July 30, 1910.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
177 
mendous strain, which at times cannot be avoid¬ 
ed, puts a test of endurance on both man and 
outfit. The reel is never less than 2/0 in size, 
and 3/0 is more desirable, and the twenty-four- 
thread line the best that can be procured. The 
most important part of the outfit is the metal 
squid, for no bait is used. This should be of 
block tin brightly polished, about five inches in 
length and what is known as diamond pattern 
with swivel end. This latter adjunct to the squid 
is indispensable, as it prevents the unthreading 
of the line when either jigging or trolling. At¬ 
tached to the squid should be about eighteen 
inches of good piano wire and a swivel into 
which to tie the line. 
Running all along the New Jersey coast is 
what is known to fishermen as the “mud streak’’ 
formed by centuries of deposit from the waters 
which sweep out past Sandy Hook. It is from 
one to one and a half miles from the beach and 
averages about half a mile in width. This is 
of all the lines. A cool head and steady hand 
are now required as the true trout of the ocean 
is being dealt with. Every turn of the reel 
handle must be made when possible, as at the 
next instant feet of line may be taken for every 
inch gained, as the least slack line may mean 
the losing of the heavy metal squid from the 
jaws of the fish. 
Long before the first fish is brought to gaff 
a second or a third may be hooked, and excite¬ 
ment is rife as the danger to mixed-up tackle 
increases with the number at play, and each 
angler is busy keeping lines cleared and con¬ 
trolling the fish. When finally boated, a prize 
of supreme beauty is the angler’s reward. Cer¬ 
tainly no fish on our coast is more delightful in 
contour and color than the full grown weakfish 
of six to twelve pounds’ weight when first taken 
from the cool autumn waters. 
The term jigging is an old one, and is in use 
in many places, and the same methods employed 
Excellent Fishing. 
San Francisco, Cal., July 20. — Editor Forest 
and Stream: During the July holidays hundreds 
of anglers spent their vacation on favorite fish¬ 
ing grounds, and not in several years have 
streams been whipped as then. This was espe¬ 
cially true of streams in the Sierra Nevadas 
which are now in splendid condition for fishing, 
something that is not often true at this season 
of the year. In none of the streams is the water 
very high, and almost every stream affords good 
sport. Hundreds of sportsmen visited the 
Truckee River and Lake Tahoe district early in 
July for the fishing. From Webber Lake word 
is being received that never before has fishing 
been so splendid, and a number of anglers have 
made their first trip there this season. The 
largest trout taken there during the present sea¬ 
son was landed recently by R. B. Murdock, this 
being an eight-pounder. 
usually far and away the best grounds for this 
class of sport. 
All in readiness, the squids go overboard and 
are permitted to run directly to the bottom at 
a depth of forty to sixty feet, when they are 
reeled in just enough to prevent their striking 
the bottom, when the motion to the rod is given 
which is a series of short up-strokes giving time 
for the squid to run the line taut between each 
stroke. Viewed from another boat the sight is 
a novel one as the bright mountings on the rods 
flash up and down in the morning light, but to 
the earnest man engaged in the fray there is a 
fuller meaning. Suddenly one of the rods is 
brought to a quick stop in its upward stroke, 
and like a flash the tip is carried down into the 
water, the reel revolves rapidly, the line hisses 
out from under the thumb of the rod hand, for 
in the depths a pair of bright eyes have caught 
sight of the bright metal deception, and it has 
been seized with a rush which cannot be ex¬ 
celled by any denizen of the seas. Then straight 
away from the boat the line cuts its way through 
the water, leaving a line of pearly bubbles in its 
wake, until the strain gets too much for the 
quarry, and a circle is transcribed around the 
boat, endangering a general and provoking tangle 
FISHING SCENES ALONG THE NEW JERSEY COAST. 
for taking different species of fish of our coast, 
but I know of no place where the large weakfish 
are so successfully sought for as along the New 
Jersey coast. Few people are aware of the in¬ 
tensity of the strike a ten or twelve-pound weak¬ 
fish will give when taken in this manner, or how 
determined the resistance when well hooked. It 
is not uncommon to see a dozen or more of the 
same large size follow to the boatside the strug¬ 
gling captive as if in wonder as to what it is all 
about, and many a beautiful specimen gets the 
gaff as a reward for its inquisitiveness. 
Once a school is located and feeding, it is al¬ 
ways like other phases of fishing, uncertain as 
to how long the sport may last, as they may be 
moving with the tidal motion of the water or 
may take a sudden fancy to stop biting. Very 
frequently, however, that arch enemy to all fish 
life, the shark, appears, its presence always being 
known by mutilated fish coming in on the hook, 
usually nothing but the head remaining. It is 
not uncommon for three or four men who are 
alive to the game to make a large catch of these 
beautiful and gamy fish, and all who have tried 
it agree that no sport surpasses it in interest 
and delight. 
Leonard Hulit. 
At Happy Valley, Plumas county, fishing is 
better than ever knbwn before, but this place is 
but little visited owing to its out of the way 
location. Miss Katherine Langhorst and her 
sister, Mrs. Minnie L. Church, recently made the 
trip to this delightful spot with a small party 
and were successful in securing the limit. These 
expert anglers have also been meeting with con¬ 
siderable success in whipping the Feather River 
in the vicinity of Crombery, but the stream there 
is muddy at times, owing to the operations of 
miners. 
Fred H. Krause has recently returned to 
Berkeley from the Eel River and he reports 
sport in that coast stream to be excellent. Fish 
are larger than usual and low water enables 
limit catches to be made. The extension of the 
Northwestern Pacific Railroad from Willits to 
Shivley will open a great territory to anglers, 
one that has hitherto been almost inaccessible. 
Striped bass are now commencing to run in 
larger numbers and some 'fair sized catches of 
these fish have been made of late. Black bass 
fishing is excellent and some large fish are being 
taken, ranging from four to seven pounds. 
The planting of trout is now being done on 
a large scale in coast streams. A. P. B. 
