rilOTOCRArilY 



279 



feet or even less was sufficient. One must 

 fish all the water his time will allow him. 

 In fishing the surf always put on a large 

 amount of bait. 



Now, I will say a few words about tackle. 

 Let us select a rod first. The old-style joint- 

 ed rod is very little used by striped bass ang- 

 lers, as the ferrule is liable to be bent; also, 

 the edges of the ferrule acts as a knife blade, 

 and if a iheavy strain is put on it, it is liable 

 to break at this point, so we have laid that 

 style rod away, and adopted a one-piece rod 

 as we call it; the tip is from five feet seven 

 inches to six feet long, with two sets of agate 

 guides, one set on each side of rod; the first 

 set is ten or eleven inches from the tip, which 

 should be German silver with an agate in the 

 end, and the other set about two 'feet from 

 the first; then on the butt-end have a fer- 

 rule and dowel, and this fits in a reel seat 

 which is mounted on a butt eighteen to thirty 

 inches long. I prefer a butt about twenty- 

 two inches long; it can be handled easier. 

 Always have your salt-water rods mounted 

 in German silver, as the mountings can be 

 cleaned and appear as good as new. Nickel 

 mountings soon lose their lustre and nickel. 

 A hand-made split bamboo is the best, and 

 very expensive, so we as a rule use Green- 

 heart or Bethabara, never Lancewood; and 

 the time is coming when Greenheart and 

 Bethabara will be of little use, for it is get- 

 ting poorer and poorer each year. I suppose 

 by that time the hand-made split bamboo will 

 be in the reach of all. 



As to the reel, never use any reel but one 

 made of hard rubber and German silver. 

 2.0 reel will do, but get a 3.0 if 

 possible; it is well worth the differ- 

 ence in expense, and holds half again 

 as much line, and as we always break 

 off some line after fishing you still 

 have a good amount on your reel, and 

 always get a first-class reel. Edward Vom 

 Hofe and his brother, Julius Vom Hofe, 

 make the best reels in the market. 



As to the line, you want the best that 

 money can purchase; all linen eighteen-thread 

 special is the most universally used line, as if 

 is strong, light and durable. Always get a 

 600-foot line. 



The leaders should be five-ply best gut 

 twenty-four inches long. ' 



There are a number of hooks, but I pre- 

 fer the O'Shaughnessy hand-forged, which 

 should be looped with gut five-ply, and have 

 the loop about five or six inches long. 



Use a treble swivel, and a three or four 

 ounce pyramid lead for casting from the 

 beach. 



Trusting this will be interesting as well 

 as beneficial to Recreation readers, I await 

 the time for striped bass fishing to commence 

 again. 



IN THE SUGAR MONTH OF MARCH. 

 BY CAROLYN n. LYMAN. 



When the sun shines warm at noon time, 

 When the snow banks melt away 



Into tiny lakes and puddles, 

 And the eaves drip all the day — 



Then I feel a sort of fever, 

 One that seems someway to bring 



All the spirit of the forest, 

 All the waking of the spring. 



When we scalded out the buckets, 

 When we used to scour the pan, 



Hoop the barrel and make ready 

 When the sugaring began. 



Then we hung the wooden buckets, 

 And we builded up the arch, 



When the sap was sweet and flowing 

 In the sugar month of March. 



When the pigeons flew above us 

 Like a cloud with many wings — 



When from bogs we heard the croaking 

 Where the bullfrog early sings — 



Have you heard the fire's soft sputter 

 When the logs were green and wet! 



Have you seen those flames like devils 

 Leap and laugh — 'tis great — you bet ! 



Did you ever through the darkness 



See the will-o'-wisp — afar — 

 See that light so weird — and wavering — 



When the sky held not a star? 



Scott ! you should have seen us hustle, 

 Leastways when we had a run — 



Boiling nights, and even Sundays, 

 Though 'twas then we had the fun. 



All the boys about would gather — 



Smoke until the air was blue, 

 And we had a feast most royal 



When they brought a fowl or two. 



Mother's mince pies, plump with raisins, 

 Twisted doughtnuts fresh and brown, 



Now and then a sip of cider — 

 Beat the swellest meal in town. 



And the amber-colored syrup — 



Ah, again, what do you say? 

 Did we scrape the pan, well, really, 



Guess you'd thought it looked that way! 



'Tis the syrup that's left clinging, 

 Which is sweetest of the sweet — 



Whittle out a wooden paddle — 

 Try it once — it can't be beat. 



Yes, I feel it in the sunshine ! 



And it seems someway to bring 

 Back the spirit of the forest 



With the waking of the spring. 



