FISHES OF OUR NORTH ATLANTIC SEABOARD 
35 
sometimes the fight ranges over a ten- 
mile sector. 
There are 300 feet of No. 24 Cutty- 
hunk line to be fought over by man and 
fish. Now reeling it in to bring the fight¬ 
ing quarry toward the gaff, now playing 
it out to prevent a jerk that might part 
it, the battle rages until triumph comes 
to the sportsman or victory to the fish. 
In California Flying Fish is the bait on 
which the Tuna strikes best. The latter 
come in large schools between the middle of 
May and the last of June, and atonce divide 
into companies of from fifty to a hundred. 
For awhile they play around on the sur¬ 
face; then suddenly there is a great splash 
and the fretted waters turn into a boiling 
spray; the Tunas have sighted a school of 
Flying Fish, which skim along in frenzy 
and wild confusion from their natural ene¬ 
mies. That is thesignal forwhich thefisher- 
men have been waiting, and the sport is on. 
The Tarpon is not classed as a food fish, 
but it is to Atlantic waters all that theTuna 
is to Pacific, the acme in sea sport fishing. 
The credit for originating the sport of 
Tarpon fishing belongs to William S. Jones, 
of Philadelphia. Back in the late eighties 
he was fishing in the Indian River Inlet, in 
Florida, and chanced to hook a 130-pound 
Tarpon which was six feet long. For two 
hours he battled with his quarry and 
finally brought it to gaff. 
Wherever fishermen forgathered in that 
day, the story of Jones’ triumph was told, 
and soon Indian River Inlet became the 
mecca of the Nation’s rod and reel cham¬ 
pions. To-day Tarpon fishing is an estab¬ 
lished sport at many resorts in southern 
Florida, both on the Gulf side and in the 
Atlantic, and clubs strictly regulate the 
character of tackle to be used to a point 
where only skill can win. 
The vast schools of Mullet upon which 
the Tarpon preys form the magnet that 
draws him to the various feeding grounds 
in Gulf and Florida waters. 
Ordinarily one does not think of the 
Weakfish, or Squeteague, as offering much 
in the wayofsport, but when angledforwith 
appropriate tackle, it can give the fisherman 
thrills that leave nothing to be desired. 
Its abundance and willingness to bite 
make it popular with anglers who want 
action. It is a handsome member of the 
finny tribe. The Cape Cod fishermen call 
it the “drummer” because of the peculiar 
noise it makes when traveling in schools. 
It gets its name “Weakfish” not because 
of its lack either of gameness or stamina, 
but because the bony processes of its 
mouth are soft and tender. 
There is never a doubt when a Weak¬ 
fish bites. It simply swoops down on the 
bait and is off with it like a flash. Its 
soft mouth-parts call for skill in bringing 
it in. A sudden jerk will tear out the 
hook, hence the line must always be taut, 
and the fish must be led in rather than 
dragged. Rods weighing from ten to 
fifteen ounces, made of greenheart or 
bamboo, are prescribed for Weakfish 
angling, and a fine linen line 300 feet 
long, with a multiplying reel, is employed. 
THE STRIPED BASS AS A FIGHTER 
All anglers agree that the fisherman 
who hooks a Striped Bass with proper 
tackle has a run for his money. Once 
hooked, this flashing fighter does not spend 
its time leaping out of the water, trying to 
shake the line loose, as does the Salmon. 
Rather it makes a first fierce plunge 
and brings every ounce of its muscular 
fiber to bear against the line. If this is 
strong enough to hold it in leash, it seeks 
to free itself by finesse and strategy. Now 
it tries to chafe the line over the sharp 
edge of the rocks to which it runs; fail¬ 
ing in that, the fighter will attempt to foul 
the line in seaweed and kelp. 
But if it be of good size and the rod of 
about 18-ounce weight, with a 12- or 18- 
thread Cuttyhunk line and a quadruple 
multiplier reel, it will give the disciple of 
the Izaak Walton League who hooks it a 
lively and artistic tussle before throwing 
up the sponge. 
Loving brackish water, the Striped 
Bass brings the sport of philosophers a 
considerable distance inland. Roanoke 
and Potomac rivers, the Raritan and the 
Passaic, and numerous others afford ex¬ 
cellent fishing grounds for Striped Bass. 
It is a temperamental fish, shy to a 
degree at times, now taking one bait and 
now responding to another. Small Eels, 
Shrimps, Crabs, and blood worms are to 
its particular liking. 
THE GAME AND GAUDY BLUEFISH 
Usually we think of the Bluefish as one of 
the dependables of the bill of fare; but it has 
some exciting moments to offer the angler 
who prefers the rod and reel of the sports¬ 
man to the hand line of the pot fisherman. 
With a spanking breeze and a moder¬ 
ate sea, the man who hooks a Bluefish 
