Dec. 26, 190S.] 
CATCHING FROST FISH. 
With the chilly days of early December comes 
that active and toothsome fellow, the frost fish. 
The sides of the piers and floats, the barnacle- 
clad and weed-grown piles are his dearest 
haunts, says the New York Sun. He is not 
large, averaging in length seven or eight inches, 
and a ten-inch fish is a monster. The novice 
who angles for these queer things with rod and 
line will be sadly disappointed, for no bait dis¬ 
covered will tempt their appetite. Their slight 
bulk and their habit of swimming far above the 
bottom makes spearing them impossible, for they 
offer little or no resistance to the stroke. 
There is only one true, sure and practical way 
to take frost fish, and every urchin who hangs 
around the East or North River front can de¬ 
scribe it with great enthusiasm and fullness of 
detail. One morning recently a ragged, red¬ 
headed youngster, of about ten years, sat under 
the side of a wharf shed at the foot of East 
Thirty-first street engaged in manufacturing 
frost fishing tackle. Two broken and coverless 
umbrellas, a pile of pine strips, some linen twine 
and a lump of wax completed his stock of 
materials. Pieces of broken glass were the sole 
tool employed. In the twinkling of an eye he 
tore the wrecked umbrellas apart and had the 
straight ribs neatly laid in a row beside him. 
Then, assisted by a freckled-faced little brother, 
he fell on the pine strips with his keen glass and 
scraped the corners until he had a dozen smooth, 
round sticks, about four feet long and nearly 
an inch thick. With a narrow piece of glass he 
scraped a straight, shallow groove, about ten 
inches long at one end of the sticks. In this 
he proceeded to place an umbrella rib, which he 
secured in place by an elaborate lashing of twine. 
The tying completed, he gave it a thorough wax¬ 
ing and proceeded to wind with waxed linen 
thread a big codfish hook to the extremity of 
each umbrella rib. Then the implement, known 
to the trade as a frostie hook.. was complete. 
The mate of a schooner tied up at the pier 
was the first purchaser. He paid a dime for 
the outfit, went to the end of the pier and began 
fishing. Other customers followed, and before 
noon the enterprising dealer had sold out his 
whole stock, and prices on the last two had been 
raised to fifteen cents. 
The pier was fringed with eager frostfish 
cranks. Some of the more deft and experi¬ 
enced secured long strings of silver game, while 
the novices got tired, and some threw or gave 
away their outfits in disgust. The method of 
fishing is to slide the hook under a fish so gently 
as not to frighten him, keeping the point of the 
hook turned from the spiles so as not to catch 
and break it off. With a quick jerk the fish is 
impaled and brought up a wriggling victim. The 
knowing ones are careful to empty their pocket, 
or tying their valuables, if they have any, in 
a snug handkerchief knot. Lying across the logs 
or leaning far over to hook the fish, one is apt 
to spill out everything his pockets hold. 
The fish are exceedingly fine eating and make 
a better panfish than even the costly and much- 
sought-for smelts. One of the best ways of 
catching them is to go in a boat and drift along 
the sides of the piers. Properly pursued it is 
great fun. and on the rising tide up along the 
Hudson shore from 150th to 180th street good 
strings can be taken. 
This district is less crowded, and so offers 
pleasanter opportunities. Anyone with quick 
hands and keen eyes can become an expert with 
the frostie hook. 
LONDON OSTRICH FEATHER AUCTION 
The quantity of ostrich feathers offered at 
the recent auctions in London was extremely 
large, the weight being 105,000 pounds against 
84.790 pounds in July and 102.850 pounds in 
August last year, says South Africa, a London 
publication. A leading firm reports that con¬ 
sidering this was the largest quantity ever sold, 
the result must be regarded as satisfactory. 
There was a good attendance of buyers, but 
prices all round showed a decline, which was 
important in white boos, floss, and all inferior 
goods. The amount realized was about 
$1,100,000. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
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AS CHRISTMAS GIFTS 
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When you present a “BRISTOL,” the one 
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Compiled by “Seneca.” Cloth. Illustrated, 244 pages. 
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This compilation comprises six hundred and odd hints, 
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American Big-Game Hunting 
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