88 AMERICAN ANGLER'S BOOK. 



outs." We were soon staked down on the flats, a half mile 

 from the shore, where the water was six feet deep. Our ob- 

 ject was, to place the boats in such a position, as to fish into 

 the " galls," or bare places, where there was no grass ; these 

 were of various sizes, from three rods square to half an acre. 



The rods, reels and scientific tackle of the city anglers, ex- 

 cited the wonder, and no doubt the silent contempt of the 

 native fishermen ; who were rigged, one with a^ hand-line, and 

 the other with a stout cedar pole, with a line attached to it, 

 that might have held a Shark. My host, a staunch Democrat 

 and anti-bank man, dubbed my rod, which was not over stout 

 and fifteen feet long, " The Nick Biddle pole," and assured 

 me it was all well enough for White Perch, but would not 

 hold a Eockfish, such as he could bring with a strong pull, 

 and a " whop," right into the canoe. 



It was my good fortune to hook the first fish, a fine fellow 

 of six pounds. There was much laughter, of course ; Uncle 

 EoUy declared I would never get him in. " See how your pole 

 bends ! Why he's way off in the middle of the gall already ! 

 Why don't you pull him in ?" The old man was here inter- 

 rupted by the disappearance of his pine-bark float, and in less 

 time than it takes to tell it, he had his fish flapping in the 

 bottom of the canoe. " There !" said he, " I can catch ten to 

 your one. I tell you, your Nick Biddle pole will never do 

 here !" By this time I had my fish pretty well in hand, and 

 after a dash or two more, Jordan, the negro boy, put a wide 

 crab-net under him, and lifted him in. The next fish Uncle 

 Roily hooked broke his hold ; so did a good many more, and 

 large ones too ; while every fish struck by the dandy pole, 

 was killed artistically, though the old man thought with 

 much unnecessary ceremony. At the ebb of the tide science 

 had told. We had a good time of it, and the owner of the 

 " Biddle pole" felt great confidence in his fine tackle, and 



