FISH AND FISHING. 



ALMANAC FOR SALT WATER FISHERMEN. 



The following will be found accurate and val- 

 uable for the vicinity of New York City: 



Kingiish — Barb, Sea-Mink, Whiting. 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. 



Blackrish — 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 Hackerel. 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. 



FLY FISHING FOR BLACK BASS. 

 What constitutes a sportsmanlike method 

 of angling? The method demands the 

 maximum of skill, but offers the minimum 

 of certainty of success. The experience and 

 skill of the angler are pitted against the 

 instinct for self-preservation and the fight- 

 ing qualities of the game fish. All "dead 

 sure" plans for taking any game are un- 

 sportsmanlike. What real sportsman would 

 wish to land every fish hooked? What real 

 sportsman would wish to hook a fish at 

 every cast, or even at every 20th cast? Un- 

 fortunately, many who call themselves 

 sportsmen measure sportsmanship by the 

 number of fish caught or the game bagged ; 



but these are not genuine sportsmen. All 

 should condemn them, and, if possible, re- 

 form them. I pity the game and fish hogs, 

 but it is a pity that looks hopefully toward 

 their reformation and proper training oi 

 their ethical natures ; or failing in that, a. 

 desire to see them hobbled, muzzled, penned 

 or whatever will relieve the public from the 

 most thoughtless, if not the most pernicious, 

 of the genus homo. 



A method of fly fishing practiced by a few 

 of our expert bass anglers in some of the 

 lakes in the Middle West is with a 2-handed 

 rod 15 to 16 feet in length, and that, too, 

 a natural growth of Japanese bamboo. Now 

 do not get excited, brother sportsmen, but 

 bear with me to the end and then you may 

 say what you please. 



First select the rod ; not so simple a mat- 

 ter as might be supposed. Many a bundle 

 of 50 rods have I examined carefully with- 

 out finding one fit for the delicate work ex- 

 pected to the first class rod. No rod is 

 made, or probably can be made, suitable for 

 this style of fly casting. This rod must be 

 of the right Kind of timber. It must be the 

 right size and the prescribed weight ; % of 

 an inch in diameter at the butt, with cylin- 

 drical internodes, and perfect taper to the 

 tip. Above all, it must have perfect bal- 

 ance and resiliency. 



Then come the dressing and mounting of 

 the rod, truly a work of love. First, rasp 

 down the joints, from 'the butt to the mid- 

 dle, nearly to the diameter of the inter- 

 nodes ; from the middle to the tip, to a less 

 extent ; near the tip scarcely at all. Sand- 

 paper freely until all joints are perfectly 

 smooth ; then oil the entire rod thoroughly. 

 The oil should be rubbed in by the naked 

 hand a number of times a few days apart. 

 Next comes the butt grip. An old style 

 cork bicycle grip securely fastened by means 

 of shellac or waterproof glue makes an ex- 

 cellent butt grip. Five or 6 inches above 

 the grip place a Brower's reel seat, wound 

 on the rod with waxed ends like those used 

 by harness makers. Five German silver 

 trumpet guides should be wound on the rod 

 at the proper places with the same material. 

 Great care must be taken to place the reel 

 seat and guides on the proper side of the 

 rod, as both the balance and the strength 

 of the rod will be thus greatly improved. 



Metal tips well suited to this style of 

 rod are not found on the market. Longer 

 tips being desirable, the ordinary 3-ring tip 

 is lengthened by soldering one to 2 inches 

 of suitable tubing to the tip. This tip is 

 usually drawn off and placed in the tackle 

 box while the rod is not in use. 



Such a rod, if properly cared for, will 



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