwise men- 

 haden, hard-head or bony-fish, the Alosa menhaden, 

 thrown from the rocks bj rod or hand into the surf. The 

 bait is ordinarily tied on the hook, which is large, and 

 thrown without float or sinker as far into the sea as its 

 weight will enable the fisherman to cast, and then slowly 

 reeled or drawn in. Similar fishing is pursued at New- 

 port, and bass are frequently taken of over forty pounds. 



A favorite mode of catching these fish is by trolling 

 from a boat either with rod and line or hand-line and 

 with the natural squid, or the imitation made of pewter, 



