October, 1919 
FOREST AND STREAM 
575 
FISHING AT 
MONTAUK 
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 546) 
Reaching the shack I consulted my 
friend, Captain M., keeper of the light, 
one of the best men I ever knew and 
a good fisherman. While no fish had 
been caught recently we knew conditions 
were right. What those conditions are 
I will state later. Next day Captain M. 
and I fished about six miles of coast from 
Morgan’s to Stony Brook and did not 
raise a fish. Three other rods fished the 
rest of the coast from Ditch Plains sta- 
tion to Morgan’s with the same result. 
The prospect of fish looked poor to me 
so that night the “Cat” and I went into 
executive session before the open fire 
place. We doped things out as follows; 
The fish must be somewhere as it was 
the best time of year. Casting condi- 
tions were right — a heavy surf and no 
wind. The tides were right — flood early 
in the morning and again late in the 
afternoon for, be it known and remem- 
bered, bass at Montauk don’t strike much 
in the middle of the day. All the con- 
ditions were good, but where were the 
fish? 
Down here we believe that striped 
bass, just before they hole up for the 
winter, frequent gravel bars. Some of 
the old hands say tr.ey fill up on gravel. 
Suddenly we remembered that the one 
place not yet fished was the Point itself 
and within 400 yards of which lies a 
gravel bar, south of Jones’ reef. 
S unrise next moming found us on 
the shore just south of the Point. 
A heavy sea and strong young flood 
tide were running but no wind. Grad- 
ually working along shore and casting 
we did not raise a fish until we reached 
a large rock at the tip of the Point. Off 
shore from this rock about 100 feet is 
another rock, the top of which projects 
out of water at high tide. About 50 
feet north of this rock and outside of 
it are two rocks covered at half tide. 
Between these rocks is a hole where the 
flood tide makes an eddy. The moment 
my jig struck that eddy I was fast to 
a bass of about ten pounds and landed 
him. In the next two hours we landed 
8 fish whose combined wei'^ht was 79% 
pounds after being out of water some 
hours, so I think it fair to say they 
weighed 80 pounds. The tide then turned 
ebb and the fish stopped biting, so load- 
ing my car up we ran to Fort Pond 
Bay and sent the fish to different friends. 
Returning to camp we put away a good 
lunch, dried our lines and rested the 
rest of the day. About 4 p. m. we went 
back to the same place, the tide being 
again at flood with a good sea running. 
Between then and dark we landed 6 more 
fish and lost three, two simply because 
I was too tired to play them properly 
and one fish lost because my line parted. 
This was a new special 21 thread surf 
casting line and had been dried and 
turned but it wore out in one day by 
constant casting. It is always best to 
bend on a heavy piece of line to take 
the friction through the guides of the 
first few feet. The 14 fish weighed 140 
pounds. This I believe to have been the 
record at Montauk for one rod during 
one day. This record, however, was 
beaten about one week later by Mr. H, 
who took 20 fish. Next moming I had 
to return to Southampton, but I thought 
I would try a few casts first and landed 
one fish on the second cast weighing 
16% pounds. Then I quit. 
To get bass at Montauk my advice 
would be, granted that you can cast at 
least 150 feet, to lay aside the idea of 
using any kind of bait. Use the Di- 
amond 3% -inch block tin jig, a spring 
butt surf casting rod and a .casting reel 
arranged to disconnect the handle from 
the spool, making it free running. This 
reel should hold at least 400 ft. of 21 
special surf casting line, also a rod butt 
holder to fasten with strap around the 
waist. 
As to clothing I would advise you to 
wear woolen underwear, a flannel shirt 
and, in October, hip boots with straps at 
the tops to fasten the upper parts tightly 
around the thigh. Oil skin pants cut 
off below the knees and worn outside the 
boots and plenty of heavy socks. 
F ish the entire shore from Ditch 
Plains coast guard station, about a 
mile from the Inn at Fort Pond Bay 
terminus of the L. I. R. R., where you 
will probably stay, clear around to Mon- 
tauk Point — about twelve miles. Neglect 
the coves but fish the rocky points and 
sides of the points. By doing so you will 
probably loose many jigs, getting them 
caught in the rocks, but you will catch 
more bass. Practice starting to reel in 
the moment the jig hits the water for 
two reasons. First, because if you don’t 
your jig will sink and catch in a rock, 
second, because most fish strike then, al- 
though sometimes a fish will follow a 
jig close to the shore. You should also 
bring a supply of eel skins with you. 
Slip a piece of one, slightly longer 
than the jig, over the latter; tying the 
wider part of the skin to the swivel on 
the upper end of the jig. Leave about 
two inches, at the hook end of the jig, 
free. This wiggles when reeling in and 
simulates a fish. While fish will strike 
a jig just as it comes from the store 
most men at Montauk cover the jig with 
an eel skin. Fish on the flood tide. A 
tide table will tell you what few days 
in the month tides are flood morning and 
night. If you can’t go then fish the 
flood tide anyway, but not during the 
middle of the day. 
Good bassin’ weather is after a storm 
or when it is blowing hard, provided 
there is a good surf running, for bass 
seem to come close to the beach then. 
The best time of year is from July 
first to November first. October being 
the best month. No guide is needed. 
The fish are there. It is up to you. 
MISCELLANEOUS 
REGISTERED BLACK FOXES — RUGGED 
pups born on the Ideal Mountain Ranch. 1919 
record: 40 pups from first eight litter.s. Also Swiss 
milch goats. Borestone Mt. Fox Ranch, Guild- 
ford, Maine. 
BEAUTIFUL THOROUGHBRED ANGORA 
cats and kittens for sale; males $5; females, $4. 
John S. Ranlett, Pine Tree Cat Farm, Rockland, 
Maine. 
BROWN’S FOX BOOK— ARE YOU ONE OF 
the many trappers who think foxes are too diffi- 
cult to trap? Why put in all your time cm 
muskrat and skunk? One fox brings more money 
than many muskrats. F'ox-trapping does not in- 
terfere with your other trapping. Get a copy 
of Brown’s Fox Book. You can trap foxes if you 
will only follow the plain directions given in the 
book. No fake. Results guaranteed. Price $2.00. 
Address Ernest A. Brown, 24 Gillis Street, 
Nashua, New Hampshire. 
CUFFS OVER ELBOWS INSTANTLY WITH- 
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DESIGNS, ILLUSTRATIONS, CARTOONS 
Zinc etchings, made to order at lowest prices. 
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EARN $25 WEEKLY, SPARE TIME, WRIT 
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DUCK HUNTING DOG WANTED; PREFER, 
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well broken; not over two years old. Mosh Hoard, 
Fort .Atkinson, Wisconsin. 
FOR SALE— ENGLISH FEMALE POINTER 
4 years old; price, $25.00. Frank Buglione, Haw 
thorne. New York 
PUPPIES, ALL BREEDS, $5.00 UP. K. C 
Bird Store, 1421 Main, Kansas City, Missouri. 
HAVING PURCHASED THE ENTIRE KENNEL 
CF U. R. FISHEL’S NOTED POINTERS, 
TEN-A-SEE FARM KENNELS 
are now in a posirion to offer you at ex 'eHent values 
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— principal South American Bolas. Sent 
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MAPLE ROAD KENNELS 
NEW PRESTON, CONN. 
