FOREST AND STREAM 
1251 
Two Practical Books 
for Campers and Sportsmen 
By EMERSON HOUGH 
LET US GO 
AFIELD 
Outline of Contents 
Chapter 
I. Your Summer Encamp¬ 
ment. 
XI. Bait Casting For Bass. 
III. Angling Extraordinary. 
IV. The Inconnu—What It 
Is Not. 
V. In The Jewel Box. 
VI. The Great-Game Fields 
Of The World. 
VII. The Wasteful West. 
VIII. Rifles For Big Game. 
IX. Wealth On Wings. 
X. Bear Hunting. 
XI. Hunting The Deer. 
XII. Game Laws And Game 
Supply. 
XIII. A Voyage Around The 
Room. 
XVI. Whither Are We 
Drifting? 
Illustrated with repro¬ 
ductions of actual photo¬ 
graphs. 
$1.25 Net. By Mail $1.37. 
Before you plan your hunting 
or camping trip—even before 
you spend five cents for equip¬ 
ment, get the advice and sug¬ 
gestions of America’s greatest 
sportsman — Emerson Hough. 
The amateur and the “regular” 
will each find these books brim¬ 
ful of worth-while information 
and the kind of assistance they 
need. 
“Let us Go Afield” is a call to 
the wild that tells you what 
to do and how to do it when 
you get there. From bass fish¬ 
ing to bear hunting it covers in 
detail all branches of the sport, 
telling how, where and when to 
get the finest specimens. Chap¬ 
ters on the camp, equipment, 
etc., are particularly valuable. 
“Out of Doors” enables the 
novice to enjoy a thoroughly 
satisfying sojourn in the open. 
The routine of outdoor life in 
all its phases is clearly and 
thoroughly explained. The book 
is crowded with practical ad¬ 
vice on what to wear, how to 
cook, what to eat, how to pitch 
a tent, make a bed, make a fire, 
handle a canoe, how to fish, etc. 
It also tells how women can 
get the most comfort and pleas¬ 
ure from camp life. 
Aside from their great value to 
the sportsman and camper, 
these books make delightfully 
interesting reading for every¬ 
body. 
Send your order to 
FOREST and STREAM 
118 E. 28th Street 
NEW YORK CITY 
OUT OF 
DOORS 
Outline of Contents 
Chapter 
I. Your Vacation. 
II. The Camper’s Outfit. 
III. The Vacation Nuis¬ 
ances; How To Pre¬ 
vent Them. 
IV. In The Junk Closet. 
V. The Woman In Camp. 
VI. Uncle Sam’s Shoes. 
VII. Mountain Camping. 
VIII. Your Canoe And Its 
Outfit. 
IX. Hints And Points On 
Trout Fishing. 
X. Your Bird Dog; How 
To Use Him. 
XI. Your Gun; How To 
Handle It. 
XII. Your Campfire; How 
To Use It. 
XIII. Getting Lost And What 
To Do About It. 
XIV. The Faculty Of 
Observation. 
Illustrated with repro¬ 
ductions of actual photo¬ 
graphs. 
$1.25 Net. By Mail $1.37. 
cedure. Hundreds of fishing smacks constantly 
patrol the waters of the Eastern States, solely 
in pursuit of this fish. With them are taken 
dories which, when the fish are located, put away 
from the smack manned hy three or four fisher¬ 
men who grind up the menhaden or mossbunker 
into a fine pulp and scatter it broadcast on the 
water; the oily mass soon creates what is termed 
a slick, which attracts the fish around the boats, 
as they will follow this slick to its source, no 
matter how great the distance, and when once 
lured to the boats the real sport or labor begins. 
Baiting the hook with a liberal portion of 
“bunker,” as it is usually termed by the fisher¬ 
man, it is allowed to drift out without any 
sinker, as when the bluefish feeds it is usually at 
the surface; the barbs of the hooks having been 
filed off so that they may be easily and quickly 
removed, as when this class of fishing is em¬ 
ployed “keep ’em a cornin’ ” is the watchword,, 
giving the fish no chance of unhooking. In addi¬ 
tion to this system there is what is known as 
the beach crews, which put away from the shore 
each day, when the surf will admit; and cruise 
along the coast. Their methods are much the 
same as described in the smack fishery except 
as they use in addition to the bait the metal 
squid. Their boats are mostly equipped with 
powerful motors which enable them to use the 
trolling line to advantage when the bait system 
proves ineffectual. This class requires brains 
as when the fish are running large the shock, 
when the fish hooks, is something tremendous, 
and the consequent battle from a swiftly mov¬ 
ing boat is something to be reckoned with. To 
the novice it would mean lacerated hands and 
consequent loss of the fish. 
To the sportsman, however, this procedure is 
in the main not available, and largely not de¬ 
sirable. It ; s when the schools are trading in 
shore and within casting distance from the 
beach that the bluefish appeals in his truly great 
role as a prize to the anglers. During the sum¬ 
mer months scattering individuals are taken at 
different points, but in August and September 
and sometimes during October when the surf 
mullet are plentiful along shore they trade 
in and prey ravenously on them. The rig used 
in this class of fishing is the same as used for 
the striped bass except the hook which should 
be 7 per cent, singed Limerick into which a sec¬ 
tion of piano wire should be fastened, as a gut 
snell is instantly severed by their knife-like 
jaws. A three- or four-inch mullet is placed on 
the hook by passing the point through the 
mouth, then out along the side and through the 
body close to the tail, as the bluefish always 
when possible strike at the tail of their prey and 
this arrangement gives the greatest chance of 
booking. And when the strike come it is second 
to nothing in vigor; and the battle following of 
the most pronounced type, different from that 
of any other variety. It is generally conceded 
that a bluefish of six or eight pounds in weight 
is much more difficult to beach than a striped 
bass of three times the same weight. Vaulting 
into the air, the instant the hook is set, the next 
instant down to the bottom and somersaulting at 
points between, they never tire or drown out like 
other varieties, but pursue a course of cunning 
scarcely believable. Innumerable times I have 
had these, when well hooked and all other ef¬ 
forts of release having failed, to swim swiftly 
toward the beach; then when a long slack was 
in the line to reverse suddenly and with light¬ 
ning like speed carry the line taut with a snap 
which only a quick release of the reel could 
save from parting like pack thread. 
As is well known, when feeding, they will 
strike at any moving object. It frequently hap¬ 
pens that the swivel to which the leader is at¬ 
tached quivering in the water under the play of 
a hooked fish will be struck at by a free fish, the 
line being tied into the eye of the swivel is in¬ 
stantly cut and the captive fish released to carry 
away the hook, leader, etc., while the ocean 
breezes carry away the remarks of the wielder 
of the rod. Another favorite form is casting 
the squid from the beach. These squids are 
made from black-tire, highly polished, and are 
of the pattern known as the Belmar, being flat 
on • top and with a pronounced keel they run 
smoothly through the water and when rapidly 
reeled will run at, or close to the surface of 
the water. This is rather arduous work but 
when bluefish are about and striking freely it is 
fascinating sport. 
It is, however, only the really proficient hand 
with rod and reel which may indulge in this 
phase of the sport with any degree of confidence. 
We will spend a short time with him and are 
ready for applause as we witness the wonderful 
precision of cast as the glittering metal goes out 
like an arrow from the skilled archer’s bow, to 
the rhythm of the rapidly spinning reel, which 
is fairly flashing fire until it drops at the desired 
spot when the line is rapidly run in by the hand 
at the rod until, like a flash of light the lure is 
taken and a vaulting, plunging creature tells us 
a bluefish is hooked. And, what a battle! Noth¬ 
ing of scale and fin is its superior in resistance. 
