154 
FOREST AND STREAM 
March, 1918 
WHITING, THE ACCOMMODATING FOOD FISH 
IT HAS THE USEFUL HABIT OF BECOMING HELPLESSLY STRANDED ON THE 
BEACHES, TO BE PICKED UP ALIVE BY PEOPLE SEEKING DELECTABLE SEA FOOD 
By LEONARD HUL1T, Associate Editor of FOREST AND STREAM 
A S time passes and the years unfold; 
it is a matter of intense interest to 
the salt water fisherman how certain 
varieties of fish grow scarce and others 
come into prominence, which in earlier 
years were scarcely known to the fratern¬ 
ity. This is markedly true of several spe¬ 
cies and particularly applies to the subject 
of this sketch. 
Nature seems never to tire of fitting her 
children to the changing conditions which 
must take place to fill out the rounds of 
universal law. It is most noticeable that 
when food supply of a given kind is not 
to be had in waters where it ordinarily has 
been plentiful, consequently leaving the 
waters barren of fish life of a particular 
species, it is an invariable rule that some 
yariety of fish will suddenly become plenti¬ 
ful at the particular spot to partake of the 
food which is suitable for them. Thus 
they become permanent visitors to waters 
which before were rarely in their line of 
travels; and so in one continued round of 
seek and sought the inhabitants of the 
great deep fulfill the unvarying laws of 
their existence. With fish as with so many 
others the name used for them in one local¬ 
ity means nothing to the people of an¬ 
other, even though of but small difference 
in latitude. 
While the whiting has been abundant 
along the northern New England coast for 
more than a century, it has been less than 
one-quarter of that period particularly no¬ 
ticeable along the coast of the Middle 
States. Possibly fifteen years since when 
it began appearing in considerable numbers, 
it was known along the entire New Jersey 
coast as “frost fish.” It is generally 
termed thus even yet, though this is a per¬ 
fect misnomer, as the true frost fish is a 
much smaller creature and of entirely dif¬ 
ferent habits. 
The name arose undoubtedly from its 
generally appearing on sharp frosty nights 
and trading close in along shore, so that 
multitudes were picked up from the beach 
where they became stranded and were still 
alive. I have seen thousands of them picked 
up in a single night, fish weighing from one 
to three pounds each, and all of them just 
in from the sea. Coming as they do at the 
season of the year when other fish are par¬ 
ticularly scarce, they have proven a boon 
indeed to numberless people who would 
otherwise be unable to have fresh sea food 
on their tables. 
Just why they permit themselves to 
become so helplessly stranded is of course 
conjecture, and has been the subject of 
much discussion, the most plausible theory 
being that in their eager pursuit of the 
sand launt, or sand eel, as they are usually 
termed, the sudden transition from the 
deep and consequently warmer waters to 
the shallow and naturally colder conditions 
causes them to become numbed to a degree 
of helplessness. Added to this, doubtless, 
is the effect of the very fine sand which is 
ever mixed through and carried by the 
tumbling waves on the beach. They being 
a true deep water species are unaccustomed 
to the clogging of the fine sand, which 
must inevitably get into the gill openings, 
thus adding to their discomfort and danger. 
As they appear to be much more abundant 
during the darkest nights, it is an inspir¬ 
ing sight to stand on one of the fishing 
piers and watch the long line of lanterns 
carried by the eager searchers for a de¬ 
lectable bit of fresh sea food, as they weave 
in and out for miles in either direction, 
resembling nothing as much as fire-flies on 
a summer night. The presence of the fish 
on the beach can be easily detected by the 
flopping they make as they reach the sand 
and as they run in this way only during 
calm weather the noise of their tails strik¬ 
ing the sand can be heard for a consider¬ 
able number of feet away. 
The delight of taking the humblest of fishes 
A S a table fish the Whiting does not rank 
equal with many of our choicer vari¬ 
eties, but does come as peculiarly ac¬ 
ceptable at the time of our greatest need. 
The flesh is white and flaky, though inclined 
to be somewhat soft, which, however, can 
be corrected to a great extent by liberal 
salting as soon after taking as possible. This 
firms the flesh and places it in good form for 
the pan. This fish usually begins running 
along the New Jersey coast in November 
and remains until the following May. 
While there are frequent periods when 
they are not to be taken, still the fact of 
their presence is not affected. During 
storm periods and very high winds from 
any quarter, they apparently drop out into 
deeper water and there remain until 
weather conditions are suitable for their 
return to inshore waters. 
While the name “Whiting” is quite suit¬ 
able for the Middle States and is becoming 
more used each year to identify this fish, 
we run into confusion as we reach south¬ 
ern minds; as south of the Chesapeake 
the fish bearing the same name is 
one of the most abundant and is totally 
different in all particulars. The appellation 
“Silver Hake” which is much used in 
northern sections would seem to be a fit¬ 
ting name if it could become universal in 
application, as it confuses with no other 
fish, and is appropriate in all ways. It 
does seem to be a matter of great surprise 
that no earnest endeavor.has been put 
forth by authorities looking to the better¬ 
ment of conditions pertaining to fish no¬ 
menclature. More than twenty years ago 
G. Browne Goode, then director of the U. 
S. National Museum, realizing the grow¬ 
ing importance of this fish, observed that 
“Silver Hake” was an altogether fitting 
term and should be used. 
Until 1880 nothing was known of the 
breeding habits of this fish, and chance 
then threw the knowledge into the hands 
of those who were pursuing another sub¬ 
ject. While exploring the bottom of the 
sea off Newport, at a depth of from one 
hundred and fifty to three hundred fathoms 
and at the edge of the Gulf Stream, my¬ 
riads of the fry of these fish were obtained, 
ranging from half inch to three inches in 
length, and with them many of the adult 
fish were taken heavy with spawn, so it 
would seem that the spawning season cov¬ 
ers quite a period of time. This docu¬ 
mentary proof from the Smithsonian In¬ 
stitution is most interesting, as it sets forth 
on the same sheet that this discovery may 
serve as a clew to the spawning place of 
the Bluefish, which has not been discov¬ 
ered. The document is more than a quar¬ 
ter of a century old and has been in my 
possession nearly as long, yet, at the pres¬ 
ent writing, the exact spawning habits of 
that most interesting and valuable species 
is still a mystery. 
To the angler the Silver Hake is grow¬ 
ing in importance with each season. Per¬ 
haps the old timer, familiar through long 
years of success with more important spe¬ 
cies, may not enthuse over it as an angler’s 
favorite, and justly so, but all should re¬ 
member that not every man is so fortunate¬ 
ly situated either through environment or 
purse that he may pursue at will his choice, 
taking rather such as is consistent with 
his means in all particulars. To such, the 
Hake comes as a boon and is welcomed 
both by the man at the rod end and on 
the table of his family. Long years since, 
the English and French nations learned the 
value of appreciating the delights to be had 
from taking the humblest of fishes, on 
lightest of tackle. This should be an object 
lesson to our own people, who have been 
accustomed to so many of Nature’s bless¬ 
ings in its fullest form; for all should 
begin to learn that many^a grand hour and 
day may be had with very humble varieties 
of fish if the proper spirit is observed, and 
care taken to put into practice the finer 
lines of endeavor. 
The Silver Hake can be taken on a great 
variety of baits, as it is not a fastidious 
feeder—sand eel, spearing, and mullet, 
when it can be obtained, are the favorite 
baits, but bits of fish as well as clams are 
