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, 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. 



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 Hackerel. June to November 

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

 Baits: Menhaden, surf mullet and trolling squid. 

 Time and tide: Daytime; not affected by tides. 



LAKE MASHIPACONG. 

 BARTON W. EVERMANN. 



In the New Jersey mountains, some 10 

 miles South of Port Jervis, on the Erie 

 railroad, lies Lake Mashipacong. The 

 drive from the railroad station to the lake 

 is an interesting one. Crossing the Nave- 

 sink near its mouth in the edge of the 

 town, the road for a few miles passes 

 through well kept farms and by comfort- 

 able farm houses. Here the road is smooth 

 and the team jogs along at a fairly good 

 speed, but not too fast to prevent one from 

 taking in the many beauties of the scene 

 around. Then the road makes a turn to 



the left and begins to ascend. The grade 

 becomes more and more steep, the rocks 

 in the road become distressingly numer- 

 ous, the horses slow up, the driver remarks 

 that "it is best to go a leetle slow along 

 here," and we brace ourselves and hold 

 on. We soon see, however, that though 

 there are some rocks in the road they are 

 neither large nor troublesome, and, dis- 

 missing them from our mind, we take 

 note of the things by the wayside. The 

 road is narrow, and the trees, in many 

 places, arch it over, forming brilliant cano- 

 pies under which we drive. It was early 

 October, the best of all the year, when the 

 trees are glorious in their liveries of golden 

 yellow, russet, red, and changing green. 

 The maples and oaks are richest, while the 

 chestnuts, though yet green, are begin- 

 ning to show yellow on the exposed 

 leaves. Most of the timber is second 

 growth and only an occasional old tree is 

 seen. There is one, in a field — a huge old 

 chestnut with gnarled trunk and scraggy 

 branches — standing out in the open and 

 receiving no protection from sun or frost. 

 Here is another, by the roadside; an old 

 patriarch which has been spared these 

 100 years, since the farm was opened, 

 mayhap by the great-grandparents of the 

 honest, frugal farmer who to-day dwells 

 in the house hard by. What happiness 

 that old tree has brought to the 3 or 4 

 generations of children who have played 

 in its shade, climbed among its branches, 

 and eaten of its delicious, wholesome 

 fruit! Sturdy country lads and lasses 

 they doubtless were ! The old tree has seen 

 them coming on in overlapping numbers, 

 the older ones growing still older and 

 coming to the tree less often as time went 

 on, and finally returning only at long 

 intervals or not at all; but little tots com- 

 ing on more or less regularly every year 

 to take their places; and the immortality 

 of the child to the tree and of the tree in 

 the mind of the child is not a mere fancy. 



Only a few children play about the old 

 tree now, for we found ripe nuts on the 

 ground under it. I wonder if many of 

 those who knew it in the days agone 

 are still alive; do they sometimes yearn for 

 the shade and the cool and the peace of 

 the old chestnut tree? I hope they do; 

 for one is not happy when he forgets his 

 childhood and the scenes of childhood's 

 days. 



We go on up the hill slowly and admir- 

 ingly. The trees crowd in upon us and the 

 way grows narrower. At one place the 

 driver stops and bids us look back down 

 the road to the valley below and the blue 

 hills far beyond. The view was beautiful; 



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