FISH AND FISHING. 



ALMANAC FOR SALT WATER FISHERMEN. 



The following will be found accurate and val- 

 uable for the vicinity of New York City: 



Kingnsh — 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. 



NOTES AND NOTIONS. 



THEODORE GORDON. 



When the katydid begins her song (?) 

 I always feel that the best of the year is 

 passed. The days are then much shorter 

 and th^ songs of the birds have almost 

 ceased. Frost may be expected, they say, 

 in six weeks. The flight of theseasons is 

 so rapid in this latitude that one has little 

 time to become accustomed to any of the 

 4 until it has passed. Farther South this 

 it not the case,. The transitions are more 

 gradual and extremes of temperature are 

 not so great. 



I know of no good fly fishing for trout 



South of the mountains of Western North 

 Carolina, but in the spring many fish of 

 the perch tribe may be taken with fly in 

 Southern waters. The big mouth, or 

 Oswego, bass, of course; but blue or cop- 

 per nose bream often take the fly well. 

 In fact, they will almost swallow it some- 

 times, if it is not too large. This is a 

 handsome fish, usually averaging about a 

 pound in weight and is excellent on the 

 table. 



The approved style of fishing for bream 

 used to be with a light cane rod, line of 

 strong black thread, small cork float and 

 hook baited with a lively worm. The 

 bream collect in numbers, bedding it is 

 called, in deep holes and the float is placed 

 high enough to allow the worm to rest on 

 the bottom. 



Most anglers have a poor opinion of 

 the pickerel found in so many of the ponds 

 and lakes of the Eastern States, but I have 

 had great sport in taking this fish with a 

 fly rod and an artificial fly. They are 

 free risers and if large will double up the 

 rod in an interesting way. There is some- 

 thing fascinating in being able to see the 

 fish rush up and close its long jaws on 

 the fly. 



I have taken a good many large wind- 

 fish, or fall fish, with a fly. This fish prob- 

 ably resembles the English chub and is 

 called chub in some localities. It is a sil- 

 very, shapely fish and when much fished for 

 becomes very shy. The flesh is white, soft 

 and rather sweet. I have known persons 

 who preferred it to trout, but it is very 

 bony. 



A nearsighted old man who was fond 

 of chub and who could not see the bones 

 gratified his appetite by stuffing great 

 chunks of chub into his mouth and comb- 

 ing the bones out afterward. It was an 

 interesting sight, but proved rather trying 

 to some of the ladies at the table. 



I have many pleasant recollections of this 

 fish and remember when I considered it 

 good game. It sometimes reaches a weight 

 of 3 pounds, but I never took one much 

 over 2 pounds. If they refuse your flies 

 or only follow them, grasshoppers, crickets, 

 fresh water mussels and small frogs -are 

 all good baits. These fish often take your 

 minnows, helgramites, crayfish and lam- 

 perns, when fishing for small mouth black 

 bass in the Delaware river. 



The common sun perch, or sunny, will 

 sometimes take a small scarlet ibis fly, as 

 fast as it can be cast to them. They are 



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