FISH AND FISHING. 



ALMANAC FOR SALT WATER FISHERMEN. 



The following will be found accurate and val- 

 uable for the vicinity of New York City: 



Kingfish — Barb, Sea-Mink, Whitin/f. June to 

 September. Haunts: The surf and deep channels 

 of strong tide streams. Baits: Blood worms, 

 shedder crabs and beach crustaceans. Time and 

 tide: Flood, early morning. 



Plaice — Fluke, Turbot, Flounder. May 15 to 

 November 30. Haunts: The surf, mouth of tidal 

 streams. Baits: Shedder crabs, killi-fish, sand 

 laut. Time and tide: Ebb, daytime exclusively. 



Spanish mackerel — Haunts: The open sea, July 

 to September. Baits: Menhaden, trolling — metal 

 and cedar squids. 



Striped Bass — Rock Fish, Green Head. April to 

 November. Haunts: The surf, bays, estuaries and 

 tidal streams. Baits: Blood worms, shedder crabs, 

 Calico crabs, small eels, menhaden. Time and. 

 tide. Night, half flood to flood, to half ebb. 



The Drums, Red and Black. June to Novem- 

 ber. Haunts: The surf and mouths of large bays. 

 Bait: Skinner crab. Time and tide: Day, flood. 



Blackfish — Tautog, April to November. Haunts: 

 Surf, vicinity of piling and old wrecks in bays. 

 Baits: Sand worm, blood worm, shedder crabs, 

 clams. Time and tide: Daytime, flood. 



Lafayette — Spot, Goody, Cape May Goody. 

 August to October. Haunts: Channels of tidal 

 streams. Baits: Shedder crabs, sand worms, clams. 

 Time and Tide: Day and night flood. 



Croker — July to October. Haunts: Deep chan- 

 nels of bays. Baits: Shedder crabs, mussels. 

 Time and tide: Day, flood. 



Snapper — Young of Blue Fish, August to No- 

 vember. Haunts: Rivers and all tide ways. Baits: 

 Spearing and menhaden; trolling pearl squid. 

 Time and tide: Day, all tides. 



Sheepshead— June to October Haunts: Surf 

 and bays, vicinity of old wrecks. Baits: Clams, 

 mussels, shedder crabs. Time and tide: Day, 

 flood only. 



New England Whiting — Winter Weak-fish, 

 Frost-fish. November to May. Haunts: The 

 surf. Baits: Sand laut, spearing. Time and tide: 

 Night, flood. 



Hake — Ling. October to June. Haunts: Open 

 sea surf, large bays. Baits: Clams, mussels, fish. 

 Time and tide: Day and night, flood. 



Weak-fish — Squeteague, Squit. June to October. 

 Haunts: Surf, all tideways. Baits: Shedder 

 crabs, surf mullet, menhaden, ledge mussels, sand 

 laut, shrimp. Time and tide: Day and night, 

 flood preferred. 



Blue Fish — Horse Mackerel. June to November 

 1st. Haunts: Surf, open sea and large bays. 

 Baits: Menhaden, surf mullet and trolling squid. 

 Time and tide: Daytime; not affected by tides. 



NOVA SCOTIA SHOULD PROTECT HER 

 SALMON. 

 Mr. J. G. Sievert, of Halifax, N. S., 

 writes to a local paper a pathetic story of 

 the destruction of salmon in streams of 

 that Province by netters. He says that 

 during July he spent a week fishing for 

 salmon on the Port Medway river and in 

 all that time he saw but one salmon. That 

 he landed, and it had a net scar around its 

 neck, showing it had been in a gill net and 

 had probably escaped by breaking the cord. 

 Mr. Sievert says Port Medway bay and the 

 river itself are full of set nets from end to 

 end and from shore to shore. Dip nets 



are also used daily at every dam and at 

 every fall on the river, making it almost 

 impossible for the salmon to reach the 

 spawning grounds at the head cf the river. 

 It is stated that fish buyers patrol the 

 shores of the bay and the river and buy 

 the salmon as fast as they are pulled out 

 of the nets. When men still living were 

 young it was useless to set nets, for sal- 

 mon could not be sold. They were so 

 abundant that any man could go to almost 

 any river in Nova Scotia and take out all 

 the fish he wanted within an hour. Now 

 a man fishes a week with a fly and gets one 

 rise. Even the netters scarcely average $1 

 a day each from the sale of their fish. If 

 the present method of following and killing 

 every salmon that comes into the river be 

 continued a few years, the children of men 

 now living in that Province will not know 

 what a salmon looks like. Mr. Sievert ad- 

 vocates a law limiting the use of nets in 

 any provincial waters to 3 days a week. 

 That would allow the salmon to ascend the 

 river during the remaining 4 days undis- 

 turbed and it is safe to say that if such a 

 law were enacted and rigidly enforced, sal- 

 mon would be abundant in that country for 

 hundreds of years. The editor of the paper 

 referred to speaks thus of Mr. Sievert's 

 letter : 



In another column will be found a letter from 

 Mr. J. G. Sievert, on the threatened extermina- 

 tion of the salmon in the rivers of this Province. 

 Mr. Sievert's letter should incite to prompt action 

 not only the sportsmen but the business men of 

 Nova Scotia. That he does not overstate the 

 case in any way will be readily admitted by all 

 who have any knowledge of the subject. Our 

 streams are being rapidly cleared, not only of 

 salmon, but of trout, and the Province is being 

 robbed of one of its chief and most profitable at- 

 tractions. It is not easy to deal with this matter. 

 There are too many selfish interests involved to 

 make it at all probable that the ruthless destruction 

 now in progress can be stayed without united and 

 strong effort. It is most earnestly to be hoped that 

 such effort will be made without delay. Every man 

 who has influence of any sort should bring it to 

 bear at once if he has the best interests of the 

 Province at heart. It is idle to appeal to the fish- 

 ermen themselves. Stringent laws must be enact- 

 ed and adequate provision made for their enforce- 

 ment if our salmon, so valuable for food, for 

 sport and as an attraction to moneyed visitors, are 

 to be saved from speedy extinction. We com- 

 mend Mr. Sievert's letter to the attention of the 

 Government and of all concerned. 



HAVE DELAWARE BASS CHANGED? 

 It may not be known to you that the 

 Delaware bass, since their introduction to 

 those waters in 1873, have undergone an 

 anatomical change, proving the doctrine of 

 evolution and making for them a record 

 probably not held by any others of their 

 genus. They have grown more symmetrical 



