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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40018 ***
+
+[Illustration front cover]
+
+
+
+
+ _THE AMERICAN SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY_
+
+ _EDITED BY
+ CASPAR WHITNEY_
+
+ BASS, PIKE, PERCH
+ AND OTHERS
+
+[Illustration illo 003]
+
+[Illustration illo 005]
+
+ BASS, PIKE, PERCH
+ AND OTHERS
+
+ BY
+
+ JAMES A. HENSHALL, M.D.
+
+ AUTHOR OF "BOOK OF THE BLACK-BASS," "MORE ABOUT THE BLACK-BASS."
+ "CAMPING AND CRUISING IN FLORIDA," "YE GODS
+ AND LITTLE FISHES," ETC.
+
+[Illustration illo 006]
+
+ New York
+ THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
+ LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., LTD.
+ 1903
+
+ _All rights reserved_
+
+ COPYRIGHT, 1903.
+ BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.
+
+ Set up and electrotyped April, 1903.
+
+ Norwood Press
+ J.S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Co.
+ Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION
+
+In this volume are included all of the game-fishes of the United States
+east of the Rocky Mountains, except the salmons and trouts, and the
+tarpon, jewfish, and other fishes of large size, which are described in
+other volumes of this series. As a matter of convenience I have grouped
+the fishes in families, whenever possible, but in their sequence I have
+been guided chiefly by their importance as game-fishes, and not in
+accordance with their natural order. The latter feature, however, has
+been provided for in a systematic list on a subsequent page.
+
+In order not to burden the text with matter that might not be of general
+interest, the technical descriptions of the fishes of each group are
+given in small type at the head of each chapter; and that they may be
+readily understood by the lay reader the following explanations seem
+necessary.
+
+The length of the head is from the point of the snout to the hindmost
+point or margin of the gill-cover. The length of the body is from the
+point of the snout to the base of the caudal fin, the fin itself not
+being included. The depth of the body is from the highest point of the
+dorsal line to the lowest point of the ventral line, usually from the
+base of the first dorsal fin to the base of the ventral fin. The
+expression "head 5" means that the length of the head is contained five
+times in the length of the body; the expression "depth 5" means that the
+depth of the body is contained five times in its length; "eye 5" means
+that the diameter of the eye is contained five times in the length of
+the head. In describing the fins the spiny rays are denoted by Roman
+numerals, and the soft rays by Arabic numerals, and the fins themselves
+by initials; thus "D. 9" means that the dorsal fin is single and
+composed of nine soft rays; "D. IX, 10" means that the single dorsal fin
+has nine spiny rays and ten soft rays; when separated by a hyphen, as
+"D. X-12," it means that there are two dorsal fins, the first composed
+of ten spiny rays and the second of twelve soft ones; "A. III, 11" means
+that the anal fin has three spines and eleven soft rays. The expression
+"scales 7-65-18" indicates that there are seven rows of scales between
+the dorsal fin and the lateral line, sixty-five scales along the
+lateral line, and eighteen oblique or horizontal rows between the
+lateral line and the ventral line. The number of rays in the fins and
+the number of scales along the lateral line, as given, represent the
+average number, and are subject to slight variation; thus in some
+localities the number of rays in a fin may be found to vary one or two,
+and the number of scales along the lateral line may vary from one to
+five, more or less, from the number given in the descriptions.
+
+I have adhered strictly to the nomenclature of the "Fishes of Middle and
+North America" (Bulletin, U.S. National Museum, No. 47), by Jordan and
+Evermann, and in the main I have followed the descriptions as recorded
+in that admirable work; but in many instances I have depended on my own
+notes.
+
+The suggestions as to angling and the tools and tackle recommended may
+be confidently relied on, as they are in conformity with my own practice
+and are based on my personal experience, covering a period of forty
+years, on many waters, from Canada to the West Indies, and from the
+Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains.
+
+ JAMES A. HENSHALL.
+
+ BOZEMAN, MONTANA.
+ February 1, 1903.
+
+
+
+
+SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT OF THE FISHES DESCRIBED IN THIS VOLUME
+
+ FAMILY =SILURIDÆ=
+
+ =Ictalurus punctatus= (Rafinesque). =The Channel Catfish=.
+
+ FAMILY =CYPRINIDÆ=
+
+ =Cyprinus carpio=, Linnæus. =The German Carp=.
+
+ FAMILY =ELOPIDÆ=
+
+ =Elops saurus=, Linnæus. =The Ten-pounder=.
+
+ FAMILY =ALBULIDÆ=
+
+ =Albula vulpes= (Linnæus). =The Lady-Fish=.
+
+ FAMILY =SALMONIDÆ=
+
+ =Coregonus williamsoni=, Girard. =The Rocky Mountain Whitefish=.
+ =Argyrosomus artedi sisco=, Jordan. =The Cisco=.
+
+ FAMILY =THYMALLIDÆ=
+
+ =Thymallus signifer= (Richardson). =The Arctic Grayling=.
+ =Thymallus tricolor=, Cope. =The Michigan Grayling=.
+ =Thymallus montanus=, Milner. =The Montana Grayling=.
+
+ FAMILY =ARGENTINIDÆ=
+
+ =Osmerus mordax= (Mitchill). =The Smelt=.
+
+ FAMILY =ESOCIDÆ=
+
+ =Esox americanus=, Gmelin. =The Banded Pickerel=.
+ =Esox vermiculatus=, Le Sueur. =The Western Pickerel=.
+
+ =Esox reticulatus=, Le Sueur. =The Eastern Pickerel=.
+ =Esox lucius=, Linnæus. =The Pike=.
+ =Esox nobilior=, Thompson. =The Mascalonge=.
+
+ FAMILY =HOLOCENTRIDÆ=
+
+ =Holocentrus ascensionis= (Osbeck). =The Squirrel Fish=.
+
+ FAMILY =SCOMBRIDÆ=
+
+ =Sarda sarda= (Bloch). =The Bonito=.
+ =Scomberomorus maculatus= (Mitchill). =The Spanish Mackerel=.
+ =Scomberomorus regalis= (Bloch). =The Cero=.
+
+ FAMILY =CARANGIDÆ=
+
+ =Carangus crysos= (Mitchill). =The Runner=.
+ =Carangus latus= (Agassiz). =The Horse-eye Jack=.
+ =Trachinotus glaucus= (Bloch). =The Gaff Top-sail Pompano=.
+ =Trachinotus goodei=, Jordan & Evermann. =The Permit=.
+ =Trachinotus carolinus= (Linnæus). =The Pompano=.
+
+ FAMILY =RACHYCENTRIDÆ=
+
+ =Rachycentron canadus= (Linnæus). =The Cobia=.
+
+ FAMILY =CENTRARCHIDÆ=
+
+ =Pomoxis annularis=, Rafinesque. =The Crappie=.
+ =Pomoxis sparoides= (Lacépéde). =The Calico-bass=.
+ =Ambloplites rupestris= (Rafinesque). =The Rock-bass=.
+ =Archoplites interruptus= (Girard). =The Sacramento Perch=.
+ =Chænobryttus gulosus= (Cuvier & Valenciennes). =The Warmouth Perch=.
+ =Lepomis auritus= (Linnæus). =The Red-breast Sunfish=.
+ =Lepomis megalotis= (Rafinesque). =The Long-eared Sunfish=.
+ =Lepomis pallidus= (Mitchill). =The Blue Sunfish=.
+ =Eupomotis gibbosus= (Linnæus). =The Common Sunfish=.
+ =Micropterus dolomieu=, Lacépéde. =The Small-mouth Black-bass=.
+ =Micropterus salmoides= (Lacépéde). =The Large-mouth Black-bass=.
+
+ FAMILY =PERCIDÆ=
+
+ =Stizostedion vitreum= (Mitchill). =The Pike-perch=.
+ =Stizostedion canadense= (Smith). =The Sauger=.
+ =Perca flavescens= (Mitchill). =The Yellow Perch=.
+
+ FAMILY =CENTROPOMIDÆ=
+
+ =Centropomus undecimalis= (Bloch). =The Snook, or Rovallia=.
+
+ FAMILY =SERRANIDÆ=
+
+ =Roccus chrysops= (Rafinesque). =The White-bass=.
+ =Roccus lineatus= (Bloch). =The Striped-bass=.
+ =Morone interrupta=, Gill. =The Yellow-bass=.
+ =Morone americana= (Gmelin). =The White Perch=.
+ =Petrometopon cruentatus= (Lacépéde). =The Coney=.
+ =Bodianus fulvus= (Linnæus). =The Nigger Fish=.
+ =Epinephelus adscensionis= (Osbeck). =The Rock Hind=.
+ =Epinephelus guttatus= (Linnæus). =The Red Hind=.
+ =Mycteroperca venenosa= (Linnæus). =The Yellow Fin Grouper=.
+ =Mycteroperca microlepis= (Goode & Bean). =The Gag=.
+ =Mycteroperca falcata phenax=, Jordan & Swain. =The Scamp=.
+ =Centropristes striatas= (Linnæus). =The Sea-bass=.
+ =Centropristes ocyurus= (Jordan & Evermann). =The Gulf Sea-bass=.
+ =Centropristes philadelphicus= (Linnæus). =The Southern Sea-bass=.
+ =Diplectrum formosum= (Linnæus). =The Sand-fish=.
+
+ FAMILY =LOBOTIDÆ=
+
+ =Lobotes surinamensis= (Bloch). =The Triple Tail=.
+
+ FAMILY =LUTIANIDÆ=
+
+ =Lutianus jocu= (Bloch & Schneider). =The Dog Snapper=.
+ =Lutianus apodus= (Walbaum). =The Schoolmaster=.
+ =Lutianus aya= (Bloch). =The Red Snapper=.
+ =Lutianus synagri=s (Linnæus). =The Lane Snapper=.
+ =Ocyurus chrysurus= (Bloch). =The Yellow-tail=.
+
+ FAMILY =HÆMULIDÆ=
+
+ =Hæmulon album=, Curvier & Valenciennes. =The Margate-fish=.
+ =Hæmulon macrostomum=, Gunther. =The Gray Grunt=.
+ =Hæmulon parra= (Desmarest). =The Sailor's Choice=.
+ =Hæmulon sciurus= (Shaw). =The Yellow Grunt=.
+ =Hæmulon plumieri= (Lacépéde). =The Black Grunt=.
+ =Hæmulon flavolineatum= (Desmarest). =The French Grunt=.
+ =Anisotremus virginicus= (Linnæus). =The Pork-fish=.
+ =Orthopristis chrysopterus= (Linnæus). =The Pig-fish=.
+
+ FAMILY =SPARIDÆ=
+
+ =Stenotomus chrysops= (Linnæus). =The Scup=.
+ =Stenotomus aculeatus= (Cuvier & Valenciennes). =The Southern Porgy=.
+ =Calamus calamus= (Cuvier & Valenciennes). =The Saucer-eye Porgy=.
+ =Calamus proridens=, Jordan & Gilbert. =The Little Head Porgy=.
+ =Calamus bajonado= (Bloch & Schneider). =The Jolt Head Porgy=.
+ =Calamus arctifrons=, Goode & Bean. =The Grass Porgy=.
+ =Lagodon rhomboides= (Linnæus). =The Pin-fish=.
+ =Archosargus probatocephalus= (Walbaum). =The Sheepshead=.
+
+ FAMILY =KYPHOSIDÆ=
+
+ =Kyphosus sectatrix= (Linnæus). =The Bermuda Chub=.
+
+ FAMILY =SCIÆNIDÆ=
+
+ =Cynoscion nothus= (Holbrook). =The Bastard Weakfish=.
+ =Cynoscion regalis= (Bloch & Schneider). =The Weakfish=.
+ =Cynoscion thalassinus= (Holbrook). =The Deep-water Weakfish=.
+ =Cynoscion nebulosus= (Cuvier & Valenciennes). =The Spotted Weakfish=.
+ =Leiostomus xanthurus=, Lacépéde. =The Lafayette, or Spot=.
+ =Micropogon undulatus= (Linnæus). =The Croaker=.
+ =Menticirrhus saxatilis= (Bloch & Schneider). =The Kingfish=.
+ =Aplodinotus grunniens=, Rafinesque. =The Fresh-water Drumfish=.
+
+ FAMILY =LABRIDÆ=
+
+ =Tautogolabrus adspersus= (Walbaum). =The Cunner=.
+
+ FAMILY =EPHIPPIDÆ=
+
+ =Chætodipterus faber= (Broussonet). =The Angel-fish=.
+
+ FAMILY =BALISTIDÆ=
+
+ =Balistes carolinensis=, Gmelin. =The Turbot=.
+
+ FAMILY =PLEURONECTIDÆ=
+
+ =Pseudopleuronectes americanus= (Walbaum). =The Flounder=.
+
+
+
+
+ CONTENTS
+
+ CHAPTER I PAGE
+
+ THE SUNFISH FAMILY, _Centrarchidæ_ 1
+
+ The Small-mouth Black-bass, _Micropterus dolomieu_ 3
+
+ The Large-mouth Black-bass, _Micropterus salmoides_ 30
+
+ The Rock-bass, _Ambloplites rupestris_ 52
+
+ The Sacramento Perch, _Archoplites interruptus_ 57
+
+ The Warmouth Perch, _Chænobryttus gulosus_ 58
+
+ The Blue Sunfish, _Lepomis pallidus_ 62
+
+ The Long-eared Sunfish, _Lepomis megalotis_ 65
+
+ The Red-breast Sunfish, _Lepomis auritus_ 67
+
+ The Common Sunfish, _Eupomotis gibbosus_ 69
+
+ The Calico-bass, _Pomoxis sparoide_ 73
+
+ The Crappie, _Pomoxis annularis_ 79
+
+
+ CHAPTER II
+
+ THE BASS FAMILY, _Serranidæ_ 85
+
+ The White-bass, _Roccus chrysops_ 86
+
+ The Yellow-bass, _Morone interrupta_ 90
+
+
+ CHAPTER III
+
+ THE SEA-BASS FAMILY, _Serranidæ_ (continued) 95
+
+ The Striped-bass, _Roccus lineatus_ 96
+
+ The White-perch, _Morone americana_ 110
+
+ The Sea-bass, _Centropristes striatus_ 115
+
+ The Southern Sea-bass, _Centropristes philadelphicus_ 118
+
+ The Gulf Sea-bass, _Centropristes ocyuru_ 119
+
+
+ CHAPTER IV
+
+ THE PIKE FAMILY, _Esocidæ_ 120
+
+ The Mascalonge, _Esox nobilior_ 122
+
+ The Pike, _Esox lucius_ 137
+
+ The Eastern Pickerel, _Esox reticulatus_ 149
+
+ The Western Pickerel, _Esox vermiculatus_ 153
+
+ The Banded Pickerel, _Esox americanus_ 154
+
+
+ CHAPTER V
+
+ THE PERCH FAMILY, _Percidæ_ 156
+
+ The Pike-perch, _Stizostedion vitreum_ 157
+
+ The Sauger, _Stizostedion canadense_ 164
+
+ The Yellow-perch, _Perca flavescens_ 165
+
+
+ CHAPTER VI
+
+ THE GRAYLING FAMILY, _Thymallidæ_ 173
+
+ The Arctic Grayling, _Thymallus signifer_ 176
+
+ The Michigan Grayling, _Thymallus tricolor_ 178
+
+ The Montana Grayling, _Thymallus montanus_ 181
+
+
+ CHAPTER VII
+
+ THE SALMON FAMILY, _Salmonidæ_ 203
+
+ The Rocky Mountain Whitefish, _Coregonus williamsoni_ 204
+
+ The Cisco, _Argyrosomus artedi sisco_ 207
+
+
+ CHAPTER VIII
+
+ THE DRUM FAMILY, _Sciænidæ_ 213
+
+ The Weakfish, _Cynoscion regalis_ 215
+
+ The Bastard Weakfish, _Cynoscion nothus_ 221
+
+ The Kingfish, _Menticirrhus saxatilis_ 221
+
+ The Croaker, _Micropogon undulatus_ 226
+
+ The Lafayette, _Leiostomus xanthurus_ 228
+
+
+ CHAPTER IX
+
+ THE DRUM FAMILY, _Sciænidæ_ (continued) 232
+
+ The Fresh-water Drumfish, _Aplodinotus grunniens_ 232
+
+
+ CHAPTER X
+
+ THE MINNOW FAMILY, _Cyprinidæ_ 236
+
+ The German Carp, _Cyprinus carpio_ 236
+
+
+ CHAPTER XI
+
+ THE CATFISH FAMILY, _Siluridæ_ 244
+
+ The Channel-catfish, _Ictalurus punctatus_ 244
+
+
+ CHAPTER XII
+
+ THE SHEEPSHEAD FAMILY, _Sparidæ_ 251
+
+ The Sheepshead, _Archosargus probatocephalus_ 252
+
+ The Scup, _Stenotomus chrysops_ 259
+
+
+ CHAPTER XIII
+
+ MISCELLANEOUS FISHES
+
+ The Cunner, _Tautogolabrus adspersus_ 264
+
+ The Flounder, _Pseudopleuronectes americanus_ 266
+
+ The Smelt, _Osmerus mordax_ 269
+
+
+ CHAPTER XIV
+
+ THE MACKEREL FAMILY, _Scombridæ_ 272
+
+ The Spanish Mackerel, _Scomberomorus maculatus_ 273
+
+ The Cero, _Scomberomorus regalis_ 278
+
+ The Bonito, _Sarda sarda_ 282
+
+
+ CHAPTER XV
+
+ THE GROUPER FAMILY, _Serranidæ_ 285
+
+ The Gag, _Mycteroperca microlepis_ 287
+
+ The Scamp, _Mycteroperca falcata phenax_ 291
+
+ The Yellow-finned Grouper, _Mycteroperca venenosa_ 294
+
+ The Rock Hind, _Epinephelus adscensionis_ 295
+
+ The Red Hind, _Epinephelus guttatus_ 297
+
+ The Coney, _Petrometopon cruentatus_ 299
+
+ The Nigger-fish, _Bodianus fulvus_ 300
+
+ The Sand-fish, _Diplectrum formosum_ 303
+
+
+ CHAPTER XVI
+
+ THE CAVALLI FAMILY, _Carangidæ_ 306
+
+ The Runner, _Carangus chrysos_ 307
+
+ The Horse-eye Jack, _Carangus latus_ 310
+
+ The Pompano, _Trachinotus carolinus_ 311
+
+
+ CHAPTER XVII
+
+ THE CHANNEL FISHES
+
+ THE GRUNT FAMILY, _Hæmulidæ_ 321
+
+ The Black Grunt, _Hæmulon plumieri_ 323
+
+ The Yellow Grunt, _Hæmulon sciurus_ 326
+
+ The Margate-fish, _Hæmulon album_ 328
+
+ The Sailor's Choice, _Hæmulon parra_ 330
+
+ The Pig-fish, _Orthopristis chrysopterus_ 331
+
+ The Pork-fish, _Anisotremus virginicus_ 334
+
+ THE SNAPPER FAMILY, _Lutianidæ_ 336
+
+ The Yellow-tail, _Ocyurus chrysurus_ 338
+
+ The Lane Snapper, _Lutianus synagris_ 339
+
+ The Red Snapper, _Lutianus aya_ 342
+
+ The Dog Snapper, _Lutianus jocu_ 344
+
+ The Schoolmaster, _Lutianus apodus_ 345
+
+ THE PORGY FAMILY, _Sparidæ_ 347
+
+ The Jolt-head Porgy, _Calamus bajonado_ 348
+
+ The Saucer-eye Porgy, _Calamus calamus_ 350
+
+ The Little-head Porgy, _Calamus proridens_ 352
+
+ The Grass Porgy, _Calamus arctifrons_ 353
+
+
+ CHAPTER XVIII
+
+ MISCELLANEOUS FISHES
+
+ The Lady-fish, _Albula vulpes_ 355
+
+ The Ten-pounder, _Elops saurus_ 361
+
+ The Snook, _Centropomus undecimalis_ 366
+
+ The Triple-tail, _Lobotes surinamensis_ 370
+
+ The Cobia, _Rachycentron canadus_ 373
+
+ The Spotted Weakfish, _Cynoscion nebulosus_ 376
+
+ The Deep-sea Weakfish, _Cynoscion thalassinus_ 381
+
+ The Bermuda Chub, _Kyphosus sectatrix_ 382
+
+ The Angel-fish, _Chætodipterus faber_ 384
+
+ The Pinfish, _Lagodon rhomboides_ 386
+
+ The Squirrel-fish, _Holocentrus ascensionis_ 388
+
+ The Turbot, _Balistes carolinensis_ 390
+
+ INDEX 401
+
+
+
+
+ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+ PAGE
+
+OSWEGO (LARGE-MOUTH) BASS 36
+
+THE SMALL-MOUTH BLACK-BASS. THE LARGE-MOUTH BLACK-BASS.
+THE ROCK-BASS 62
+
+SURF-FISHING FOR BASS 96
+
+CATCHING SEA-BASS OFF NEWPORT 100
+
+THE SEA-BASS. THE MASCALONGE. THE PIKE 114
+
+THE MASCALONGE OF THE WEEDS. TROLLING WITH HANDLINE 120
+
+THE EASTERN PICKEREL. THE WESTERN PICKEREL. THE PIKE-PERCH. THE
+YELLOW-PERCH 140
+
+THE ARCTIC GRAYLING. THE MICHIGAN GRAYLING. THE MONTANA GRAYLING 174
+
+THE MORE SPORTSMANLY WAY OF CATCHING MASCALONGE 200
+
+THE WEAKFISH. THE KINGFISH. THE GERMAN CARP 226
+
+THE CHANNEL-CATFISH. THE SHEEPSHEAD. THE CUNNER 244
+
+FISHING FOR CUNNERS 250
+
+THE FLOUNDER. THE SMELT. THE SPANISH MACKEREL 264
+
+THE BONITO. THE NIGGER-FISH. THE POMPANO 280
+
+CATCHING SPANISH MACKEREL ON THE EDGE OF THE GULF STREAM 300
+
+THE BLACK GRUNT. THE RED SNAPPER 322
+
+THE JOLT-HEAD PORGY. THE LADY-FISH. THE COBIA 348
+
+TAKING BONITO BY TROLLING OFF BLOCK ISLAND 350
+
+THE ANGEL-FISH. THE TURBOT 384
+
+
+
+
+BASS, PIKE, AND PERCH
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE SUNFISH FAMILY (_Centrarchidæ_)
+
+The sunfish family is composed entirely of fresh-water fishes. They are
+characterized by a symmetrically-shaped body, rather short and
+compressed; mouth terminal; teeth small, without canines; scales rather
+large; cheeks and gill-covers scaly; scales mostly smooth; border of
+preopercle smooth, or but slightly serrated; opercle ending in two flat
+points, or in a black flap; a single dorsal fin, composed of both spiny
+and soft rays; anal fin also having both spines and soft rays; the
+dorsal spines varying from 6 to 13 in the different species, with from 3
+to 9 in the anal fin; sexes similar; coloration mostly greenish.
+
+ GENUS MICROPTERUS
+
+ _Micropterus dolomieu._ Small-mouth Black-bass. Body
+ ovate-oblong; head 3; depth 3; eye 6; D. X, 13; A. III, 10;
+ scales 11-73-17; mouth large, the maxillary reaching front of
+ eye; scales on cheek minute, in 17 rows; teeth villiform.
+
+ _Micropterus salmoides._ Large-mouth Black-bass. Body
+ ovate-oblong; head 3; depth 3; eye 5; D. X, 13; A. III, 11;
+ scales 8-68-16; scales on cheek large, in 10 rows; mouth very
+ large, maxillary extending beyond the eye; teeth villiform.
+
+ GENUS AMBLOPLITES
+
+ _Ambloplites rupestris._ Rock-bass. Body oblong, moderately
+ compressed; head 2-3/4; depth 2-1/2; eye 4; D. XI, 10; A. VI,
+ 10; scales 5-40-12, with 6 to 8 rows on cheeks; mouth large,
+ maxillary extending to posterior part of pupil; teeth small,
+ single patch on tongue; gill-rakers 7 to 10, on lower part of
+ arch; preopercle serrate near its angle; opercle ends in 2 flat
+ points.
+
+ GENUS ARCHOPLITES
+
+ _Archoplites interruptus._ Sacramento Perch. Body oblong-ovate,
+ compressed; head 2-2/3; depth 2-1/2; eye 4; D. XII, 10; A. VI,
+ 10; scales 7-45-14; 8 rows on cheeks; mouth very large,
+ maxillary extending beyond pupil; teeth numerous and small,
+ with 2 patches on tongue; gill-rakers 20; opercle emarginate;
+ most of the membrane bones of head serrate.
+
+ GENUS CHÆNOBRYTTUS
+
+ _Chænobryttus gulosus._ Warmouth Perch. Body heavy and deep;
+ head 2-1/2; depth 2-1/4; eye 4; D. X, 9; A. III, 8; scales
+ 6-42-11; 6 to 8 rows on cheeks; teeth small and numerous;
+ gill-rakers 9; preopercle entire; mouth very large; opercle
+ ends in a black convex flap.
+
+ GENUS LEPOMIS
+
+ _Lepomis pallidus._ Blue Sunfish. Body short and deep,
+ compressed; head 3; depth 2; eye 3-1/2; D. X, 12; A. III, 12;
+ scales 7-46-16; 5 rows on cheeks; mouth small, maxillary barely
+ reaching eye; teeth small and sharp; opercular flap without
+ pale edge; gill-rakers x + 11 to 13.
+
+ _Lepomis megalotis._ Long-eared Sunfish. Body short and deep,
+ the back arched; head 3; depth 2; eye 4; D. X, 11; A. III, 9;
+ scales 5-40-14; 5 rows on cheeks; mouth small and oblique;
+ opercular flap long and broad, with red or blue margin;
+ gill-rakers x + 8 or 9.
+
+ _Lepomis auritus._ Red-breast Sunfish. Body elongate; head 3;
+ depth 3; eye 4; D. X, 11; A. III, 9; scales 6-45-15; mouth
+ large, oblique; palatine teeth present; gill-rakers _x_ + 8 or
+ 9, quite short; opercular flap very long and narrow; scales on
+ breast very small; 7 rows scales on cheeks.
+
+ GENUS EUPOMOTIS
+
+ _Eupomotis gibbosus._ Common Sunfish. Body short and deep,
+ compressed; head 3; depth 2; eye 4; D. X, 11; A. III, 10;
+ scales 6-45-13; 4 rows on cheeks; mouth small, oblique,
+ maxillary scarcely reaching front of eye; pharyngeal teeth
+ paved and rounded; gill-rakers soft and small, _x_ + 10;
+ opercular flap rather small, the lower part bright scarlet.
+
+ GENUS POMOXIS
+
+ _Pomoxis sparoides._ Calico-bass. Body oblong, elevated, much
+ compressed; head 3; depth 2; D. VII, 15; A. VI, 17; scales 40
+ to 45; 6 rows on cheeks; mouth large, maxillary reaching to
+ posterior edge of pupil; snout projecting; fins very high, anal
+ higher than dorsal.
+
+ _Pomoxis annularis._ Crappie. Body rather elongate; head 3;
+ depth 2-1/3; D. VI, 15; A. VI, 18; scales 36 to 48; 4 or 5 rows
+ on cheek; mouth very wide; fins very high, but lower than
+ _sparoides_.
+
+
+THE SMALL-MOUTH BLACK-BASS
+
+(_Micropterus dolomieu_)
+
+The generic name _Micropterus_ was given to the small-mouth black-bass
+by the French ichthyologist Lacépéde, in 1802, who was the first to
+describe it. The name _Micropterus_, which means "small fin," was
+bestowed on account of the mutilated condition of the dorsal fin of the
+specimen, a few of the posterior rays of the fin being detached and
+broken off, giving the appearance of a short and separate fin. The
+specimen was sent to Paris from an unknown locality in America, and is
+still preserved in the Museum of Natural History at Paris, where I
+personally examined it. It is a fine example, about a foot in length,
+and is remarkably well preserved. As there was no known genus to which
+the specimen with the curious dorsal fin could be referred, Lacépéde
+created the new genus _Micropterus_. He gave it the specific name
+_dolomieu_ as a compliment to his friend M. Dolomieu, a French
+mineralogist, for whom the mineral dolomite was also named.
+
+Originally, the small-mouth black-bass was restricted to the Great Lake
+region, parts of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, and along the upper
+reaches of streams flowing from the Alleghany Mountains in the Southern
+states. It has, however, been introduced into all of the New England and
+Middle states, and into many Western states. It has a compressed, rather
+elliptical body, the dorsal and ventral outlines being nearly equal; it
+becomes deeper with age.
+
+As its range, or distribution, is so great and extensive, and the waters
+it inhabits are so different in hue and character, the coloration of the
+small-mouth bass varies from almost black to the faintest tinge of
+green, in different sections of the country. The coloration is so
+variable that it differs even in fish in the same waters. It is
+influenced mostly by the hue of the water, character of the bottom, the
+presence or absence of weeds about the haunts of the bass, and,
+moreover, the changes in color may occur in a very short time when
+subject to these various conditions. The general color, however, is
+greenish of various shades, always darker on the back, and paling to
+white or whitish on the belly. When markings are present, they form
+vertical patches or bars, never horizontal. Three bronze streaks extend
+from the eye across the cheeks. All markings, however, may become
+obsolete with age.
+
+The natural food of both species is crawfish, which might be inferred
+from the character of their teeth and wide-opening mouth. There is a
+popular belief that they are essentially and habitually piscivorous; but
+this is an error; they are not so black as they are painted. They feed
+on minute crustaceans and larval forms of insects when young, and
+afterward on crawfish, minnows, frogs, insects, etc., as do most fishes
+that have teeth in the jaws. But the teeth of the black-bass are
+villiform and closely packed, presenting an even surface as uniform as
+the surface of a tooth-brush. Such teeth are incapable of wounding, and
+merely form a rough surface for holding their prey securely. All truly
+piscivorous fishes have fewer, but sharp, conical teeth, of unequal
+length, like the yellow-perch, pike-perch, mascalonge, and trout, or
+lancet-shaped teeth like the bluefish.
+
+The black-bass is far less destructive to fish life than any of the
+fishes mentioned; on the contrary, it suffers the most in a mixed
+community of fishes, and is the first to disappear. There are small
+lakes in Canada and Michigan where the brook-trout and black-bass have
+coexisted from time immemorial without jeopardy to the trout. There are
+small lakes in Wisconsin where black-bass and cisco, with other species,
+have coexisted for all time; and while the cisco is as numerous as ever,
+the black-bass has almost disappeared. It does not follow, however, that
+black-bass should be introduced in trout waters; far from it.
+Brook-trout are being exterminated fast enough, owing to the changed
+natural conditions of the streams and their surroundings, without adding
+another contestant for the limited supply of food in such waters.
+
+Both species of black-bass have been introduced into Germany, France,
+Russia, and the Netherlands. In Germany, especially, they have found a
+permanent home. It was my privilege materially to assist Herr Max von
+dem Borne, of Berneuchen, with such advice as enabled him to start on a
+sure footing in his enterprise, and with such subsequent success in its
+establishment that he published several brochures on the black-bass to
+meet the demand for information as to its habits and merits as a game
+and food-fish. An effort was made some years ago to introduce the
+black-bass into English waters, but without success, owing to a want of
+knowledge as to the proper species to experiment with. The small-mouth
+bass was placed in weedy ponds or small lakes in which only the
+large-mouth bass would live.
+
+The small-mouth bass thrives only in comparatively clear, cool, and
+rocky or gravelly streams, and in lakes and ponds supplied by such
+streams or having cold bottom springs. In lakes of the latter
+character, in northern sections, it coexists with large-mouth bass in
+many instances. In such cases, however, the small-mouth will be found
+usually at the inlet, or about the springs, and the large-mouth at the
+outlet or in sheltered, grassy situations. In winter it undergoes a
+state of partial or complete torpidity. In ponds that have been drained
+in the winter season it has been found snugly ensconced in the crevices
+of rocks, beneath shelving banks, logs, roots, or among masses of
+vegetation, undergoing its winter sleep. In the spring, when the
+temperature of the water rises above fifty degrees, the small-mouth bass
+emerges from its winter quarters, about which it lingers until the water
+becomes still warmer, when it departs in search of suitable locations
+for spawning. At this time, owing to a semi-migratory instinct, it
+ascends streams, and roams about in lakes or ponds, often ascending
+inlet streams, or in some instances descending outlet streams.
+
+When favorable situations are found, the male and female pair off and
+proceed to fulfil the reproductive instinct. The spawning period extends
+from May to July, according to the section of the country it inhabits,
+and when the temperature of the water is suitable. The nests are formed
+on a bottom of gravel or coarse sand, or on a flat rock in very rocky
+streams. The male fish does the work of preparation by scouring with
+fins and tail a space about twice his length in diameter, forming a
+shallow, saucer-shaped depression, in which the female deposits her
+eggs, which are fertilized by the male, who hovers near by. The eggs are
+heavy and adhesive, being invested with a glutinous matter that enables
+them to adhere to the pebbles on the bottom. The number of eggs varies
+from two thousand to twenty-five thousand, according to the size and
+weight of the female. The nest is carefully guarded by the parents until
+the eggs hatch, the period of incubation being from one to two weeks,
+according to the temperature of the water. The resultant fry are then
+watched and brooded by the male fish for several days or a week, when
+they seek the shelter of weeds and grasses in shallow water.
+
+The young fry feed on minute crustaceans and the larval forms of
+insects. When a month old they are about an inch long, and continue to
+grow, if food is plentiful, so that they reach a length of from three
+to six inches in the fall. Thereafter they increase a pound a year under
+the most favorable conditions, until the maximum weight is attained,
+which is about five pounds. In some instances, however, they have
+reached a weight of seven or even ten pounds, where the environment has
+been unusually favorable; notably in Glen Lake, near Glens Falls, New
+York, where a half-dozen or more have been taken weighing from eight to
+ten pounds. One of ten pounds was twenty-five and one-half inches long
+and nineteen inches in girth.
+
+As a game-fish the black-bass has come into his inheritance. As the
+French say, he has arrived. With the special tools and tackle now
+furnished for his capture, he has proved my aphorism. "Inch for inch,
+and pound for pound, he is the gamest fish that swims." When I ventured
+this opinion twenty-five years ago, there were no special articles made
+for his capture except the Kentucky reel and the McGinnis rod, twelve
+feet long and fifteen ounces in weight. In awarding the palm as a
+game-fish to the black-bass, I do so advisedly, in the light of ample
+experience with all other game-fishes, and without prejudice, for I have
+an innate love and admiration for all, from the lovely trout of the
+mountain brook to the giant tarpon of the sea.
+
+In the application of so broad and sweeping an assertion each and every
+attribute of a game-fish must be well considered: his habitat; his
+aptitude to rise to the fly; his struggle for freedom; his manner of
+resistance; his weight as compared with other game-fishes; and his
+excellence as a food-fish, must be separately and collectively
+considered and duly and impartially weighed. His haunts are amid most
+charming and varied scenes. Not in the silent and solemn solitudes of
+the primeval forests, where animated Nature is evidenced mainly in
+swarms of gnats, black-flies, and mosquitoes; nor under the shadows of
+grand and lofty mountains, guarded by serried ranks of pines and firs,
+but whose sombre depths are void of feathered songsters. However grand,
+sublime, and impressive such scenes truly are, they do not appeal
+profoundly to the angler. He must have life, motion, sound. He courts
+Nature in her more communicative moods, and in the haunts of the
+black-bass his desires are realized. Wading down the rippling stream,
+casting his flies hither and yon, alert for the responsive tug, the
+sunlight is filtered through overhanging trees, while the thrush,
+blackbird, and cardinal render the air vocal with sweet sounds, and his
+rival, the kingfisher, greets him with vibrant voice. The summer breeze,
+laden with the scent of woodland blossoms, whispers among the leaves,
+the wild bee flits by on droning wing, the squirrel barks defiantly, and
+the tinkle of the cow-bell is mellowed in the distance. I know of such
+streams in the mountain valleys of West Virginia, amid the green rolling
+hills of Kentucky and Tennessee, and in the hill country where Missouri
+and Arkansas meet.
+
+The aptitude of the black-bass to rise to the artificial fly is not
+questioned by the twentieth-century angler, though it was considered a
+matter of doubt by many anglers during the last quarter of the
+nineteenth. The doubt was mainly owing to a lack of experience, for
+fly-fishing for black-bass was successfully practised in Kentucky as
+early, certainly, as 1845. I have before me a click reel made in 1848 by
+the late Mr. J.L. Sage, of Lexington, Kentucky, especially for
+fly-fishing. I have also seen his fly-rod made by him about the same
+time, and used by him for many years on the famous bass streams of that
+state. And I might say, in passing, that blackbass bait-fishing, as an
+art, originated in Kentucky a century ago. George Snyder, of Paris,
+Kentucky, when president of the Bourbon County Angling Club, made the
+first multiplying reel for casting the minnow, in 1810, and as early as
+1830 many such reels were used in that state. The rods employed by those
+pioneers of black-bass fishing were about ten feet long, weighing but
+several ounces, cut from the small end of a Mississippi cane, with the
+reel lashed to the butt. They used the smallest Chinese "sea-grass"
+lines, or home-made lines of three strands of black sewing-silk twisted
+together. Those old disciples of Walton would have been shocked, could
+they have seen the heavy rods and coarse lines that are still used in
+some sections, for their own tackle was as light, if not so elegant, as
+any made at the present day.
+
+Another quality in a game-fish is measured by his resistance when hooked
+and by his efforts to escape. I think no fish of equal weight exhibits
+so much finesse and stubborn resistance, under such conditions, as the
+black-bass. Most fishes when hooked attempt to escape by tugging and
+pulling in one direction, or by boring toward the bottom, and if not
+successful in breaking away soon give up the unequal contest. But the
+black-bass exhibits, if not intelligence, something akin to it, in his
+strategical manoeuvres. Sometimes his first effort is to bound into the
+air at once and attempt to shake out the hook, as if he knew his
+misfortune came from above. At other times he dashes furiously, first in
+one direction, then in another, pulling strongly meanwhile, then leaps
+into the air several times in quick succession, madly shaking himself
+with open jaws. I have seen him fall on a slack line, and again by using
+his tail as a lever and the water as a fulcrum, throw himself over a
+taut line, evidently with the intent to break it or tear out the hook.
+Another clever ruse is to wind the line around a root or rock, and still
+another is to embed himself in a clump of water-weeds if permitted to do
+so. Or, finding it useless to pull straight away, he reverses his
+tactics and swims rapidly toward the angler, shaking himself and working
+his jaws, meanwhile, as if he knew that with a slack line he would be
+more apt to disengage the hook.
+
+I have never known a black-bass to sulk like the salmon by lying
+motionless on the bottom. He is never still unless he succeeds in
+reaching a bed of weeds. He is wily and adroit, but at the same time he
+is brave and valiant. He seems to employ all the known tactics of other
+fishes, and to add a few of his own in his gallant fight for freedom.
+
+As a food-fish there is, in my estimation, but one fresh-water fish that
+is better, the whitefish of the Great Lakes. Its flesh is white, firm,
+and flaky, with a fine savor, and a juicy, succulent quality that is
+lacking with most other fresh-water fishes. About the spawning period,
+especially in fish from weedy ponds, it is somewhat musky or muddy in
+flavor, like other fishes in similar situations; but by skinning the
+fish instead of scaling it much of that unpleasant feature is removed.
+
+
+BLACK-BASS TACKLE
+
+The first consideration for the fly-fisher is suitable tools and tackle,
+and the most important article of his outfit is the fly-rod.
+Fortunately, at the present day, manufacturers turn out such good work
+that one does not have to seek far to obtain the best. And the best is
+one made of split bamboo by a first-class maker. Such a rod necessarily
+commands a good price, but it is the cheapest in the end, for with
+proper care it will last a lifetime. I have rods of this character that
+I have used for thirty years that are still as good as new. But the
+angler should eschew the shoddy split-bamboo rods that are sold in the
+department stores for a dollar. A wooden rod at a moderate price is far
+better than a split-bamboo rod at double its cost. Rods are now made
+much better, of better material, and considerably shorter and lighter
+than formerly, and withal they are much better in balance and action.
+
+If any evidence were needed to prove and establish the superiority of
+the modern single-handed fly-rod over the old-style rod, it is only
+necessary to refer to the following facts: At the tournament of the New
+York State Sportsman's Association, in 1880, a cast of seventy feet won
+the first prize for distance; and at that time the longest on record was
+Seth Green's cast of eighty-six feet. At a contest of the San Francisco
+Fly-casting Club held on October 11, 1902, at Stow Lake, Golden Gate
+Park, Mr. H.C. Golcher made the remarkable and wonderful cast of one
+hundred and forty feet, beating the previous record cast of one hundred
+and thirty-four feet, held jointly by Mr. Golcher and Mr. W.D.
+Mansfield of the same club.
+
+A suitable fly-rod for black-bass fishing may be from nine to ten and
+one-half feet in length, and weigh from six and one-half to eight
+ounces, according to the preferences of the angler and the waters to be
+fished.
+
+For an all-round rod for all-round work my ideal is ten and a quarter
+feet long and weighing seven ounces in split bamboo and eight ounces in
+ash and lancewood, or ash and bethabara. It should be made in three
+pieces, with a stiffish backbone, constituting the lower third of its
+length, and with most of the bend in the upper two-thirds. A rod
+constructed on this principle will afford just the requisite amount of
+resiliency for casting, with sufficient pliancy and elasticity for
+playing a fish, and embody all the power and strength needed. The
+reel-seat should be simply a shallow groove in the hand-piece, with
+reel-bands, instead of the solid metal reel-seat, which subserves no
+good purpose and is only added weight; moreover, it is now put on the
+cheapest rods as a trap to catch the unwary. All metal mountings should
+be German silver or brass. Nickel-plated mountings are cheap and nasty.
+
+A light, single-action click reel of German silver or aluminum of fifty
+or sixty yards' capacity is the best. A plain crank handle is to be
+preferred to a balance handle, but in either case there should be a
+projecting rim or safety band, within which the handle revolves, in
+order to prevent fouling of the line. My own preference is for the
+English pattern, with a knobbed handle affixed to the edge of a
+revolving disk on the face of the reel. A multiplying reel with an
+adjustable click may be utilized instead of a click reel for
+fly-fishing.
+
+The enamelled, braided silk line is the only one suitable for casting
+the fly, and there is no better. A level line will answer, but a tapered
+one is better adapted for long casts. It may taper toward one end or
+both ways from the centre, the latter being preferable. From twenty-five
+to thirty yards is sufficient for all emergencies. It should be
+thoroughly dried every day it is used. A convenient way is to wind it
+around the back of a chair.
+
+Leaders may be from three to six feet long, accordingly as one or two
+flies are used in the cast. It should be composed of single, clear,
+round silkworm-gut fibre, tapering from the reel line to the distal end.
+It should not be tested to a greater weight than two pounds, as testing
+silkworm-gut weakens it very materially. It may be stained or not,
+though there is no advantage in coloring it; I prefer the natural hue.
+There should be a loop at the small end, and one three feet above it,
+for attaching the snells of flies. Before using it, it must be soaked in
+water until soft and pliable. Extra leaders may be carried in a box
+between layers of damp felt, so as to be ready for emergencies. The best
+and smallest and most secure knot for tying the lengths of gut together
+in making the leader is a simple half-hitch, like tying a single knot in
+a piece of string. When thoroughly soaked, the two ends to be tied are
+lapped a couple of inches, and a single knot, or half-hitch made in
+them, pulling the knot tight, and cutting off the loose ends closely.
+
+Snells should be three or four inches long, of good single gut, the
+shorter length for end fly. If the flies are made with a loop at the
+head, the snells for same should have a loop at each end for attaching
+to both fly and leader. If flies are made on eyed hooks, the snell
+should have but one loop for the leader, and a free end for tying to the
+eye of hook. The best knot for the purpose is made by passing the end of
+snell through the eye of hook, then around the shank just below the
+eye, and then between the shank and snell and draw tight, forming a jam
+knot. Where the snell is tied to the fly, it should likewise have a loop
+for attaching to the leader. It should also be reinforced by a piece of
+gut an inch long at the head of the fly to strengthen it and prevent
+chafing. Snells, whether separate or tied to flies, should be carried
+like leaders between layers of damp felt.
+
+Most flies made for black-bass fishing are too large. The largest trout
+flies tied on hooks Nos. 4 to 6 are big enough. As just mentioned, they
+are tied directly to the snell on tapered hooks, or made with a small
+gut loop at the head of the fly, which is much the best way. Since the
+introduction of the eyed hook, or rather a revival of it, for trout
+flies, they are now utilized for bass flies also. As between the Pennell
+hook with turned-down eye and the Hall hook with turned-up eye, there is
+not much choice. Both patterns are based on the old Limerick hook. I
+prefer the Sproat or O'Shaughnessy to either, with gut loop at the head
+of the fly.
+
+If the black-bass is not color-blind, he seems to have a penchant for
+brown, gray, black, and yellow, as flies embodying these colors seem to
+be more attractive to him than others. One can judge in this matter,
+however, only from experience. And even then the deduction of one angler
+is often at variance with the inference of another.
+
+The most successful bass flies, like salmon flies, are not made in
+imitation of natural insects. This is true also of some of the "general"
+trout flies that have proved particularly pleasing to the black-bass, as
+the professor, grizzly king, king of the waters, Montreal, coachman,
+etc. True, the black, gray, red, and yellow hackles, which are supposed
+to be imitations of caterpillars, are very useful on nearly all waters;
+but their resemblance to any known larval forms is very slight.
+
+There is a well-known rule in regard to the size and color of flies to
+be used at particular states and stages of the water, and in accordance
+with the time and character of the day. It is to use small and dark
+flies on bright days, with low and clear water; and larger and brighter
+flies on dark days with high or turbid water, and at dusk. This rule is
+hoary with age. It has come down to us through past centuries with the
+indorsement of thousands of intelligent and observant anglers, and
+should be respected accordingly. It is in the main reliable and
+trustworthy. Of course there will occur exceptions to prove the rule.
+And some iconoclastic anglers at this late day, in view of the
+exceptions, declare that it is entirely valueless as a guide; but they
+offer nothing better. It is true, nevertheless, and a safe rule to
+follow.
+
+
+FLY-FISHING
+
+To be a successful fly-fisher for black-bass the angler must know
+something of the habits of his quarry, or at least of its haunts and
+favorite places of resort. On streams these places are in the eddies of
+rocks or large boulders, in the deeper water above and below riffles,
+under shelving banks and rocks, among the submerged roots of trees on
+the bank, near weed patches, driftwood, and logs, and in the vicinity of
+gravelly bars and shoals. Except in cloudy weather the angler may rest
+during the noon hours, as the most favorable time is in the morning and
+late afternoon until dusk. If wading, the angler should fish
+down-stream, and when the shadows are long, should endeavor to keep the
+sun in front. He should move slowly and cautiously, making as little
+noise as possible, casting to the sides and in front over every likely
+spot. Casts of thirty or forty feet are usually sufficient. The flies
+should be allowed to float down-stream, with tremulous motions,
+sidewise, to imitate the struggles of a drowning insect, and then
+permitted to sink several inches or a foot at each cast.
+
+Whipping the stream is sometimes quite successful where the bass does
+not respond to ordinary casting. This is done by casting in quick
+succession and repeatedly over one spot, allowing the flies merely to
+touch the water, until several such casts are made, when they should be
+permitted to sink, for a few seconds, as before. In making up the cast,
+two flies should be selected of different combinations of colors, as
+polka and professor. If necessary, changes should be made until two are
+selected that seem to meet the fastidious fancy of the fish.
+
+If a taut line is maintained, the bass usually hooks himself, but the
+angler should strike quickly upon feeling the slightest tug, or when
+seeing the swirl of the fish. One cannot strike too quickly. By striking
+is meant a simple turning of the hand sidewise, with a perfectly tight
+line; this is amply sufficient to set the hook. Should the line be slack
+and lifeless at the moment, a more vigorous movement is required, but
+even then it is usually too late. When a bass is hooked, the contest
+should be between rod and fish, rather than between the reel and fish.
+It is the spring of the rod that conquers him, not the giving and taking
+of line. If the rod is held firmly, at an angle of forty-five degrees,
+with the thumb on the spool of the reel, there is no likelihood of a
+good rod breaking. Line should be given grudgingly, and the fish kept on
+the surface as much as possible. When exhausted he should be drawn over
+the landing-net and lifted out quickly, at the same time releasing the
+thumb from the reel to relieve the strain on the rod.
+
+In fishing from the bank in deeper streams, or from a boat on small
+lakes, whereby the fish is better enabled to see the angler, longer
+casts are necessary, or the angler must screen himself from observation
+by trees or bushes on the bank. The boat should be kept in the deeper
+water and the casts made toward the shallows of bars, shoals, and weed
+patches. The best time for boat fishing on lakes or ponds is from near
+sundown until dark.
+
+
+CASTING THE MINNOW
+
+The live minnow, shiner preferred, is by far the best bait for the
+black-bass, as it is more easily seen, and the best way of presenting it
+is by casting from the reel. For this purpose a rod eight or nine feet
+long is much better than a shorter or longer one. After a long series of
+experiments with rods from six to twelve feet, I arrived at the
+conclusion that the one now known as the Henshall rod, eight and
+one-fourth feet long and from seven to eight ounces in weight, fulfils
+all the requirements of casting, hooking, and playing a black-bass. It
+is light, strong, and of beautiful proportions. In first-class split
+bamboo it may be as light as six and one-half ounces, but should not
+exceed seven and one-half ounces. In ash and lancewood, or bethabara,
+from seven to eight ounces is the correct weight.
+
+A multiplying reel is indispensable. It may be two, three, or
+four-ply, but the best work and the most effective casting can only be
+done with the most perfect reel. It should be as light as possible, in a
+fifty or sixty-yard reel. German silver is the best material, though
+brass is fully as serviceable, and costs less. Some very good reels are
+made of hard rubber and metal.
+
+Only braided lines should be used, as twisted ones kink too much in
+casting. Undressed silk, of the smallest caliber, size H, is best.
+Braided linen is stronger, but of larger caliber, and not so suitable
+for good casting. Neither can effective casting be done with oil-dressed
+or enamelled lines.
+
+Snelled hooks on single-gut snells, size No. 1 or No. 2, Sproat
+preferred and O'Shaughnessy next, are the best in any method of
+bait-fishing for black-bass. There are several other styles of hooks
+used, but, everything considered, those named are the most faultless,
+and for shape, strength, and general excellence cannot be excelled.
+
+No leader is used, as the minnow must be reeled up to within a foot or
+two of the tip of the rod in casting. The snell of the hook is attached
+to the reel-line by the smallest brass box-swivel, or it may be tied
+directly to the line. The casts are made from right or left and
+underhand, not overhead as in casting the fly. Casts of 160 feet have
+been made in this way. The chief factor in this style of casting is the
+proper control of the reel by the thumb--by a gentle but constant and
+uniform pressure on the revolving spool, to prevent overrunning of the
+line during the cast, and a stronger pressure to stop the reel at the
+end of the cast. The thumb must be thoroughly educated to this work,
+and, once acquired, the rest is easy, as but little muscular effort is
+required. The novice must begin with short casts and increase their
+length as he becomes more proficient in the management of the reel.
+Perfect casting from the reel is more difficult than casting the fly,
+and more artistic.
+
+In wading a stream the casts are directed to the same likely places
+mentioned under the head of fly-fishing. The minnow is allowed to sink
+to half the depth of the water and reeled in slowly, which gives a
+lifelike motion to the bait when hooked through the lips. If there is no
+response, the next cast should be made to another spot, as a bass, if
+inclined to take the lure at all, will usually do so upon its first
+presentation.
+
+In fly-fishing it is imperative to strike as soon as the bass seizes the
+fly, otherwise he ejects it at once, if not hooked by a taut line, for
+he is conscious of the deception as soon as the fly is taken into his
+mouth. With natural bait it is different. The bass first seizes the
+minnow crosswise or tail first, turns it in his mouth, and swallows it
+head first. This takes a little time. Usually he holds it in his mouth
+and bolts away from other fish, or rushes toward a secure
+hiding-place--hence the vigorous initial dash and taking of line. If
+stopped before being hooked, he gives several tugs in quick succession,
+when he should be given line slowly. The angler, with thumb on the spool
+of the reel, can feel every motion of the fish. When he pulls steadily
+and strongly and increases his speed, the hook should be driven in by
+striking in the opposite direction to his course, or upward. A vigorous
+"yank" is not needed. With the strained line a movement of the tip of
+the rod a foot or two is sufficient with a sharp hook.
+
+If fishing from a boat, where the angler is more apt to be seen, it
+should be kept in deep water and the casts made toward the haunts of the
+bass in shallow water. Should the hooked bass break water on a long
+line, the slight straightening of the bent rod that ensues will tend to
+keep it taut, and there is nothing more to do. On a short line, however
+(the bend of the rod being maintained), he should be followed back to
+the water by a slight lowering of the tip, but it should again be raised
+as soon as he touches the water. The critical moment is when he is
+apparently standing on his tail, shaking himself, with wide-opened jaws.
+If he is given any slack line at this time, the hook is likely to be
+thrown out.
+
+Lowering the tip to a leaping fish is a good old rule when done
+understandingly. It has been ridiculed by some anglers who do not seem
+to have a clear conception of it. They claim that by lowering the tip it
+gives sufficient slack line to enable the fish to free himself. But if
+the rod is bent, as it should be, the simple lowering of the tip with a
+short line merely relieves it somewhat from the weight of the fish;
+there is no slack line, nor could there be unless the rod is lowered
+until it is perfectly straight, which no wide-awake angler would permit.
+As the fish is in the air but a second or two, the careless angler
+simply does nothing, which is, perhaps, the best thing that could happen
+for him.
+
+Trolling is practised from a moving boat along the edges of weeds or
+rushes, or in the neighborhood of gravelly shoals and bars or rocky
+ledges. The bait may be a minnow or a very small trolling-spoon; if the
+latter, it should have but a single hook. The revolving spoon is itself
+the lure, and any addition of a bunch of feathers, a minnow, or a strip
+of pork-rind does not add to its efficiency in the least, and moreover
+savors of pot-fishing. A rod and reel should always be used, as trolling
+with a hand-line is very unsportsmanlike.
+
+Still-fishing is practised from the bank or from an anchored boat. If
+the bait is live minnows, no float is necessary; but if crawfish,
+helgramites, cut-bait, or worms are employed, a very small float is
+useful to keep the bait off the bottom. The boat should be anchored in
+close proximity to the feeding-grounds of the bass, and the angler
+should keep as still as possible. Contrary to the popular opinion, fish
+hear sounds, not only those made in the water, but those in the air as
+well, otherwise they would not be provided with so delicate an auditory
+apparatus; because they do not always notice sounds made in the air is
+no proof that they do not hear them. The suggestions already made as to
+the hooking and playing and landing the bass apply to still-fishing as
+well. The minnow is best hooked through both lips, but if they are very
+small, they may be hooked just under the dorsal fin.
+
+
+THE LARGE-MOUTH BLACK-BASS
+
+(_Micropterus salmoides_)
+
+The large-mouth black-bass was also first described by the French
+ichthyologist Lacépéde, in 1802, from a drawing and description sent to
+him from South Carolina by M. Bosc, under the local name of
+"trout-perch." Owing to the vernacular name, he gave it the specific
+name of _salmoides_, "salmon-like" or "trout-like." Thirty years before,
+pressed skins of the large-mouth bass had been sent to Linnæus by Dr.
+Garden from Charleston. South Carolina, under the name of "freshwater
+trout," but Linnæus failed to describe or name it. The black-bass is
+called "trout" to this day in the Southern states.
+
+The large-mouth black-bass is very similar in appearance to the
+small-mouth bass. It is not quite so trimly built, being somewhat more
+"stocky" and robust. Its mouth is larger, the angle reaching behind the
+eye. It has larger scales, and those on the cheeks are not much smaller
+than those on the body, while in the small-mouth bass the cheek scales
+are very small compared with its body scales. The large-mouth is more
+muscular, and has a broader and more powerful tail.
+
+Its distribution is perhaps wider than that of any other game-fish, its
+range extending from Canada to Florida and Mexico, and, through
+transplantation, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It has also been
+introduced into Germany. France, Russia, and the Netherlands, where it
+is greatly esteemed both as a game-fish and food-fish.
+
+The coloration of the large-mouth bass is often of the same hue as the
+small-mouth bass, though usually it is not so dark, being mostly
+bronze-green, fading to white on the belly. When markings are present,
+they tend to form longitudinal streaks of aggregated spots, and not
+vertical ones, as in the small-mouth.
+
+Its habits of feeding, spawning, etc., are very similar to those of the
+small-mouth. It prefers stiller water, and is more at home in weedy
+situations, and will thrive in quiet, mossy ponds with muddy bottom
+where the small-mouth would eventually become extinct; on the other
+hand, the large-mouth can exist wherever it is possible for the
+small-mouth to do so. It is better able to withstand the vicissitudes of
+climate and temperature, and has a wonderful adaptability that enables
+it to become reconciled to its environment. The feeding habits of the
+two black-basses are much the same, though they differ as to their
+haunts. The large-mouth favors weedy rather than rocky places, and
+though its food is also much the same, the large-mouth is perhaps more
+partial to frogs and minnows, in the absence of crawfish, which, like
+the other species, it prefers.
+
+In the Northern states it hibernates, and reaches a maximum weight of
+six or eight pounds, while in the Gulf states, where it is active the
+year round, it is taken weighing twenty pounds or more. In Florida I
+have taken it on the fly up to fourteen pounds, and up to twenty pounds
+with natural bait. In waters where it coexists with the small-mouth bass
+there is no difference in their excellence as food-fish. I have often
+eaten the large-mouth bass from the clear-water lakes of Utah and
+Washington, that, with the single exception of the whitefish of Lake
+Superior, were the best of all fresh-water fishes. And I can truly say
+the same of those from some of the large rivers of Florida, notably the
+St. Lucie, St. Sebastian, and New rivers.
+
+It prefers to spawn on gravel or sand, but if such situations are
+lacking, it makes its nest on a clay or mud bottom, or on the roots of
+water-plants; or in ponds of very deep water without shallow shores, it
+will spawn on the top of masses of weeds, in order to get near enough to
+sunlight. In other respects its breeding habits are similar to its
+cousin the small-mouth, the time of incubation and the guarding of the
+eggs and young being about the same.
+
+As to the much-mooted subject of the gameness of the large-mouth bass I
+have no hesitation in saying, from an experience of nearly forty years,
+covering all sections of the country, that where the two species coexist
+there is no difference in their game qualities. The large-mouth is fully
+the equal of the small-mouth where they are exposed to the same
+conditions. Many anglers profess to think otherwise, but their
+deductions are drawn from a comparison of the two species when subject
+to totally different environment; for it is altogether a matter of
+environment and not of physical structure or idiosyncrasy that
+influences their game qualities. A small-mouth bass in a clear, rocky
+stream, highly aerated as it must be, is, as a matter of course, more
+active than a large-mouth bass in a quiet, weedy pond.
+
+With others the opinion is merely a matter of prejudice or hearsay, a
+prejudice that is, indeed, difficult to account for. It does not make
+the small-mouth bass a gamer fish by disparaging the large-mouth. As I
+have said elsewhere, if the large-mouth bass is just as game as the
+small-mouth, the angler is just that much better off. As prejudice and
+ignorance go hand in hand, we are not surprised when we hear persons--I
+do not style them anglers--call the small-mouth the "true" black-bass,
+implying that the large-mouth is not a black-bass, but is, as they often
+say, the Oswego bass, which is, of course, absurd. I am glad to add,
+however, that the prejudice against the large-mouth bass is dying out
+among observant anglers, who know that a trout in a clear stream is more
+vigorous than one in a weedy, mucky pond.
+
+From my own experience I am prepared to say that the large-mouth bass is
+more to be relied on in rising to the fly than the small-mouth, which
+fact should be taken into consideration when the gameness of the two
+species is compared. The remarks concerning fly-fishing for the
+small-mouth bass are also applicable to the large-mouth, as both are
+fished for in the same way, and with the same tackle, except that the
+rod may be a little heavier. For the large bass of the Gulf states the
+rod should be fully eight ounces in weight, and the flies a trifle
+larger, on hooks Nos. 2 to 6; otherwise the tackle should be the same.
+
+Minnow-casting for the large-mouth need not differ from that described
+for the small-mouth bass. The tackle likewise may be the same, though
+for the heavy bass of Florida the rod may be eight, or even nine ounces,
+if preferred. Hooks may also be employed of a larger size, say Nos. 1 to
+1-0, or even 2-0, as larger minnows are used for bait.
+
+Some anglers of the Middle West have adopted a very short rod of six
+feet or less for casting the live frog or pork-rind overhead, in the
+same way as casting a fly. This is a very primitive style of
+bait-casting, being the same as practised by bucolic boys and Southern
+negroes using a sapling pole without a reel. The frog is reeled up to
+within a few inches of the tip and propelled like a wad of clay from a
+slender stick as we were wont to do as boys. The frog is projected with
+great accuracy, but not without a smack and splash on the water. With
+such a rod most of the pleasure of playing a bass to a finish is lost.
+Presumably the end justifies the means, but this method does not appeal
+to the artistic angler. If bait must be used, a small minnow, lightly
+cast from a suitable rod, is more in accordance with the eternal fitness
+of things and the practice and traditions of the gentle art. In very
+weedy ponds and lakes, however, where there is not open water enough
+to play a bass, and where it must be landed as soon as possible, this
+rod and style of casting answer a good purpose.
+
+[Illustration OSWEGO (LARGE-MOUTH) BASS]
+
+Still-fishing is the same for either species of black-bass, but as it is
+usually done from an anchored boat on Northern lakes, where the
+large-mouth bass is of greater size and weight than the small-mouth
+bass, somewhat heavier tackle may be used than recommended for the
+small-mouth.
+
+Trolling with the live or dead minnow, or a small spoon with a single
+hook, is a very successful method on lakes, ponds, and broad, still
+rivers. A greater length of line can be utilized in trolling, whereby
+the fish is not so apt to see the angler. More ground can also be
+covered than in any other style of fishing. The boat should be propelled
+slowly along the borders of rushes and weed patches, over shoals and
+gravelly banks, and near projecting points of the shore. Considerable
+care should be exercised to move as noiselessly as possible, avoiding
+splashing with the oars or paddle, or making any undue noise with the
+feet or otherwise in the boat, as such sounds are conveyed a long
+distance in so dense a medium as water. In trolling, the line may be
+lengthened to fifty yards, if necessary, though from twenty to thirty
+yards will usually be sufficient, especially when a good breeze is
+blowing.
+
+Bobbing for the large-mouth bass is much in vogue in the Gulf states,
+but is more often practised in Florida. The conventional "bob" is formed
+by tying a strip of deer's tail, with or without a piece of red flannel,
+around a triangle of hooks, the hairs completely investing the hooks. A
+single hook, however, answers fully as well or better. The hook is of
+large size, Nos. 3-0 to 5-0. The method of procedure is as follows: The
+boat is propelled by a single-bladed paddle, the paddler being seated in
+the stern. The boat is moved silently and cautiously, skirting the edges
+of water-lilies and bonnets, which grow thickly along the margin of the
+channels. The angler is seated in the bow with a very long cane rod, to
+which is affixed a short line of a few feet, not to exceed six. As the
+boat advances, the angler dances the bob as far ahead as possible. It is
+held a few inches or a foot above the water, into which it is "bobbed"
+at short intervals. Sometimes the bass leaps from the water to seize it.
+When hooked, the fish islanded without any ceremony and as soon as
+possible, keeping it meanwhile on the surface, to prevent its taking to
+the weeds. Bartram described bobbing as practised in Florida, for
+black-bass, nearly a century and a half ago.
+
+Although bass fishing dates back to the middle of the eighteenth
+century, when bobbing, skittering, and still-fishing were common methods
+in the extreme Southern states for the large-mouth bass, and though the
+dawn of the nineteenth century saw bait-fishing and fly-fishing for the
+small-mouth bass in Kentucky, it is surprising how little was known in
+the Northern and Eastern states about the black-bass and bass fishing a
+century after Bartram described bobbing for that game-fish in the
+narrative of his travels. Even so late as 1871, when the _Forest and
+Stream_ was established, very little appeared in its pages anent bass
+fishing. Indeed, a few years later, a discussion lasting a year or more
+appeared in its columns from week to week, as to whether the black-bass
+would rise to the fly. Previous to the publication of the writer's "Book
+of the Black-bass" in 1881, no work on angling gave any but the most
+meagre account of black-bass or bass fishing. The "American Angler's
+Guide," published in 1849 by John J. Brown, states that the black-bass
+has rows of small teeth, two dorsal fins, and a swallowtail. In the
+same work the large-mouth bass of the Southern states is classified
+under the head of "brook trout," the author being misled apparently by
+its Southern name of "trout," and goes on to say that they "grow much
+larger than Northern trout," and that they "are fished for with the same
+arrangement of tackle as the striped bass or salmon." A contributor to
+the work, however, from Buffalo, New York, treats briefly and vaguely of
+still-fishing with minnows and crawfish. Brief notes also from Southern
+and Western anglers give fair descriptions of the appearance and habits
+of both species of black-bass. Frank Forester (Henry W. Herbert) knew no
+more of the black-bass than Mr. Brown, and acknowledges that he never
+caught one. That old Nestor of angling, Uncle Thad Norris, in his
+"American Angler's Book," 1864, gives the descriptions of Louis Agassiz
+and Dr. Holbrook for the black-bass, and then relates his only
+experience as follows, "I have taken this bass in the vicinity of St.
+Louis, on a moonshiny night, by skittering a light spoon over the
+surface of the water, while standing on the shore." Genio C. Scott in
+his "Fishing in American Waters," 1869, has less to say, and evidently
+knew less of the black-bass than any of the earlier writers. He gives
+just three lines concerning black-bass fishing, saying, "This fish is
+taken by casting the artificial fly, or by trolling with the feathered
+spoon, with a minnow impaled on a gang of hooks, and forming spinning
+tackle." Of all the angling authors prior to 1870, Robert B. Roosevelt
+is the only one who knew anything about black-bass or black-bass
+fishing, having fished for it in the St. Lawrence basin. He says, "They
+will take minnows, shiners, grasshoppers, frogs, worms, or almost
+anything else that can be called a bait." Also, "They may be captured by
+casting the fly as for salmon or trout, and this is by far the most
+sportsmanlike way, but the most destructive and usually resorted to is
+trolling." The only personal experience he gives of black-bass fishing,
+unfortunately, is by trolling with large flies. In his "Game Fish of the
+North," 1862, he devotes five pages to the black-bass, but apparently
+does not discriminate between the two species. In "Superior Fishing,"
+1865, he devotes two pages to the black-bass of Canada and the Great
+Lakes, in a general way, but gives two instances of fishing as follows,
+"Pedro soon hooked a splendid black-bass, and landed him after a
+vigorous struggle of half an hour; he weighed three pounds and
+three-quarters, and was thoroughly game." And again, "That evening was
+again devoted to the black-bass, which took both the fly and spoon
+greedily."
+
+During the period covered by the authors named, from 1849 to 1869, the
+anglers of the South and Middle West were using light cane rods,
+Kentucky reels, and the smallest sea-grass lines for bait-fishing, and
+trout fly-rods and trout-tackle for fly-fishing, rods and tackle as
+light, to say the least, as those in use to-day.
+
+In 1866 I removed to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, where there were thirty
+lakes within ten miles abounding in black-bass of both species, with
+pike, rock-bass, crappies, perch, etc. On my home grounds was a large
+shallow pond fed from Fowler Lake. Becoming much interested in the
+black-bass, and finding but little information available in the books of
+that day concerning their habits, I determined to give some study to the
+subject. Accordingly I cut a ditch from the pond to the lake, with
+suitable screens, and stocked it with black-bass of both species. During
+their spawning period in the summer I watched them faithfully and
+constantly from a blind of bushes on the bank. This I did for several
+years, turning the adult bass into the lake when the fry were large
+enough to look out for themselves, and turning the fry out also in the
+fall.
+
+I extended my observations of the bass during their breeding season to
+the many lakes near by. I found a difference of several weeks in the
+time of their spawning in these lakes, owing to the difference in
+temperature, caused by their varying depth. The appearance of the bass
+also differed slightly in the various lakes, so that it was possible,
+from a close study of their variations in color, size, and contour, to
+determine in what particular lake any string of bass was taken.
+
+About the same time, from 1868 to 1870, Mr. Cyrus Mann and Mr. H.D.
+Dousman established their trout hatchery and ponds not far from
+Oconomowoc, and Colonel George Shears, of Beaver Lake, a few miles away,
+also began hatching trout on a smaller scale. These establishments
+presented an opportunity to study the artificial propagation of
+brook-trout, and I soon became familiar with the _modus operandi_. This
+was before the institution of the United States Fish Commission, though
+the state of Wisconsin already had an able and efficient Fish
+Commission, Mr. H.D. Dousman being one of the commissioners. Colonel
+Shears also experimented with black-bass culture, and between us we
+reared many thousands to the age of three months, before turning them
+out. Near my pond was a shallow, marshy cove to which the pike resorted
+in early spring to spawn, giving me an opportunity to study their
+breeding habits, also. There being so many lakes and ponds in the
+vicinity, and their being so well supplied with fishes of various kinds,
+my opportunities for the observation of fish life were as great as
+fortunate.
+
+The differences of opinion among anglers, of all men, pertaining to the
+practice of their art, has become axiomatic. Some will differ even to
+the estimation of a hair in the legs of an artificial fly, while it is
+averred others will go so far as to "divide a hair 'twixt south and
+south-west side," as Butler has it. But, seriously, there are several
+moot points which I have endeavored to discuss in the following
+piscatorial polemic.
+
+Two friends went fishing. Both were famous black-bass anglers, with the
+enthusiasm born of a genuine love and an inherent appreciation of the
+gentle art so common among Kentucky gentlemen. One was a fly-fisher,
+the other a bait-fisher. Each was a devotee to his especial mode of
+angling, though generously tolerant of the other's method. They had
+fished together for years when the dogwood and redbud blossomed in the
+spring, and when the autumnal tints clothed the hillsides with scarlet
+and gold.
+
+They differed in their methods of fishing from choice, or from some
+peculiar, personal idiosyncrasy, for each was an adept with both bait
+and fly. But this difference in their piscatorial practices, like the
+diversity of nature, produced perfect harmony instead of discord. Each
+extolled the advantages and sportsmanship of his own method, but always
+in a brotherly and kindly manner; never dictatorial or opinionated in
+argument, or vainglorious and boastful as to his skill, for both were
+possessed of the generous impulses of gentlemen and the kindly
+influences of the gentle art. Moreover, they were innately conscious of
+a common aim, and differed only as to the ways and means of best
+attaining that end, which, while dissimilar, were not inharmonious.
+
+And so the Silver Doctor and the Golden Shiner, as they dubbed each
+other, went trudging along the bank of the merry stream together. The
+Doctor, lightly equipped with only rod, fly-book, and creel, sometimes
+relieved the Shiner by toting his minnow bucket or minnow net. They were
+fishing a rocky, gently flowing river, characteristic of the Blue Grass
+section.
+
+They stopped at a broad, lakelike expansion of the stream, caused by a
+mill-dam, and, in a quiet cove at the entrance of a clear brook. Golden
+Shiner proceeded to fill his minnow bucket with lively minnows, using
+for the purpose an umbrella-like folding net. This he attached to a
+long, stout pole, and, after baiting it with crushed biscuit, lowered it
+into the water. In a short time he had all the bait necessary--chubs,
+shiners, and steelbacks.
+
+"The golden shiner is the best of all," said he, "especially for roily
+or milky water; but the chub and steelback are stronger and livelier on
+the hook, and for very clear water are good enough."
+
+They then proceeded below the mill-dam, where there was a strong riffle,
+with likely-looking pools and eddies.
+
+"The proper way to hook a minnow is through the lips," continued Golden
+Shiner, "especially for casting. One can give a more natural motion to
+the minnow on drawing it through the water. For still-fishing, hooking
+through the tail or under the back fin will answer; but even then I
+prefer my method, unless the minnow is less than two inches in length."
+And he made a long cast toward the eddy of a large boulder.
+
+"For the same reason," acquiesced Silver Doctor, "artificial flies are
+tied with the head next the snell,"--industriously casting to right and
+left over the riffle.
+
+"But some flies are tied with the tail next to the snell," ventured
+Shiner.
+
+"That is true, but it is unnatural. I never saw an insect swim tail
+first up-stream. Nature is the best teacher, and one should endeavor to
+follow her lead." Just then the Doctor snapped off his point fly. Upon
+examination he found that the snell was dry and brittle next to the head
+of the fly, though he had previously soaked it well in a glass of water.
+He discovered that a drop of shellac varnish had encroached beyond the
+head of the fly for perhaps the sixteenth of an inch on the snell. This
+portion, being waterproof, remained dry and brittle--a very common fault
+with cheap flies.
+
+"This fly," said the Doctor, "was given to me for trial by Judge Hackle.
+He tied it himself. The broken end of the snell still shows a portion
+of shellac coating."
+
+"I never thought of that before," remarked Shiner. "No doubt many flies
+are cracked off from the same cause."
+
+"Without a doubt, as you say. I know a lady," continued the Doctor,
+"who, as Walton says, 'has a fine hand,' and who superintends an
+extensive artificial fly establishment--and who has written the best
+book ever published on the subject of artificial flies--who personally
+inspects every fly turned out by her tyers. And, moreover, she varnishes
+the head of every fly herself, in order that not the least particle of
+shellac may touch the snell. Such careful supervision and honest work,
+to quote Walton again, 'like virtue, bring their own reward,'" and the
+Doctor resumed his casting with another fly.
+
+"Well, Doctor, I sympathize with you; but my snells are clear-quill and
+no varnish. I may throw off a minnow once in a while by a very long
+cast, but it is soon replaced, and costs nothing. And, speaking of
+casting, I observed that you made half a dozen casts to reach yonder
+rock but sixty feet away, while I placed my minnow, by a single cast, a
+hundred feet in the other direction. Moreover, I reel my line toward me
+through undisturbed water, while you whipped the entire distance by
+several preliminary casts."
+
+"That is necessarily true," answered the Doctor; "but while you must
+recover all of your line for a new cast, I can cast repeatedly with the
+extreme length of my line in any direction; so I think honors are easy
+on the question of casting."
+
+"But," persisted Shiner, "with my quadruple multiplying reel, it is only
+a matter of a few seconds to prepare for a new cast. Then again. I have
+better control of a hooked fish, and can give and take line much faster
+than you with your single-action click reel."
+
+"While I grant your reel has a great advantage in speed, I hold that a
+single-action click reel is all-sufficient to play and land a hooked
+fish. Your reel is intended particularly to make long initial casts, and
+it is admirably adapted for that especial purpose; but in playing a bass
+it has no advantage over a click reel; in fact, I prefer the latter for
+that purpose. Really, the engine of destruction to the hooked fish is
+the rod. Its constant strain and yielding resistance, even without a
+reel of any kind, will soon place him _hors de combat_."
+
+Golden Shiner was not slow to perceive the force of the Doctor's
+arguments and held his peace. In the meantime both anglers had succeeded
+in killing some half-dozen bass, the largest ones falling to the rod of
+the bait fisher, as is usually the case. The sun was now climbing toward
+the zenith, and the Doctor's flies seemed to have lost their
+attractiveness for the wary bass, while the Shiner, seeking deeper
+water, was still successful in his efforts. The day, however, was
+becoming uncomfortably warm.
+
+"You will admit, Doctor, that you must cast your flies early in the day
+or late in the afternoon to insure much success, while I can fish during
+the middle of the day in deeper water and still have a measure of
+reward, which I consider quite an advantage of bait over fly."
+
+"Granted. Fish rise to the fly only in comparatively shallow water, and
+are found in such situations in bright weather only early and late in
+the day. But I prefer to fish at just those times. I do not care to fish
+during the middle portion of the day in summer." And the Doctor
+proceeded to reel in his final cast.
+
+Just then his friend hooked the largest fish of the morning's outing. It
+was an unusually gamy bass, and leaped several times in rapid
+succession from the water, shaking itself violently each time. But the
+Shiner was equal to "his tricks and his manners," and soon had him in
+the landing-net.
+
+"Doctor, why does a hooked bass break water and shake his head? Is it
+through fear or rage?"
+
+"It is to rid his jaws of the hook. He can neither pick his teeth with a
+fin, nor remove a foreign substance from his mouth with his tail. His
+mouth is his prehensile organ. A horse, cow, dog, or fowl will shake the
+head violently to rid its mouth of an offending object. But a fish,
+having no neck to speak of, can only shake his head by shaking his body,
+and that only in a lateral direction. As a bass cannot shake himself
+energetically enough beneath the water to dislodge the hook, owing to
+the resistance of the denser medium, he naturally leaps into the air for
+that purpose; and he always does so with widely extended jaws, as you
+have seen time and again this morning. He probably also fortifies
+himself at the same time by taking in oxygen from the air. He does so,
+at all events, willy-nilly."
+
+"How high can a black-bass leap from the water, do you think?"
+
+"A foot or two at most, as you well know," replied the Doctor. "In
+rocky streams like this, one has a good gauge for measuring the leap. I
+never saw a bass leap as high as yonder boulder, which is about three
+feet above the water; and as you have taken several fish in its eddy,
+you might have proved it by your own observation, as I did myself."
+
+"I distinctly remember, now," affirmed Shiner, "that my last catch--the
+big fellow--leaped several times very near that same rock, and he did
+not go half as high."
+
+The two friends then repaired to a cool spring beneath a spreading
+beech, to enjoy a luncheon and a quiet pipe,--well satisfied with their
+morning's sport,--and to continue the _argumentum ad hominem_ anent fly
+and bait, with the usual result that;
+
+ "A man convinced against his will.
+ Is of the same opinion still."
+
+
+THE ROCK-BASS
+
+(_Ambloplites rupestris_)
+
+In the same family with the black-bass are a number of other sunfishes
+that will next be considered, merely as a matter of sequence, and not on
+account of their importance as game-fishes.
+
+The rock-bass was first described by the French naturalist, Rafinesque,
+in 1817, while travelling in America. His specimens were from New York
+and Vermont, which he named _rupestris_, "living among rocks." In the
+Northern states it is generally known as the rock-bass, but in Kentucky
+and other states of the Middle West it is called red-eye, goggle-eye,
+etc.
+
+Its original habitat was from Canada and Lake Champlain southward along
+the Mississippi Valley to Louisiana and Texas, but its range has been
+extended to many other states east and west by transplantation.
+
+In its general appearance it resembles somewhat the black-bass, but it
+is a deeper fish and is more compressed. Its dorsal and anal fins are
+comparatively larger and stronger. It has a large eye and a capacious
+mouth well filled with small teeth, some on the roof of the mouth being
+rather sharp.
+
+The color is of various shades of olive-green, with brassy or coppery
+reflection, more or less mottled with black, forming broken and
+indistinct lines along the sides. The iris of the eye is scarlet, hence
+"red-eye"; there is a black spot on the angle of the gill-cover and dark
+mottlings on the soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. It prefers clear
+streams and lakes, and congregates in small schools about rocky
+situations, gravelly bars, about mill-dams, and in the vicinity of weed
+patches in ponds. It spawns in the spring and early summer, making and
+guarding its nest like the black-bass, and feeds on crawfish, small
+minnows, and insect larvæ. In size it usually runs from a half-pound to
+a pound in streams, though reaching two pounds or more in lakes. It is a
+good pan-fish for the table, and is well thought of in the Mississippi
+Valley, though held in lighter esteem in the St. Lawrence basin, where
+it coexists with larger and better fishes.
+
+The rock-bass is an attractive-looking fish, and for its size is very
+pugnacious. It will take the artificial fly, or natural or artificial
+bait. It bites freely at small minnows, grubs, grasshoppers, cut-bait,
+or angle-worms. It is capable of affording considerable sport with light
+tackle, owing to its large and strong fins, and its habit of curling its
+sides in opposition to the strain of the rod.
+
+With a light fly-rod of four or five ounces, and corresponding tackle,
+and trout flies on hooks Nos. 5 to 7, the rock-bass is not a mean
+adversary. It rises to the various hackles, and to such flies as
+coachman, brown drake, gray drake, and stone fly, especially toward
+evening. The flies must be allowed to sink with every cast after
+fluttering them awhile on the surface. For bait-fishing a trout bait-rod
+of the weight just mentioned, with a reel of small caliber and the
+smallest braided silk line, will be about right. Sproat hooks Nos. 3 to
+4 on light gut snells tied with red silk are the best. Live minnows
+about two inches long, carefully hooked through the lips, are to be
+lightly cast and allowed to sink nearly to the bottom and slowly reeled
+in again. Or if a float is used, the minnow may be hooked just under the
+dorsal fin. A small float is necessary when white grubs, crawfish,
+cut-bait, or worms are used as bait. On lakes it is readily taken by
+trolling with a very small spoon, about the size of a nickel, with a
+single Sproat or O'Shaughnessy hook No. 1 attached.
+
+A rod nine or ten feet long cut from the small end of a native cane
+pole, weighing but a few ounces, with a line of sea-grass or raw silk
+about the length of the rod, will answer very well for bait-fishing.
+This is the tackle mostly used by boys in the Middle West, and it might
+be profitably employed by boys of larger growth.
+
+A dozen "red-eyes," gleaming with green and gold, on the string of the
+boy angler, is something to be proud of. He gazes with fond admiration
+on the wide-open crimson eyes, which to him seem more precious than
+rubies. He admires the bristling fins, the gracefully sloping sides, the
+gaping mouth and forked tail, with boyish enthusiasm and appreciation.
+Although hot and tired, and with many a scratch and bruise on hands and
+feet, such trifles are lighter than air, and do not admit of a moment's
+consideration. Seated on a rock at the margin of the stream, with the
+string of fish in the water, he feasts his eyes on the finny beauties
+with the conscious pride of well-earned success and the happy
+culmination of his outing. In imagination the battles are all fought
+over and over again. He knows just where and under what condition and
+circumstance each fish was caught, as, with bare toes, he separates and
+indicates the individual on the string. That largest one was hooked
+under the dam beside the big rock. The next in size was taken among the
+roots of the old sycamore at the bend of the creek. Another and still
+another from the deep hole under the rocky cliff. Oh, the joyous days of
+youth and going a-fishing in the glad springtime of life! And then,
+having laved his swollen feet in the cooling stream, he washes the blood
+and scales from his hands, scrapes the mud and slime from his well-worn
+clothes, shoulders his lance of elm, and starts for home, bearing his
+trophies with as proud a mien as a warrior of old returning with the
+spoils of war.
+
+
+THE SACRAMENTO PERCH
+
+(_Archoplites interruptus_)
+
+The Sacramento perch is closely allied in structure to the rock-bass,
+and is the only perchlike fish in fresh water west of the Rocky
+Mountains. It was collected by the Pacific Railroad Survey and described
+and named _interruptus_ by Girard, in 1854, owing to the interrupted
+character of the vertical markings. It inhabits the Sacramento and
+Joaquin rivers in California, and is much esteemed as a food-fish, but
+unfortunately it is being rapidly exterminated by the carp and catfish
+that are said to infest its spawning grounds. In its conformation it is
+almost identical with the rock-bass, but differs in having more teeth on
+the tongue and more gill-rakers. In coloration, however, it differs very
+much, being sometimes uniformly blackish or brassy, but usually the
+black coloration is disposed in several vertical bars or markings of an
+irregular shape. It has a black spot on the angle of the gill-cover.
+
+I have had no experience in angling for the Sacramento perch, which is
+said to be taken with the hook in large quantities for the market. I
+have no doubt but the tackle recommended for the rock-bass would be just
+as effective for this fish, with similar baits.
+
+
+THE WARMOUTH PERCH
+
+(_Chænobryttus gulosus_)
+
+The warmouth perch, also known as the black sunfish in the North, was
+first described by the French naturalists, Cuvier and Valenciennes, in
+1829, from specimens from Lake Pontchartrain. Louisiana. They named it
+_gulosus_, "large-mouthed," owing to its big mouth. There is a slight
+variation between the Northern and Southern forms. It abounds in all
+coastwise streams from North Carolina to Florida and Texas, and
+sparingly in Lake Michigan and the upper Mississippi Valley. In its
+general shape and appearance it is not unlike the rock-bass, though in
+the radial formula of its fins and in its large mouth it approaches
+nearer the black-bass than any other species of the family. It has a
+large head and deep body, almost as deep as long, and is nearly
+symmetrical in outline. Its teeth are in brushlike bands on the jaws,
+with patches on the tongue. The Southern form has one or two less soft
+rays in the dorsal and anal fins.
+
+It is dark olive on the back, lighter on the sides, with blotches of
+blue and coppery red, and the belly brassy or yellowish. Iris red,
+ear-flap black, bordered with pale red, with three dusky red bars
+radiating from the eye across the cheeks. Fins mottled with a darker
+color, and a black blotch on the last rays of the soft portion of the
+dorsal fin.
+
+It is not so gregarious as the rock-bass, but otherwise is similar in
+its habits, though not so partial to rocky situations, rather loving
+deep pools and quiet water. It feeds on minnows, tadpoles, frogs,
+insects, and their larvæ. It spawns in the spring. It is a good
+pan-fish, and grows to eight or ten inches in length and a weight of
+nearly a pound. For its size, it is the gamest member of the family
+except the black-bass, and is more like that fish than the others. It is
+a favorite game-fish in the South, rising well to the fly, and is a free
+biter at natural bait.
+
+In angling for the warmouth, the same rods and tackle mentioned under
+the head of rock-bass are well suited. In the Southern states a light
+native cane rod, ten or twelve feet long, and a line of the smallest
+caliber, sea-grass or twisted silk, is the favorite style of tackle,
+with hooks Nos. 2 to 3 tied on light gut, and a quill float and
+split-shot sinker. The usual bait is the black cricket, or the catalpa
+worm or caterpillar. The white grub found in decayed stumps, and other
+larvæ, crawfish and small minnows, are all useful. Of these the minnow
+is the best. On streams a small float is necessary to keep the bait from
+the roots of overhanging trees. In the stillness of Southern streams,
+under the moss-draped trees, I have idled away many a dreamy hour in the
+pleasure of fishing for the warmouth, but at the same time fully alive
+to the weird surroundings. Occasionally the splashing of a hooked fish
+on the surface entices an alligator from his lair in expectation of a
+fishy morsel. The echoes are awakened time and again by the pumping of
+the bittern, the hoarse cry of the crane, or the hooting of an owl in
+the dark recesses of the cypress swamp. The solitudes of those waters
+are very fascinating to the lone fisher. The novelty of the situation
+appeals very strongly to the angler-naturalist whose experiences have
+been on the clear, sparkling, tumbling streams of the North. There
+Nature is ever bright and joyous; here she is quiet and sombre and
+subdued. But the fishes know no north or south or east or west,--always
+the same creatures of interest and beauty, and ever responding to the
+wiles of the angler.
+
+I was once fishing on St. Francis River, in Arkansas, where the
+warmouths were both large and gamy. One day I went through the woods and
+cane-brakes to the banks of Mud Lake, situated in the midst of a cypress
+swamp. The lake was much smaller than it had been formerly, as was
+apparent from the wide margins of the shores, which were of considerable
+extent between the timber and the water. On this margin was a group of
+four cypress trees that in size exceeded any that I had ever seen, and I
+think worthy of mention. They were from twenty to twenty-five feet in
+diameter, or sixty to sixty-five feet in circumference, three feet above
+the ground. They were buttressed like the wall of a mediæval stronghold.
+In comparing notes with many naturalists and travellers, they have
+declared the size of those cypress trees to be both unique and
+wonderful.
+
+
+THE BLUE SUNFISH
+
+(_Lepomis pallidus_)
+
+The blue sunfish was first described by Dr. Mitchill from the waters of
+New York in 1815. He named it _pallidus_, meaning "pale," as it was more
+sober in hue than the other brilliantly colored sunfishes. It is the
+largest of the sunfishes, so-called, as the black-bass, warmouth, and
+crappies are not popularly regarded as "sunfishes."
+
+The blue sunfish has a wider distribution than any other member of its
+family except the black-bass. Its range extends from the Great Lakes
+through the Mississippi Valley to Texas, and along the South Atlantic
+states to Florida. In the Middle West it is known as blue gill and in
+the South as blue bream and copper-nosed bream. It has a medium-sized
+head and very deep body, its depth varying from one-half its length to
+almost as deep as long, in which case, barring head and tail, it is
+almost round in outline. It is much compressed. The ear-flap is quite
+black, without the pale or red border usual in the other sunfishes.
+
+[Illustration THE SMALL-MOUTH BLACK-BASS _Micropterus dolomieu_]
+
+[Illustration THE LARGE-MOUTH BLACK-BASS _Micropterus salmoides_]
+
+[Illustration THE ROCK-BASS _Ambloplites rupestris_]
+
+As might be inferred from its extensive range, its coloration varies
+greatly. In large and old examples it is sometimes of a uniform slaty
+hue with purplish reflections. In others it is olive-green or bluish
+green, darker above, with the breast and belly coppery red. Young
+specimens are more brilliantly colored, with silvery reflections and
+various chainlike markings. It thrives alike in stream, pond, or lake,
+adapting itself to almost any environment. It feeds on insects and their
+larvæ, very small minnows, and other small aquatic organisms. It spawns
+in the spring and early summer, and its manner of nesting and guarding
+its young is similar to that of the other members of the family. It
+grows to six or eight inches in length usually, but often to a foot,
+especially in large waters. It is quite a favorite game-fish in most
+localities, and with such tackle as recommended for the rock-bass it
+gives considerable sport, especially in localities that are lacking in
+larger and better game-fishes. It rises well to the fly, and will take
+any of the baits recommended for the other sunfishes.
+
+In those states of the Middle West, where the brook-trout does not
+exist, the "blue gill" is greatly esteemed and much sought after, as it
+furnishes the opportunity to employ light trout tackle in its capture,
+and with such gear it affords fine sport. I have taken the blue sunfish
+in all waters from Wisconsin to Florida. In the latter state many years
+ago I fished a fresh-water lake on Point Pinellas, near St. Petersburg,
+Florida, though there were but two houses there at that time. I was
+using a very light rod, and the fish were as large and round as a
+breakfast plate, and moreover the gamest and most beautiful in
+coloration of any blue gill I had ever met. The characteristic blue was
+replaced by a deep, intense, and brilliant purple, shot with silvery and
+golden reflections. While playing one on the surface, an osprey sat on a
+dead pine watching with apparent concern and eagerness. The fish made a
+stubborn resistance, with much splashing. Then a strange thing happened.
+The fish-hawk swooped down and seized the fish and attempted to fly away
+with it. Perhaps the hook became fast to his claw, but at any rate he
+circled around and around the pond, tethered to my line. It was the
+first, last, and only time that I did the aerial act of playing a bird
+on the wing. After a few seconds of this exciting and novel sport the
+osprey broke away, carrying both fish and hook.
+
+
+THE LONG-EARED SUNFISH
+
+(_Lepomis megalotis_)
+
+This species was first described by Rafinesque in 1820 from streams in
+Kentucky. He named it _megalotis_, meaning "large ear," owing to its
+large and conspicuous ear-flap. It is one of the handsomest sunfishes in
+its brilliant coloration, and a great favorite with the youthful
+Waltonians of the Mississippi Valley. It inhabits small streams in
+Michigan and the Mississippi Valley, and the Atlantic slope from South
+Carolina to Florida and Mexico, and is very abundant in Kentucky, where
+it is sometimes called "tobacco-box," owing to its "lid-like" opercle.
+
+Its body is short and deep, with quite a hump or arch anteriorly, making
+the profile of the face quite steep in old specimens. The ear-flap is
+very long and wide, blackish in color, with a border usually of pale
+bluish or a reddish hue; its back is blue, with chestnut or orange
+belly; sides with red spots and bluish lines; iris of eye red; lips
+blue. The soft rays of the dorsal fin are blue, with orange between.
+Ventral and anal fins are dusky blue. The top of the head and nape is
+dark. The coloration is very brilliant and varies in different
+localities. Its habits of feeding and spawning are similar to those of
+the blue sunfish, though it usually inhabits smaller streams; it grows
+to a length of from six to eight inches, and is regarded as a good
+pan-fish by many.
+
+It is an eager biter at angle-worms, which is the bait _par excellence_
+of juvenile anglers, who greatly enjoy fishing for "sunnies." The only
+tackle needed is a light cane rod, very fine line, and small hooks, Nos.
+6 or 8, split-shot sinker, and, of course, a float, for no boy would
+care to fish without a "bob" or "cork." Half of the pleasure of the
+young angler is in watching the float.
+
+But the fly-fisher may also obtain sport to his liking with a rod of a
+few ounces' weight and midge flies on No. 10 hooks, for at the close of
+the day the long-eared sunfish rises well. In the absence of better
+fishing this is not to be despised.
+
+I once saw a boy fishing for "tobacco-boxes" from a rock beneath a
+mill-dam on a Kentucky stream. He hooked one of good size, and in his
+eagerness to secure it tumbled into the pool, which was quite deep, much
+over his head. After some little delay we got him out, almost drowned,
+and in a very limp and exhausted condition. When finally he was restored
+and capable of speech he exclaimed, "I saved my tobacco-box, anyhow!"
+During all the struggle he held on to his rod, and still clutched it
+when "landed." Whether he did so from the desperation with which
+drowning men are said to cling to straws, or from an inherent sporting
+instinct, deponent sayeth not. A clergyman, who knew nothing of fish,
+but who was attracted to the scene, said to the dripping boy, "My lad,
+let this be a solemn warning to you: throw away the tobacco-box you have
+saved and give up chewing; it may drown you yet."
+
+
+THE RED-BREAST SUNFISH
+
+(_Lepomis auritus_)
+
+This handsome sunfish was the first of its family to receive the
+recognition of a naturalist, being described by Linnæus in 1758. He
+named it _auritus_, or "eared," from its conspicuous ear-flap. His
+specimen was credited to Philadelphia, and was, presumably, from some
+neighboring water. It is a fish of the Atlantic slope, with a range
+extending from Maine to Florida, and is also found in Louisiana. It is
+very abundant in the South Atlantic states.
+
+Its form is similar to the long-eared sunfish, but with a more prominent
+snout and a depression in front of the eye. Its ear-flap is as long but
+not so broad; its color olive or bluish above; sides bluish with reddish
+spots; breast and belly orange or red; blue stripes on the front of the
+head. The southern form has a dusky blotch on the last rays of the
+dorsal fin, which is lacking in those of northern waters.
+
+Its habits are similar to those of the other sunfishes proper, as to
+food, spawning, etc. It grows to a length of from eight to ten inches.
+It is a favorite food and game-fish in the South, where it is known as
+red-breast bream and red-bellied perch. The same remarks as to angling
+mentioned under the head of warmouth perch will apply to this fish as
+well.
+
+My angling career really began with the capture of "silversides" with a
+paste of bread crumbs, but was inaugurated with taking this "sunny" and
+the "punkin-seed" on the artificial fly. An old English gamekeeper, in
+the employ of our family as gardener and hostler, taught me to tie a
+fly and cast it with a willow wand when but five years of age. At the
+feet of that Gamaliel in corduroy I imbibed a love of angling that has
+constantly grown with the lapse of years. But increased knowledge of
+fishes and a wider experience in angling have not lessened my affection
+for my first love--the "sunny." This acknowledgment is due one of the
+humblest and least important, but also one of the prettiest species of
+the finny tribe.
+
+
+THE COMMON SUNFISH
+
+(_Eupomotis gibbosus_)
+
+This is the pumpkin-seed or "sunny" of fragrant memory. It is enshrined
+in the heart of many an American angler as his first love, when with pin
+hook, thread line, and willow wand he essayed its capture in the nearest
+brook or mill-pond.
+
+Looking backward over an angling career of half a century, the gamesome
+"sunny" with its coat of many colors shines out as a bright particular
+star among those of greater magnitude. It is here set down, then, mainly
+as a matter of sentiment and to keep its memory green.
+
+The little "sunny" was christened by the greatest naturalist that ever
+lived, Linnæus, who in 1758 named it "_gibbosus_" owing to the gibbous
+outline of its little body. His specimens were from South Carolina.
+
+It inhabits the Great Lake region, and the Atlantic seaboard from Maine
+to Florida, and the northern portion of the Mississippi Valley. In
+outline it is not unlike a pumpkin-seed, hence one of its popular names.
+This is well expressed in its specific name _gibbosus_. It has quite a
+small mouth, but large eye. In coloration it rivals the gayly-tinted
+fishes of the coral reefs in tropical seas. The predominating colors are
+yellow and blue, being bluish on the back, paling on the sides to a
+lighter shade, with yellow blotches and coppery reflections, and belly
+bright orange-yellow; the cheeks are yellow with blue streaks; rays of
+dorsal fin blue, the connecting membrane yellow; ear-flap black, ending
+in a scarlet border; lips blue; iris of eye scarlet.
+
+Its habits of spawning, nest-making, and care of eggs and fry are
+similar to those of the other sunfishes mentioned. It is partial to
+clear water, with sandy or gravelly bottom, in the vicinity of weed
+patches. It feeds on insects and their larvæ and minute crustaceans,
+and is especially fond of the eggs and fry of other species. It grows to
+a size of eight inches, though usually from three to six inches.
+
+Like all the sunfishes, it is an eager biter, and with very light tackle
+much real pleasure can be enjoyed by the angler who is not too
+particular as to his preferences. It rises readily to small dark flies,
+as the several hackles, black gnat, etc., on hooks Nos. 10 to 12. For
+bait-fishing nothing is quite so good as earthworms on hooks Nos. 8 to
+10.
+
+There are quite a number of other sunfishes belonging to this family,
+but those named are the most important. In the Southern states, where
+the sunfishes are known generically as "bream" or "brim" and "perch,"
+they are more appreciated than in the Northern states, where the
+brook-trout is the favorite among the smaller species. If fished for
+with very light and suitable tackle, there is a great measure of
+enjoyment to be derived from bream-fishing, north or south. Certainly
+for beauty of coloration they are not excelled, and as pan-fish they are
+preferred by many to the dainty brook-trout.
+
+There is a certain fascination in fishing with a float, or "cork," or
+"bob," as the boys have it. And among us "old boys" there is a certain
+undefined feeling, it may be a reminiscent affection, connected with the
+float, much the same as that with which we regard the powder-flask and
+shot-pouch of the days of yore. And I am not sure but that the old
+things and old ways were best, or at least more enjoyable. One can
+heartily agree with Alonzo of Aragon in his preferences for old wood to
+burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.
+
+What old angler does not remember the eagerness and expectancy with
+which he watched the "cork" in days gone by? How well he knew and
+understood every motion of it, responsive to the nibbling "sunny": first
+a gentle spinning, then a preliminary bobble, then a premonitory start
+away an inch or two, and then--O joy!--its swift and sudden
+disappearance beneath the surface. The lapse of time cannot wither nor
+modern custom stale the pleasures of youthful fishing. To be sure, it
+was not all piscatorial cakes and ale; there were a few thorns with the
+roses; there were the bruised fingers and toes, the wet and torn
+clothes, and the impending and dreaded "dressing down" when home was
+reached; but these disagreeable concomitants were soon forgotten, and
+are now scarcely remembered, while the pleasures are laid up in the
+lavender of sweet recollection.
+
+The old-time zest of fishing with a float can still be gratified; we can
+renew our youth by fishing for "sunnies" in the old-fashioned way. In
+the wooded streams of the Southern states the float is a _sine qua non_
+for bream-fishing, owing to the many tangled roots of trees on the
+banks, and the mosses, grasses, and other aquatic plants that grow so
+luxuriantly in the sluggish waters. Then here's to the float and the
+sunny and the bream!
+
+
+THE CALICO-BASS
+
+(_Pomoxis sparoides_)
+
+The calico-bass was first described by Lacépéde from specimens sent to
+France from South Carolina. He named it _sparoides_ from a fancied
+resemblance, either in its scales or compressed body, to those features
+in fishes belonging to the family _Sparidæ_.
+
+Owing to its wide distribution it has received many names, more or less
+descriptive. In the Northern states it is variously called crappie,
+croppie, strawberry-bass, grass-bass, bank lick bass, silver-bass,
+big-fin bass, Lake Erie bass, razor back, bitter-head, lamplighter,
+etc., while in the Southern states it is known as speckled perch,
+goggle-eyed perch, chincapin perch, bridge perch, etc.
+
+As the calico-bass and the next fish to be described, the crappie,
+belong to the same genus of the sunfish family, and resemble each other
+very much, the vernacular nomenclature is much confused, and in some
+instances is interchangeable. Some years ago I proposed to call them
+northern and southern crappie; but as the name calico-bass has obtained
+considerable currency, it is best to adopt that name for the northern
+species, leaving the name crappie for the southern form.
+
+The calico-bass is found in the Great Lake region and the upper
+Mississippi Valley, and along the Atlantic slope from New Jersey to
+Florida and Texas. Its range has been considerably extended by
+transplantation, even to France, where it thrives well as a pond fish.
+It is a handsome fish, resembling in its general features and shape the
+sunfishes, but with a thinner body and larger fins. It has a long head
+and a large mouth, with thin lips and projecting lower jaw. The eye is
+large with a dark, bluish iris. Its fins are large and strong. It grows
+usually to eight or ten inches in length, weighing from half a pound to
+a pound, but occasionally reaches a foot in length and two or three
+pounds in weight. Its color is bright olive-green, with silvery
+reflections, darker on the back, and paling to the belly. In some
+localities it is of a much darker and purplish hue with brassy lustre.
+It is profusely covered with dark spots or blotches, as large as the
+finger-tips or "chincapins." The fins are mottled with pale spots on a
+darker or olive ground. It is gregarious, being usually found in
+schools, and prefers clear water. It is especially adapted to pond
+culture, and spawns in spring or early summer, according to locality; it
+prepares its nest in sand, gravel, or on a flat rock in the same way as
+the sunfishes. Its food is the same, also, though it is more partial to
+young fish. It is an excellent pan-fish but does not excel as a
+game-fish, for though a very free biter, it does not offer much
+resistance when hooked. However, with very light tackle it affords
+considerable sport, as it does not cease biting, usually, until most of
+the school are taken.
+
+The usual method of angling for this fish is from an anchored boat on
+ponds or small lakes, or from the bank. At times it rises pretty well to
+the fly, and trolling with a very small spoon is also successful on
+lakes. The lightest rods and tackle should be employed, with hooks Nos.
+3 to 5 on gut snells. A small quill float is useful in very weedy ponds
+with mossy bottom. The best bait is a small minnow, though grasshoppers,
+crickets, crawfish, cut-bait, or worms are all greedily taken.
+Fly-fishing is more successful during the late afternoon hours until
+dusk. The flies should be trout patterns of coachman, gray drake, black
+gnat, Henshall, or any of the hackles on hooks Nos. 4 to 5.
+
+I first became acquainted with the calico-bass during my residence in
+Wisconsin, many years ago. In the vicinity of Oconomowoc it was known as
+the silver-bass, though summer visitors from St. Louis, confusing it
+with the kindred species, the crappie, called it "croppie," as the real
+crappie is known at Murdoch Lake near that city. Owing to its greedy,
+free-biting habits it was a prime favorite with youthful anglers and the
+fair sex; for once a school was located, the contest was free, fast, and
+furious until, perhaps, the entire school was captured. It was
+frequently taken by black-bass fishers when casting the minnow or
+trolling, much to their disgust. Of course it is always the unexpected
+that happens, in fishing as in other affairs of life, and the angler who
+was casting a fine minnow for a black-bass, viewed with disdain if not
+anger the unlucky "pickerel," rock-bass, perch, or calico bass that
+appropriated--or, as the English angler has it, "hypothecated"--the said
+choice shiner.
+
+I was once fishing with General Phil Sheridan and General Anson Stager
+for black-bass on a lake near Oconomowoc. When the great telegrapher,
+after a beautiful cast near a bed of rushes, hooked a calico-bass, and
+was anathematizing the "measly silver-bass" with all the dots and dashes
+of the Morse alphabet, Sheridan quietly remarked, "Oh, let up, Stager,
+it is one of the fortunes of war; better luck next time!" Stager smiled,
+gently unhooked the offending fish, and returned it to the water,
+saying, "Good-by, croppie, my regards to the rest of the family; but
+don't monkey with my minnow again."
+
+When cruising on the St. Johns, or camping on some of the fresh-water
+lakes of Florida, I have greatly enjoyed both the fishing with light
+tackle and the eating of this fine pan-fish. It is there known as the
+perch, silver perch, or speckled perch. It may not be out of place to
+say that the generic term "bass" is connected only with salt-water
+fishes in the Southern states. Fishes that are known in the Northern
+states as bass of some kind become, generically, "perch" in the South;
+and the black-bass becomes a "trout" or jumping-perch. If bait-fishing,
+one is never at a loss for bait on the lakes of Florida. The black-bass
+and calico-bass lie in open water, adjacent to the patches of lily-pads
+or bonnets. Among the latter frequent the minnows and small fry. To
+catch your minnow the bait is also handy. In the stems of the lilies and
+bonnets there lies concealed a small worm, which is readily seen by
+splitting the stems. With the worm first catch your minnow, which is
+transferred to your bass hook, which is next cast into clear, deeper
+water, to be taken by a black-bass or "speckled perch." What a simple
+and admirable arrangement for the lazy fisherman!
+
+My old friend, Dr. Theodatus Garlick, who with Dr. H.A. Ackley were the
+fathers of fish-culture in America, having succeeded in hatching
+brook-trout as early as 1853, relates the following instance of the
+remarkable tenacity of life in the calico-bass: "A specimen from which
+a drawing was made, was wrapped in a piece of paper when taken from the
+water, and carried in my coat pocket for over four hours, and when
+placed in a bucket of water soon revived, and seems at the present time
+to enjoy excellent health. In warm weather, however, it would not, in
+all probability, survive so severe a test of its vital powers." I
+imagine that this circumstance happened in winter, and that the fish
+became frozen before or after being placed in his pocket; otherwise I
+doubt if the fish could have survived so long, unless the piece of paper
+was very large and very wet. I know of many instances occurring with
+myself and others where freshly caught fish have been revived after
+being frozen for several hours.
+
+
+THE CRAPPIE
+
+(_Pomoxis annularis_)
+
+The crappie was first described by Rafinesque in 1818 from specimens
+collected at the Falls of the Ohio, near Louisville, Kentucky. He named
+it _annularis_, "having rings," as it was said to have "a golden ring at
+the base of the tail," but I have never seen it; it does have a gold
+ring, however, around the iris of the eye, and this was probably the
+occasion of the name.
+
+Like the calico-bass, the crappie has received a great many local names.
+In the northern region of its range it is variously known as white
+croppie, crappie, barfish, bachelor, etc., and in Kentucky as newlight,
+Campbellite, and tin-mouth, while farther south it is called silver
+perch, speckled perch, goggle-eye, sac-à-lait, shad, etc. It inhabits
+the Ohio and Mississippi river basins from Kansas to Louisiana and
+Texas, and is more abundant in Kentucky and other Southern states than
+farther north. Its range, however, has been extended by transplantation
+to many states. In general features it resembles the calico-bass very
+much, though to the trained eye the differences are very apparent. It is
+not quite so deep nor so robust as the calico-bass. The mouth is
+somewhat larger, and the snout more prominent or projecting on account
+of a depression or indentation in front of the eye. The eye is a little
+larger, and the membrane of the jaws is quite thin and transparent,
+hence one of its names,--"tin-mouth." The crappie has but six spines in
+the dorsal fin, whereas the calico-bass has seven, whereby they may be
+readily distinguished.
+
+It grows to about the same size and weight as the calico-bass, ten or
+twelve inches, though under favorable conditions it grows larger,
+reaching a weight of three pounds. I have frequently taken it as heavy,
+or a little heavier, in Kentucky, where many ponds and streams seem
+peculiarly fitted for it. In coloration it is much paler than the
+calico-bass, and the markings are not so dark or in such large spots or
+blotches. It is silvery olive-green, much mottled with a darker shade of
+same color, especially on the back, the lower sides and belly being more
+silvery and seemingly translucent. The dorsal and caudal fins are much
+mottled with shades of green, though the anal fin is almost plain. The
+iris of the eye is dark, with a silvery or golden border.
+
+It is found in clear streams and likewise in still, weedy ponds and
+bayous, or in all situations adapted to the large-mouth black-bass, with
+which fish it is nearly always associated. It is admirably suited for
+pond culture. It is quite gregarious and loves to congregate about the
+submerged top of a fallen tree or sunken brush, and about mill-dams. It
+feeds on all small aquatic organisms and insects and their larvæ, and
+the fry of other fishes, tadpoles, etc.
+
+While a very free-biting fish, its game qualities, when hooked, are not
+remarkable. It is pulled out with scarcely a struggle. It is rather a
+shy fish, withal, and must be fished for cautiously, and with little
+noise or confusion. When these precautions are observed, and with very
+small minnows for bait, nearly the entire school can be captured in a
+short time. It is an excellent pan-fish, and on this account is a prime
+favorite.
+
+For still-fishing, a light rod of a few ounces in weight, and a line of
+the smallest caliber, size H, should be used. Hooks for bait-fishing
+should be about No. 3, as the crappie has a large mouth; they should be
+tied on gut snells. A quill float is useful in weedy places, or about
+brush and logs. The best bait is a very small minnow, hooked under the
+dorsal fin, care being taken not to injure the spinal cord. Soft
+crawfish, cut-bait, or earthworms may be substituted where minnows are
+scarce. A reel is not necessary for bait-fishing, but a short leader
+should always be used, and where required a split-shot sinker is heavy
+enough.
+
+For fly-fishing, the lightest trout fly-rod and the smallest click reel
+should be employed, with a braided, enamelled silk line of the smallest
+caliber, and dark or grayish flies of small size, on hooks No. 4, on gut
+snells, with a fine leader. The most useful flies are gray, red, and
+black hackles, black gnat, blue dun, gray and brown drake, and stone
+fly; but far the best fly that I have ever used is the Henshall of a
+small size. It has a body of green peacock harl, hackle of white hairs
+from a deer's tail, gray wings, and tail of a fibre or two from the tail
+feather of a peacock; they will rise to this fly when no other will
+tempt them to the surface. Toward sunset, with the tackle named, on a
+breezy summer day, the angler will be amply rewarded, for under these
+conditions fly-fishing for the crappie is a sport not to be despised.
+
+It has been alleged that the name "Campbellite," by which the crappie is
+sometimes known in Kentucky, was bestowed because the fish first
+appeared in Kentucky streams about the same time that the religious sect
+founded by Alexander Campbell became established in that state. This may
+have been the origin of the name, but I am inclined to doubt it from the
+fact that the crappie has probably always inhabited Kentucky streams,
+inasmuch as it was first described by Rafinesque in 1820 from Kentucky
+waters. He gave gold ring and silver perch as the common names then in
+vogue for it at Louisville. I think it more likely the name originated
+in this wise: among the many names given to this fish is "newlight,"
+probably owing to its bright and apparently translucent appearance; and
+as this name was also bestowed by some on the religious sect referred
+to, the names newlight and Campbellite became interchangeable for both
+fish and sect. It is, however, seldom called Campbellite, while newlight
+is the most universal name for it in central Kentucky.
+
+The name crappie, or croppie, has an unknown derivation; perhaps it
+comes from the French _crêpe_, a "pan-cake," from its shape or
+deliciousness when fried, for it was always a great favorite with the
+French of St. Louis and the creoles of Louisiana. In the latter state it
+is also known as _sac-à-lait_, "bag for milk" (?).
+
+Great numbers of crappies are annually seined from the shallow bayous
+and sloughs bordering the Illinois and Mississippi rivers by the United
+States Fish Commission, and planted in suitable waters. If allowed to
+remain in the sloughs, which dry up in the summer and fall, they would
+eventually perish.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+THE BASS FAMILY
+
+(_Serranidæ_)
+
+The bass family is composed mostly of marine fishes, nearly all of which
+are good game and food-fishes. These will be described among the fishes
+of the East Coast and Florida in subsequent pages. It is the most
+typical group among the percoid (perchlike) fishes. Only two species of
+the family inhabit fresh water,--the white-bass and the yellow-bass.
+
+The fishes of this family are characterized by an oblong body, large
+mouth, brushlike or bristlelike teeth, sometimes with canines; one or
+two dorsal fins, the first always composed of spiny rays; the anal fin,
+always with three spines; scales adherent and rough (ctenoid);
+preopercle usually serrate; opercle with flat points or spines; cheeks
+and opercles always scaly; premaxillary protractile; dorsal and ventral
+outlines do not always correspond; caudal fin not deeply forked; its
+peduncle stout.
+
+
+THE WHITE-BASS
+
+(_Roccus chrysops_)
+
+ _Roccus chrysops._ The White-bass. Body oblong, deep, and
+ compressed; head 3-1/2; depth 2-1\2; eye 5; D. IX-I, 14; A.
+ III, 12; scales 10-60-15; mouth moderate, maxillary reaching
+ middle of pupil; a patch of teeth at base of tongue, and a
+ patch on each side; preopercle serrate; subopercle with a deep
+ notch; lower jaw somewhat projecting; dorsal fins separate;
+ gill-rakers long and slender, _x_ + 14.
+
+ _Morone interrupta._ The Yellow-bass. Body oblong, ovate, the
+ back arched; head 3; depth 2-2/3; eye 4-1/2; D. IX-I, 12; A.
+ III, 9; scales 7-50-11; dorsal fins slightly joined; jaws
+ subequal; no teeth on base of tongue; gill-rakers moderate, _x_
+ + 13 to 16; preorbital and suprascapula serrate.
+
+The white-bass was first described by Rafinesque in 1820 from the falls
+of the Ohio River, near Louisville, Kentucky. He named it _chrysops_, or
+"gold eye," owing to the golden hue of the iris. It is known also as
+white lake-bass and fresh-water striped-bass. It is abundant in Lake
+Erie, Lake Michigan, and upper Mississippi River, especially in Lake
+Pepin, and in Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin. It was formerly not uncommon in
+the Ohio River, but is now rare. Its body is compressed and rather deep,
+with the back arched; its head is rather small, but the mouth is large,
+with the lower jaw protruding; the eye is large; teeth brushlike,
+without canines. The color is silvery white, greenish above, golden
+below, with six or more narrow dusky lines along the body, most
+conspicuous above the lateral line; those below broken, or not
+continuous. The white-bass is found in water of moderate depth,
+preferring those that are clear and cool, as it does not resort to weedy
+situations. It is essentially a lake fish, except in spring, when it
+undergoes a semi-migration, entering the tributaries of lakes in large
+schools. It spawns usually in May. It feeds on small fishes, crawfish,
+insects, and their larvæ, etc. Its usual size is a pound or a little
+less, but occasionally it grows to three pounds. It is a food-fish of
+much excellence, its flesh firm, white, flaky, and of good flavor.
+
+It is one of the best fresh-water game-fishes, being a bold biter, and
+on light and suitable tackle affords much sport to the appreciative
+angler. For fly-fishing, the best season is during the spring, when it
+enters the tributary streams of lakes. At this time the fly-fisher will
+be successful at any hour of the day. He may fish from the bank or from
+an anchored boat, the latter plan being the best. As the fish are
+swimming in schools, either headed up or down stream, no particular
+place need be selected, though off the points at the edge of the
+channel, or in the narrowest portions of the streams, are perhaps the
+best. In the summer and fall the fish are in the lakes or deeper water,
+when the fishing will be more successful during the late afternoon hours
+until sundown, and the angler may be guided by the conditions followed
+in black-bass fly-fishing, as mentioned in a previous chapter.
+
+A trout fly-rod of six or seven ounces, with the usual trout click reel
+and corresponding tackle, will subserve a good purpose. When the fish
+are running in the streams the most useful flies are gray drake, green
+drake, stone fly, brown hackle, gray hackle, Henshall, and Montreal, of
+the usual trout patterns, on hooks Nos. 5 to 7.
+
+For bait-fishing, a light black-bass or trout rod, with multiplying
+reel, braided silk line of the smallest caliber, a leader of small gut
+three feet long, and hooks Nos. 3 or 4 tied on gut snells, will answer
+well. The best and in fact the only bait that can be successfully used
+is a small minnow, hooked through the lips. The fishing is done from an
+anchored boat on lakes or the deep pools of streams, either by casting
+or still-fishing.
+
+No fish will rise to the artificial fly except in comparatively shallow
+water, or when near the surface, and this is especially true of the
+white-bass when it resorts to the depths after the spring run is over. I
+remember a striking instance of this that once occurred in Wisconsin. I
+was fishing for black-bass in the Neenah channel of Lake Winnebago
+during the May-fly season, when the black-bass were taking the
+artificial fly right along, being near the surface feeding on the
+natural flies, though the water was quite deep, with a rocky bottom. A
+party of bait-fishers anchored near my boat, and began fishing with
+heavy sinkers, as the water was very swift, and with small minnows for
+bait. The white-bass were not slow in taking the proffered minnows, and
+they caught a goodly number, but not a single black-bass; nor did I take
+a single white-bass during several hours of fishing, for they were lying
+among the rocks at the bottom.
+
+In the rocky coves about the Bass Islands of Put-in-Bay, on Lake Erie, I
+have had really good sport, in the summer months, bait-fishing for
+white-bass, with light tackle, the fish running about two pounds; but
+with the fly my success was generally _nil_, as they were in deep
+water, and nothing but minnows would attract them. But in the upper
+Mississippi, notably on Lake Pepin, the case was different. About the
+rocky points of that beautiful lake, and in the clear water of the river
+below, I have enjoyed royal sport fly-fishing for white-bass. This was
+years ago. Afterward I made a trip in a steam yacht from Cincinnati to
+St. Paul, traversing the Mississippi from Cairo to the head of
+navigation, and also going up the St. Croix River to Taylor's Falls. On
+this trip the white-bass fishing was not so good as in former years,
+though the black-bass seemed to have held their own pretty well. I might
+remark, in passing, that the upper Mississippi is one of the most
+beautiful and scenic rivers in the world, and is unsurpassed for
+black-bass fly-fishing. At one time the islands of that river furnished
+superb woodcock shooting in summer, which could be varied with fine
+fishing.
+
+
+THE YELLOW-BASS
+
+(_Morone interrupta_)
+
+The yellow-bass was first described by Dr. Theodore Gill in 1860. His
+type specimens were from the lower Mississippi River in the vicinity of
+St. Louis and New Orleans. He named it _interrupta_, in allusion to the
+broken or "interrupted" lines along its sides. It is also known as
+brassy-bass. It belongs to the same genus as the white-perch of the East
+Coast. It is found only in the lower Mississippi River and its
+tributaries, sometimes extending its range a short distance up the Ohio
+River.
+
+The yellow-bass might be called a cousin of the white-bass, though it
+belongs to a different genus. It takes the place of that fish in the
+lower Mississippi Valley. Compared with the white-bass it has a somewhat
+longer head, with a body not quite so deep; otherwise the general shape
+is much the same. The mouth is a little larger, though the snout does
+not project quite so much, and the profile of the head is straighter,
+and it has a larger eye. The posterior border of the cheek-bone is
+finely serrated.
+
+The general color is brassy or yellowish, darker on the back and lighter
+on the belly. There are about half a dozen very distinct and black
+longitudinal lines along the sides, the lower ones broken or
+"interrupted," the posterior portions dropping below the anterior, like
+a "fault" in a stratum of rocks.
+
+It is fond of the deeper pools in the rivers and clear-water bayous,
+and the foot of rapids and riffles. It is partial to the same character
+of food as the white-bass, small minnows constituting the greater part.
+It likewise spawns in the spring, and grows to a pound or two in weight,
+sometimes reaching three pounds. It is an excellent food-fish.
+
+I have had good sport with the yellow-bass on St. Francis River in
+Arkansas, and at the head of the Yazoo Pass, in Mississippi, with the
+same tackle and by similar methods as recommended for the white-bass on
+a prior page. As with the two black-basses and the two crappies, the
+white-bass and yellow-bass having similar habits and kindred tastes, the
+same tackle and the same modes of angling are as well suited for one as
+for the other. This will apply to both fly-fishing and bait-fishing.
+
+I was once, one autumn, with a party on a river steam yacht on the lower
+Mississippi when geese, ducks, deer, and turkeys were more plentiful
+than they are now. Up the St. Francis River, in the "sunk lands" of
+Arkansas, the yacht was moored at Cow Bayou, near a steep clay bluff, on
+the top of which was a dilapidated tent occupied by a young man and his
+wife, who were building a shanty boat in which to float down to sunnier
+climes for the winter, as the man was "nigh gone" with consumption. One
+morning I was out early fishing for yellow-bass after a rainy night. As
+I was landing a fish I saw the woman at the top of the bluff, looking
+for a way down to the yacht. She was quite a fresh and comely-looking
+woman, too. She started down very carefully, for the wet clay was quite
+slippery. I became interested to see how she would succeed. Suddenly her
+bare feet slipped from under her, and she came down with a rush, her one
+garment, as I soon discovered, an old calico gown, slipping back over
+her head, disclosing her nude form, which appeared very white in
+contrast to the red clay. Then I looked the other way just as she
+flopped over from a prone to a supine position. When she reached the
+river side she looked like a sculptor's model in clay. She quietly
+adjusted her gown as if nothing unusual had occurred, and asked: "Has
+you-uns got any matches? We-uns' matches all got wet in the drizzle last
+night, and I want to cook my old man's breakfus." I pulled ashore and
+handed her my matchbox, and scarcely knowing what to say, I remarked.
+"You had better change your dress before you cook breakfast." She
+replied, "I hain't got another one."
+
+While the boys were eating their breakfast of fried fish, deer steak,
+and broiled duck, I related the "toboggan" episode, and mentioned the
+"one frock." When the meal was concluded the boys overhauled their
+belongings and chipped in several pairs of slippers, long woollen
+stockings, underclothing, and blankets, and the "skipper" threw in some
+calico and muslin from the yacht's stores. These were made into bundles
+and carried to the top of the bluff by a more circuitous route.
+Proceeding to the tent they deposited their offerings, together with
+some ducks and venison. The man and woman were overcome with gratitude,
+but the boys said they were glad to get rid of the stuff. The skipper
+had taken his camera along to get a snap-shot at the tent and its
+occupants, which being made known to them the woman said. "Wait a
+minnit!" She went into the tent, but immediately reappeared wearing a
+large sun-bonnet, in which she was "took" with her "old man." I have
+often wondered since why she put on that sun-bonnet. My excuse for this
+digression may be found in the memorable words of George Dawson, "It is
+not all of fishing to fish."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+THE BASS FAMILY (_CONTINUED_)
+
+(_Serranidæ_)
+
+In addition to the fresh-water species of this family and those of the
+East Coast are the groupers, cabrillas, etc., of Florida waters, to be
+noticed later. The family name is founded on Cuvier's genus _Serranus_,
+from the Latin _serra_, or "saw," in allusion to the serrated edge of
+the cheek-bones, common to all fishes of this family.
+
+ _Roccus lineatus._ The Striped-bass. Body rather elongate,
+ little compressed; head 3-1/4; depth 3-1/2; eye 6; D. IX-I, 12;
+ A. III, 11; scales 8-67-11; back little arched; head
+ subconical; mouth large, maxillary reaching middle of orbit;
+ lower jaw projecting; teeth on base of tongue in two parallel
+ patches; preorbital entire; preopercle weakly serrate; margin
+ of subopercle entire; suprascapula entire; gill-rakers long and
+ slender, 4 + 15; dorsal fins separate; caudal fin forked.
+
+ _Morone americana._ The White-perch. Body oblong, ovate, the
+ back moderately elevated; head 3; depth 2-1/2; eye 4; D. IX-I,
+ 12; A. III, 8; scales 8-50-12; head depressed above eyes; snout
+ rather pointed; mouth small, maxillary not reaching middle of
+ orbit; preorbital entire; base of tongue without teeth; head
+ scaled; dorsal fins connected at base; gill-rakers 4 + 16.
+
+ _Centropristes striatus._ The Sea-bass. Body robust, elevated
+ anteriorly, somewhat compressed; head 2-2/3; depth 2-2/3; eye
+ 5; D. X, 11; A. III, 7; scales 5-55-17; head large and thick,
+ naked on top; mouth rather large, lower jaw projecting; teeth
+ in broad bands, the canines small; preopercle serrate;
+ gill-rakers long, about _x_ + 18; scales on cheeks in 11 rows;
+ caudal fin double concave or three-lobed.
+
+
+THE STRIPED-BASS
+
+(_Roccus lineatu_)
+
+The specific name _lineatus_, or "striped," was bestowed by Bloch in
+1792. North of the Delaware River it is universally called striped-bass,
+but in more southern waters it is known as rock or rockfish, from its
+habit of foraging on rocky shores in search of crustaceans and small
+fishes. From this vernacular name comes the generic name _Roccus_. It is
+found from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Florida, but is most abundant
+from Buzzards Bay to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It has been
+successfully transplanted to the Pacific coast, where it is now common
+near San Francisco.
+
+The form of the striped-bass varies considerably with age. Young
+specimens are rather slender and symmetrical in outline, the depth being
+about a fourth of the length. The depth increases with the weight of the
+fish, while the back becomes more arched, and the belly more
+pendulous. The head equals in length the depth of the body usually.
+The mouth is large, opening obliquely; the snout is rather sharp, and
+the lower jaw projects. The color is olivaceous, often bluish on the
+back, sides with silvery lustre, fading to white on the belly. There are
+six to eight horizontal rows of dark spots, forming interrupted stripes,
+four or five running from head to caudal fin, with three shorter ones
+below; the fins are pale and usually unmarked. It is found within the
+range given during the entire year, though it frequents certain situations
+at different seasons. The largest fish resort to the rocky shores of the
+bays and indentations of the coast between the shores and outer
+reefs, those of smaller size frequent the estuaries and tideways,
+and still smaller ones seek the shallower and quieter waters.
+
+[Illustration SURF-FISHING FOR BASS]
+
+It spawns in the spring, usually in May, in both fresh and brackish
+water. Large schools ascend rivers for long distances in the spring,
+more particularly those rivers resorted to by the shad, which they seem
+to follow, perhaps for the purpose of feeding on shad spawn, as they are
+said to do. Others follow the smelt up certain rivers farther north. A
+large female will deposit from a million to two million eggs, which are
+about one-seventh of an inch in diameter, are free, transparent, and
+semi-buoyant, and hatch in a few days. Owing to a large oil-drop in the
+front part of the yolk-sac, the young fry at first swim with the head
+toward the surface of the water, and not in the horizontal position
+usual with the fry of most fishes.
+
+Its food consists of small fishes, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, squids,
+sandworms, and other marine invertebrates. It grows to a very large
+size, being frequently taken by anglers from thirty to sixty pounds, and
+in the nets of fishermen as heavy as one hundred pounds or more. In the
+city of Baltimore, in boyhood days, I often went to the fish markets on
+Saturdays to see and admire the various kinds of fishes. On one occasion
+there were several large rockfish being weighed on the old-time balance,
+consisting of a beam and two large, flat, wooden scales supported by
+chains. The largest fish did not weigh quite two fifty-six-pound
+weights. A man then asked me how much I weighed, and I replied one
+hundred and three pounds. I was then placed on the scale instead of the
+weights, with the result that the fish outweighed me perhaps a pound or
+two. At all events it weighed between one hundred and three and one
+hundred and twelve pounds--probably one hundred and five pounds. It was
+as long as an average man.
+
+The striped-bass is a food-fish of fine quality, and the markets of the
+eastern cities are well supplied with it during summer and fall, and to
+a certain extent during the winter. It is very active from early spring
+until late in the fall, when it resorts to the back-waters and bayous of
+tidal rivers for the winter. It is said by some to hibernate, but this
+is doubtful. The opinion is probably due to the fact that it is more
+sluggish and listless while in winter quarters, and refuses to respond
+to the wiles of the angler.
+
+That the striped-bass is a game-fish of high degree goes without saying.
+It is rated by some enthusiastic anglers as being superior even to the
+salmon in game qualities. This opinion, however, is hardly correct when
+the two are compared weight for weight. In surf-fishing the first rush
+of a large fish, upon feeling the hook, is something to be remembered.
+It is probably longer and stronger than that of a salmon of equal
+weight, for the reason that while the latter fish is leaping from the
+water in its efforts to escape, the bass is making his furious dash for
+liberty beneath the surface, and exerting every ounce of his muscular
+fibre in the effort. But this immense strain cannot long be continued,
+and as he seldom breaks water like the salmon, and does not sulk, he
+resorts to strategy and finesse to free himself.
+
+After making several desperate but ineffectual rushes to escape, he may
+endeavor to chafe or part the line against sharp rocks, or to foul it
+among the kelp or sea-weeds. Sometimes, but not often, he dives toward
+the angler to obtain slack line, which is a dangerous move if the reel
+does not respond quickly in taking up the loose line. When it is
+considered that all of these manoeuvres of a monster bass to free
+himself occur amidst the rolling and tumbling of the surf, or in the
+dashing of foam-crested combers, while the angler often has but a
+precarious footing on a slippery rock, and perhaps with a half gale of
+wind blowing, some idea may be formed of the skill and good judgment
+required to subdue and land so valorous a fish. And under such
+conditions it is very natural for the angler to rank his noble quarry
+with the salmon.
+
+When a Baltimore boy I thought there was no better sport than
+still-fishing for rockfish running from a half to a pound or two, on
+the flats off Fort McHenry, the Lazaretto, or up the Patapsco River
+near the Long Bridge. It was good sport, too, for the fish were plentiful
+in those days, and from an anchored boat, with light cane rod and shrimp
+bait, I was often on the ground to catch the young flood tide at sunrise,
+or before, on summer mornings, and seldom failed to be rewarded with
+a full basket of small striped-bass.
+
+[Illustration CATCHING SEA-BASS OFF NEWPORT]
+
+Still-fishing in summer is best practised in comparatively shallow water
+in the estuaries, at the edge of the tideways, near the mouths of
+rivers, or up streams of good size as far as the tide reaches. In some
+cases the fishing may be done from bridges, piers, wharves, or from the
+bank, but usually from an anchored boat. In the estuaries and at the
+mouths of rivers the first of the flood and the last of the ebb are
+usually the best stages of the tide. In the shallow bays and lagoons, or
+far up the rivers, the full tide is the most favorable time. For this
+fishing the rod should be light, pliable, and not more than nine feet in
+length. A black-bass rod can be utilized to good advantage. The best rod
+for the purpose, however, is the "Little Giant," a modification of the
+Henshall black-bass rod. It is in two pieces, seven and one-half feet
+long, and weighs eight ounces in ash and lancewood, or seven ounces in
+split bamboo. It is stiffer than the Henshall rod, so that a two or
+four-ounce sinker can be used with it whenever necessary. A good
+multiplying reel must be employed with black-bass rods. The line should
+be fifty yards of braided linen, smallest size, with a three-foot leader
+of single gut; Sproat or O'Shaughnessy hooks Nos. 1 or 2 on gut snells
+are large enough for bass up to two or three pounds. A small float is
+useful on grassy bottom with shrimp or crab bait, and sinkers of weights
+in accordance with the strength of the tidal current must be employed,
+also a landing-net.
+
+Shrimps, soft or shedder crabs, soft-shelled clams, sandworms, small
+minnows, silversides, spearing or killifishes, are all good baits in
+their season. Shrimp is perhaps the best all-round lure. It should be
+hooked under the back plates, and a single shrimp is sufficient for
+small bass. Shedder or soft crab should be cut in small pieces. The
+scallop is likewise an attractive bait, especially in the fall, when
+clam bait may also be used to advantage. Early in the spring shad roe
+may be used in quiet waters, or at slack tide, but it is a difficult and
+unpleasant bait to handle.
+
+The bait should be from one to three feet above the bottom, and should
+be kept in motion. Even crab bait should not be allowed to lie on the
+bottom, as some anglers advise. To maintain the proper position and
+depth of the bait the angler may employ a float, with or without a
+sinker, as the exigencies or conditions demand.
+
+Very often hand-lines or stiff cane poles are used in estuary fishing,
+and the bass, even when of several pounds in weight, are yanked out of
+the water into the boat at once. But with the tackle recommended above
+the pleasure of the angler is enhanced, and the fish given a chance for
+his life in the brief struggle that follows.
+
+In trolling for fish of from three to ten pounds a natural bamboo rod,
+eight or nine feet long, answers well with one hundred yards of braided
+linen line, size E or F, and Sproat hooks No. 2-0 to 3-0 on gut snells.
+Where the bass run larger, two hundred feet of line, size E, with hooks
+Nos. 5-0 to 6-0 may be required, also a heavier rod. The baits for
+trolling are bloodworms of large size, a minnow hooked through the
+lips, the natural squid or an eel-tail; also the artificial squid of
+bone or block tin, or a trolling-spoon or spinner with a single hook.
+When the spoon or artificial squid is used it is not necessary or
+advisable to add sandworms or other natural bait, as is often done.
+Employ one or the other, but never both in combination. The artificial
+baits are sufficiently attractive in themselves, and the additions
+mentioned do not enhance their effectiveness. The boat should be rowed
+alongshore, or over rocky reefs or shoals, and about the eddies of rock
+pools. As the fish always hooks itself in trolling, it only remains for
+the angler to play and land his quarry in good form, always having a
+large landing-net or gaff in the boat.
+
+Casting menhaden bait from the rocky shores of the coast requires tools
+and tackle of great excellence and strength, as the largest bass are
+taken in this way. The most approved rod is a first-class split-bamboo,
+eight or eight and one-half feet long, and weighing from twelve to
+sixteen ounces. A more serviceable rod, that is, one that will admit of
+harder usage, is made of greenheart, lancewood, or bethabara, of the
+same length, but somewhat heavier. A cheaper rod, but one that will
+give good satisfaction, and withal is lighter than a wooden rod, is made
+of natural male Calcutta bamboo, and is known as a "chum" rod. Rods of
+eight or eight and one-half feet in length should be made in two or
+three pieces, or if not exceeding seven and one-half feet may be made of
+one six-foot piece with a handle of eighteen inches. They should have
+double bell-mouth guides and funnel top. The more expensive rods should
+have the guides, or at least the funnel top, lined with agate.
+
+The reel must be a first-class multiplier, made expressly for
+surf-fishing, with jewelled or steel bearings, with a capacity of two
+hundred yards of from twelve to eighteen-thread Cuttyhunk line. The
+hooks should be knobbed Sproat or O'Shaughnessy, Nos. 5-0 to 7-0, and
+attached to the line by two half-hitches, the loose end turned up and
+secured by another half-hitch. A long-handled gaff-hook of good steel
+and very sharp is indispensable. A chum knife and spoon are also
+necessary, and a woollen thumb-stall will be needed for thumbing the
+reel, or a piece of leather may be affixed to one of its bars as a
+brake.
+
+The bait for casting may be the tail of a lobster, cleaned of every
+vestige of shell, but menhaden bait is generally used. After scaling the
+fish, a slice of several inches is cut from its side, tail end, and
+scored on the flesh side longitudinally with a sharp knife, to admit of
+its being more readily folded along the hook, which it should envelop
+completely. The small end of the bait is affixed to the head of the hook
+by a half-hitch or two, its bend and barb being concealed by the broader
+end of the bait. This is the conventional method of baiting, though I
+have had good success in more southern waters by using an entire bait of
+mullet or other silvery fish, five or six inches in length, and hooked
+through the lips.
+
+The residue of the menhaden, after the baits are cut off, is chopped
+fine, and is known as "chum." This is thrown in the water to attract the
+bass. It is called "chumming," and causes an oily "slick" that spreads
+over the surface for a long distance. The pieces of cut fish thrown in
+are soon swallowed by scup, cunners, bass, and other fishes, leaving
+nothing but the oily slick on the surface. The bluefish, being a surface
+feeder, is probably attracted by the slick, but it is questionable if
+it is noticed by the striped-bass, a bottom and mid-water feeder. And
+even if the common belief were true, it is not likely that the bass
+would be tolled directly toward the angler through a slick covering many
+acres. The real attraction is in the chopped menhaden that sinks below
+the surface.
+
+Casting the menhaden is quite an art. It is somewhat in the nature of
+casting a minnow for black-bass as described on a previous page, though
+the rod is a two-handed one and the bait much heavier. The bait is
+reeled up to within a foot or two of the rod tip, and the rod grasped by
+both hands, one just above and one below the reel, with the thumb of the
+lower hand resting on the spool of the reel, and protected by a woollen
+or leather thumb-stall. With the rod at one side, it is given a
+preliminary whirl, or swing or two, and the bait cast, underhand, much
+like striking at a hip-high or shoulder-high ball with a bat. The cast
+is made from either side, and while some anglers place the right hand
+below in casting from both sides, it is not the best way. In casting
+from the right side the left hand should be below, and the reel
+controlled by the left thumb; while in casting from the left side the
+right hand should be below. The thumb should maintain a gentle and
+uniform pressure on the spool as it revolves, to prevent backlashing,
+and by a stronger pressure stop the revolution of the spool as the bait
+reaches the water.
+
+As long a cast is made as possible, and when the bait settles it should
+be reeled in again very slowly and the cast repeated until the bait is
+taken by a bass. When the water is very rough, so as to churn the bait
+and keep it in constant motion, fewer casts are necessary, as the bait
+can be left in the water for a longer time before making a new cast.
+When the fish is hooked and starts on his initial rush, line should be
+given, the thumb always on the spool to check him when it can be done
+without endangering the tackle. His first rush will probably be his
+strongest, and he must then be killed on the rod and reeled in to the
+gaffer. During the struggle of playing the fish, great care must be
+observed to prevent the cutting or chafing of the line against sharp
+rocks, and to keep the fish away from weeds, timbers, or other
+obstructions.
+
+As the bass may weigh anywhere from ten to fifty pounds, the utmost
+skill and precaution are necessary to land him safely. Very often the
+angler has not only to contend with the fish, but with the strength and
+undertow of the tide and the tossing of breakers--factors that are by no
+means to be despised or neglected. But once fairly gaffed, the angler
+may feast his eyes on the grand fish, weighing, perhaps, thirty pounds
+or more, and congratulate himself on a great achievement.
+
+When the bass are running far up the fresh-water streams in the spring,
+they will often take the artificial fly. As the fish do not run much
+heavier than black-bass, the rod and tackle used in fly-fishing for that
+fish can be utilized, employing such flies as oriole, polka, coachman,
+red ibis, or other showy creations. The fishing is more successful about
+sundown.
+
+Many years ago the striped-bass was planted in the waters of the Pacific
+coast by the United States Fish Commission. It has multiplied
+exceedingly, so that bass-fishing is now a favorite sport with San
+Francisco anglers, who fish the neighboring bays, rivers, and sloughs
+with great success. The baits commonly used are clams and the
+trolling-spoon. The sport has culminated in the formation of several
+striped-bass clubs, with quite a large membership.
+
+
+THE WHITE-PERCH
+
+(_Morone americana_)
+
+The white-perch was described, but not named, by Shöpf, in 1788, from
+the waters near New York. From his description Gmelin named it, in the
+same year, _Perca americana_, or "American perch." The genus _Morone_
+was established for it in 1814 by Dr. Mitchill, as owing to structural
+differences it could not properly be placed in the genus _Perca_.
+
+The white-perch is one of the most abundant fishes of the brackish
+waters on the Atlantic coast, its range extending from Nova Scotia to
+South Carolina, but more especially from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. It
+is also landlocked in fresh-water ponds at various places along the
+coast.
+
+It is a handsome fish, symmetrical in outline, and well proportioned.
+Its body is compressed, its depth is not quite a third of its length.
+Its head is as long as the depth of the body, depressed above the eyes,
+and with a somewhat pointed snout. The mouth is rather small; the teeth
+are small, without canines; there are a few teeth on the edge of the
+tongue, but none on its base. There are two dorsal fins, though they
+are connected at the base.
+
+Its color is olivaceous, or green of various shades on the head and
+back, with silvery or greenish sides, and silvery white belly. Sometimes
+the color is bluish on the back and head. Those confined in ponds are
+always darker in hue.
+
+The white-perch is one of the best and most esteemed pan-fishes of the
+eastern coast. It grows to a foot or more in length, occasionally
+weighing three pounds; but the usual size is from six to nine inches,
+and from one-half to a pound in weight in brackish water. Smaller ones
+ascend the streams to fresh water. It is usually found associating with
+small striped-bass, and their habits are much alike, feeding on the same
+food, as small minnows, young eels, shrimp, etc. It spawns in the
+spring, usually in May, in shallow, weedy situations in both fresh and
+brackish water. The eggs are quite small, about forty thousand to a
+fish, and hatch in three or four days.
+
+As a boy I was very fond of fishing for white-perch, which were then
+very abundant in the Spring Garden branch of the Patapsco River, at
+Baltimore, from Ferry Bar to the mud-flats near the Long Bridge, and
+also above the bridge on the main river in brackish water. Being
+gregarious, it was found in large schools, and was a free biter at
+shrimps, shedder-crab, small minnows, and earthworms. At the time of
+which I write it was very plentiful at the mouths of all tidal rivers
+emptying into Chesapeake Bay. I have seen great wagon loads brought
+ashore in one haul of a long market seine. And in camping along the Bay,
+during my summer vacations, they seemed to be as plentiful as
+blackberries. There was never any dearth of fried white-perch or other
+fishes in our camp, and we never tired of them. We feasted on them
+daily, with terrapin, soft-shelled crabs, oysters, green corn, tomatoes,
+cantaloupes, and watermelons, and all to be had for the mere catching or
+asking.
+
+Any light rod may be used for white-perch, with or without a small
+multiplying reel, with a line of braided linen, smallest size, and hooks
+Nos. 6 to 8. Most anglers use two or three hooks, but I would advise a
+single hook for all kinds of fishing. A short leader of single gut,
+about three feet long, is an advantage, and hooks should be tied on gut
+snells.
+
+In quiet water, with small, live minnows for bait, a sinker or float
+need not be used. In tidal waters a sinker is necessary to keep the bait
+at mid-water, or a few feet from the bottom, especially when shrimp,
+crab, or earthworms are used for bait. The weight of the sinker must be
+adapted to the strength of the tide. The best season is during late
+summer or autumn in brackish water, from an anchored boat, at half-flood
+or half-ebb tide; up the tidal rivers at high tide. At low water they
+must be looked for in the deep holes, among the rocks. Wherever found
+the white-perch will not disappoint the angler, but is ever ready to
+respond to his baited hook.
+
+It rises pretty well to the artificial fly, especially when landlocked
+in ponds, or far up the streams. Trout tackle and trout flies are just
+right, on hooks Nos. 7 or 8; and as the most favorable time for fishing
+is toward dusk, light-colored flies are the best, as coachman, gray
+drake, red ibis, oriole, etc.
+
+I was once fishing for white-perch on Gunpowder River, in Maryland, with
+a companion who happened to lose one of his hooks through a defective
+snell, which, however, he soon recovered by catching the perch that had
+stolen it. We were perfectly sure that it was his, as he had tied his
+hooks himself with a peculiar shade of sewing silk. He then marked the
+fish by clipping off a portion of one of the spines of the dorsal fin,
+and returned it to the water, only to be retaken three times, twice by
+my friend and once by myself. The lips of the perch being then quite
+ragged from the frequent hooking, it was humanely killed and deposited
+in the basket.
+
+From my experience with both wild and domesticated fish I am quite sure
+that cold-blooded animals, like fishes and batrachians, are not very
+sensitive to pain. Owing to the very small brain and the gelatinous
+character of the spinal marrow of fishes, it is very doubtful if they
+suffer much, if any, pain from the infliction of so slight an injury as
+the pricking of a fish-hook. If it were otherwise, I do not think a
+hooked fish would offer so much resistance and pull so hard upon the
+hook if it caused much pain. Nor does it seem reasonable that a fish
+would repeatedly subject itself to the same experience if its mouth felt
+at all sore, as all experienced anglers know they do, time and again.
+The mouth and throat of a fish cannot be very sensitive when it is
+considered that it swallows, whole, such prey as sunfish and catfish
+fry, bristling with sharp fins and spines, and those of the catfish are
+always erect, even if swallowed head first. Marine fishes also swallow
+crabs, lobsters, prawns, besides mollusks, sea-urchins, and other
+creatures that would be exceedingly irritating and painful to a
+sensitive throat.
+
+[Illustration THE SEA-BASS]
+[_Centropristes striatus_]
+
+[Illustration THE MASCALONGE]
+[_Esox nobilior_]
+
+[Illustration THE PIKE]
+[_Esox lucius_]
+
+
+THE SEA-BASS
+
+(_Centropristes striatus_)
+
+The sea-bass is known in various localities as black sea-bass, black
+will, black harry, hannahills, humpback, and also by names belonging
+rightly to other well-known fishes, as blackfish, bluefish, and
+rock-bass. The name sea-bass, however, is in most general use, and is
+the most distinctive and appropriate. Linnæus described it briefly, in
+1758, and named it _striatus_, or "striped." He afterward received
+specimens from South Carolina, which in 1766 he named _atraria_, or
+"blackish," but the older name must hold according to the law of
+priority.
+
+It is confined to the Atlantic coast, with range extending from Cape Cod
+to Florida, but it is most abundant along the coast of New Jersey. It
+has a robust body, its depth not quite a third of its length; the back
+is elevated over the shoulder, the "hump" being more prominent in males
+during the breeding season. The head is large and thick, with a large,
+oblique mouth, leathery lips, and projecting lower jaw. The fin rays are
+long and slender, and the caudal fin is double concave.
+
+Its color is bluish black, sometimes greenish black or dusky brown on
+the back and top of the head, lighter on the sides and belly. The edges
+of the scales being dark, give a mottled, streaked, or reticulated
+appearance. The dorsal fin has several series of bluish white elongated
+spots; the other fins are bluish or dusky, and are more or less mottled.
+Young specimens have a broad dusky band or stripe along the sides, which
+later becomes broken up, forming cross shades.
+
+The sea-bass, as its name implies, is a sea fish, seldom entering
+brackish water. It congregates in large schools about the offshore rocky
+reefs and shoals, and about old wrecks, feeding on crabs, shrimps, and
+other marine organisms, often in company with the tautog and porgy. It
+is a deep-water fish, and of course a bottom feeder. It spawns in
+summer, between May and August, depending on the temperature of the
+water, but usually in June. The eggs are quite small, about twenty-five
+to the inch, and hatch in from four to six days. Its usual weight is
+from one-half to two or three pounds, occasionally weighing ten or
+twelve pounds. It is very voracious and will take almost any kind of
+bait that is offered. It is taken in large numbers by market fishermen
+on hand-lines and clam bait. It commands a ready sale, being a good
+food-fish, with firm, flaky flesh of a fine savor, and is highly valued
+for chowders. It is a hard-pulling fish on the line, boring toward the
+bottom with vicious tugs.
+
+A light cane chum rod is very suitable, or perhaps the Little Giant rod
+is better. It is seven and one-half feet long and weighs eight ounces,
+and will bear the strain of such sinkers as must be used. The line
+should be braided linen of small caliber, and a multiplying reel should
+always be used. A short leader of three or four feet, and Sproat hooks,
+Nos. 1-0 to 3-0, on silkworm fibre and a sinker adapted to the strength
+of the tide, make up the rest of the tackle. As the fishing is done from
+an anchored boat a landing-net should be provided. With the tackle just
+mentioned, at slack tide, and with clam, shedder-crab, sandworms, or
+shrimp bait, the angler can enjoy a good measure of sport with the
+sea-bass. Where the tide runs very strong, compelling the use of heavy
+sinkers of from three to six ounces, a striped-bass rod should be
+employed, especially in water from fifteen to thirty feet deep.
+
+Great crowds of men, women, and children patronize the excursion boats
+from New York and Philadelphia, in the summer season, to catch bass,
+porgies, tautog, and flounders on the various fishing banks off the
+Jersey coast, where they use hand-lines and clam bait. While such
+fishing is greatly enjoyed by the uninitiated, it does not appeal to the
+angler.
+
+
+THE SOUTHERN SEA-BASS
+
+(_Centropristes philadelphicus_)
+
+This species was described by Linnæus in 1758, and named
+_philadelphicus_, under the impression that his specimen was from the
+vicinity of that city. Afterward he received specimens from the South
+Carolina coast, which, in 1766, he named _trifurca_, meaning
+"three-forked," in allusion to its "triple-tail." The older name,
+unfortunately, must stand.
+
+Its color is olive-gray, darkest on the back, whitish below, with seven
+oblique dusky and diffuse bars along the upper portion of the sides. The
+three-forked appearance of the caudal fin is more pronounced than in the
+northern sea-bass; otherwise there is no structural difference, except
+in coloration. Its habits are similar. The same remarks apply equally to
+the following species, except that it has a few less gill-rakers than
+the northern species. They may eventually all prove to be the same
+species, or geographical varieties. The directions as to fishing apply
+as well to both these southern forms as to the northern sea-bass.
+
+
+THE GULF SEA-BASS
+
+(_Centropristes ocyurus_)
+
+This species was described from the "snapper banks," off Pensacola, by
+Jordan and Evermann in 1886, who named it _ocyurus_, or "swift tail." It
+has not been recorded from any other locality. It agrees with the
+northern sea-bass, except as mentioned, and in its coloration, which is
+grayish or pale olive, darker on the back, with three longitudinal rows
+of black blotches along the sides. It is called "tally-wag" by the
+snapper fisherman.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE PIKE FAMILY
+
+(_Esocidæ_)
+
+The fishes of this family have a long body, not much compressed, and not
+elevated. The head is long, with a flattened and prolonged snout; a very
+large mouth filled with long and very sharp, cardlike teeth on the jaws
+and roof of the mouth, and with smaller teeth on the tongue. They have a
+single dorsal fin composed entirely of soft rays, and situated very far
+back and opposite to the anal fin, which is likewise composed of soft
+rays. The scales are small; the cheeks and gill-covers are more or less
+scaly; the head is naked above. All are greedy, voracious fishes,
+marauding tyrants, living almost entirely on other fishes. There is but
+one genus, _Esox_.
+
+ _Esox nobilior._ The Mascalonge. Body elongate; head 3-2/3;
+ depth 6; eye 5; B. 17 to 19; D. 17; A. 15; scales 150 along the
+ lateral line; cheeks and opercles naked below, scaly above; in
+ about 8 rows.
+
+[Illustration THE MASCALONGE OF THE WEEDS. TROLLING WITH HAND-LINE]
+
+ _Esox lucius._ The Pike. Body elongate; head 3-1/3; depth 5;
+ eye 6; B. 14 to 16; D. 16 or 17; A. 13 or 14; scales 125;
+ cheeks entirely covered with scales; lower half of opercles
+ naked, upper half with scales.
+
+ _Esox reticulatus._ Eastern Pickerel. Body elongate; head
+ 3-1/2; depth 6; eye 8; B. 14 to 16; D. 14; A. 13; scales 125;
+ cheeks and opercles entirely covered with scales.
+
+ _Esox vermiculatus._ The Western Pickerel. Body elongate; head
+ 3-1/4; depth 5 to 6; eye 6; B. 12; D. 11 or 12; A. 11 or 12;
+ scales 105 along the lateral line; cheeks and opercles entirely
+ covered with scales.
+
+ _Esox americanus._ The Banded Pickerel. Body elongate; head
+ 3-1/2; depth 5-1/2; eye 5; B. 12 or 13; D. 11 or 12; A. 11 or
+ 12; scales 105; cheeks and opercles entirely covered with
+ scales.
+
+As some anglers find it difficult to distinguish a large pike from a
+mascalonge, or a pike from a pickerel, owing to the similar shape and
+appearance, the several species can be easily identified by means of the
+following artificial key:
+
+ The mascalonge (_Esox nobilior_) has the upper part of both the
+ cheeks and gill-covers scaly, while the lower half of both
+ cheeks and gill-covers is naked; it has from 17 to 19
+ branchiostegal rays (the branchiostegals are the rays on the
+ under side of the gill-cover, that, like the ribs of an
+ umbrella, assist in opening and closing it during breathing).
+ Its coloration is of a uniform grayish hue, or when marked with
+ spots or bars they are always of a much darker color or shade
+ than the ground color.
+
+ The pike (_Esox lucius_) has the cheeks entirely scaly, but only
+ the upper part of the gill-cover, the lower half being naked;
+ it has from 14 to 16 branchiostegal rays; its coloration is a
+ bluish or greenish gray, with elongated or bean-shaped spots
+ covering the sides, and which are always of a lighter hue than
+ the ground color.
+
+ The eastern or reticulated pickerel (_Esox reticulatus_) has
+ both the cheeks and the gill-covers entirely covered with
+ scales; it has from 14 to 16 branchiostegal rays; its
+ coloration is shades of green, with sides of golden lustre, and
+ marked with dark reticulations, mostly horizontal. It is rarely
+ or never found west of the Alleghanies.
+
+ The little western pickerel (_Esox vermiculatus_) has both
+ cheeks and gill-covers entirely scaly, as have all the
+ pickerels; it has from 11 to 13, usually 12, branchiostegal
+ rays; its coloration is greenish or grayish, with curved
+ streaks on the sides forming bars or reticulations; the color
+ is quite variable, sometimes plain olive. It is found only west
+ of the Alleghanies.
+
+ The banded or American pickerel (_Esox americanus_) has, like
+ the other true pickerels, both the cheeks and the gill-covers
+ entirely covered with scales; it has 12 or 13 branchiostegal
+ rays; coloration dark green, sides with many distinct black
+ curved transverse bars; a black bar below the eye, and one from
+ the snout through the eye to the gill-cover. It is found only
+ east of the Alleghanies.
+
+
+THE MASCALONGE
+
+(_Esox nobilior_)
+
+The specific name _nobilior_, long current for the mascalonge, and the
+one based on its earliest accurate description, was conferred by Rev.
+Zadoc Thompson in 1849 in "Notes on Certain Vermont Fishes," in the
+Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. III,
+published July 18, 1849, and later he described it fully in the "History
+of Vermont," 1853, Part I. It is an excellent and appropriate name, and
+one that has become familiar to anglers. I have retained it, inasmuch
+as it was discarded, I think, for a very insufficient reason.
+
+The specific name _masquinongy_, which has recently been given to this
+species in the books, is supposed to have been given to the mascalonge
+by Dr. Mitchill in 1824. His description, however, cannot now be found.
+It is alluded to by De Kay in his "Fishes of New York," in 1842, who
+gives its reference as "Mirror, 1824, page 297"; but I have searched for
+it in vain, as have others. De Kay merely says: "According to Mitchill,
+who describes a specimen 47.0 long and weighing thirty pounds, the fin
+rays are as follows: 'D. 21; P. 14; V. 11; A. 17; C. 26.' But this
+radial formula is just as applicable to Richardson's _E. lucius_: 'D.
+20; P. 16; A. 18,' also given by De Kay." The size and weight of the
+alleged specimen of Mitchill would seem to indicate the mascalonge, but
+the great northern pickerel, _Esox lucius_, occasionally reaches a like
+size and weight. I once caught one weighing twenty-five pounds in
+northern Wisconsin, and saw several a little heavier, one of fully
+twenty-eight pounds.
+
+Dr. Kirtland, in 1838, had, previous to De Kay, applied Mitchill's name
+_masquinongy_ to a specimen from Lake Erie, and it is upon this
+evidence, principally, that this name has been adopted as the specific
+title of the mascalonge.
+
+But afterward Dr. Kirtland used Thompson's name _nobilis_ (meaning
+_nobilior_) and Le Sueur's name _estor_ for the mascalonge. He also
+subsequently described the mascalonge from Lake Erie as _atromaculatus_,
+and one from the Mahoning River, Ohio, as _ohiensis_. From this it would
+appear that Dr. Kirtland, although a good naturalist in his day, was not
+at all clear in his estimation of the mascalonge.
+
+There has been considerable controversy concerning the common or
+vernacular name of the mascalonge. Some claim it is from the French, and
+derived from the words "masque" and "allonge," which virtually mean
+"long face," and which is certainly nearer to the common pronunciation
+of mascalonge or muscalunge. Others claim it is an Indian name from the
+Ojibwa language, as "mash," meaning "strong," and "kinoje," meaning
+"pike." "Mash" is also said to mean "spotted" and "deformed." From mash
+and kinoje come "maskinonge," as it appears in the statutes of Canada.
+The name has been spelled in numerous ways, as evidenced in the Century
+Dictionary, which gives the following variations: maskalonge,
+mascalonge, maskalunge, maskallonge, masquallonge, masq'allonge,
+mascallonge, muscalonge, muskalonge, muskalinge, muskellunge,
+moskalonge, moscononge, maskinonge, maskanonge, maskenonge, maskenozha,
+maskinoje, and maskenonge, to which might be added muscalinga,
+mascalinga, etc. There is no authority or precedent for the name
+"muskellunge" as used by some writers and anglers, as neither the
+original French or Indian words have the letter "u" in either the first
+or last syllable. Moreover, the term "lunge" is in some sections applied
+to the lake trout. I am aware, of course, that the name has obtained
+considerable currency, but in much the same way that the black-bass is
+called "trout" in the South, and the pike-perch is denominated "salmon"
+in certain localities.
+
+Rev. Zadoc Thompson, who was the first to call attention to the scaling
+of the cheeks as a diagnostic character, gives the vernacular name
+"masquallonge," and attributes it to French derivation, to which opinion
+I am inclined. As the most prominent writers on fish and fishing give it
+as "mascalonge," that name should be universally adopted, no matter what
+its origin, or whether derived from the French Canadians or the
+Chippeway Indians; that question is more interesting to philologists
+than to anglers. As an instance of inconsistency, or of the irony of
+fate, the books give the scientific name of the subgenus as
+_mascalongus_, from the French, and the specific name as _masquinongy_,
+from the Ojibwa.
+
+The mascalonge is common in the St. Lawrence basin and the Great Lakes,
+more abundant in the lakes of northern Wisconsin, less common in the
+upper Mississippi River, Chautauqua Lake. New York, and Conneaut Lake,
+Pennsylvania, and rare in the upper Ohio River and tributaries. It has a
+long body, somewhat compressed, its depth being about one-fifth of its
+length; the head is large, about a fourth of the length of the body, and
+flattened, with the lower jaw projecting. It has a terrible array of
+teeth of assorted sizes. On the edge of each side of the lower jaw are
+several long, bayonet-shaped teeth, from one-half to an inch apart; in
+the front part of the tip of the projecting lower jaw are a few short
+but sharp teeth, recurved; in the front part of the upper jaw are three
+clusters of long, fanglike teeth, standing out amidst the smaller,
+cardlike teeth; on the edge of the forward half of the upper lip is a
+row of small, but very sharp, recurved teeth; back of these on the roof
+of the mouth (vomer and palatines), and extending back from the fangs in
+front to the throat, are three rows of cardlike teeth, recurved and very
+sharp.
+
+The coloration and markings vary so much that several varieties have
+been needlessly established, as the variations are found in every
+locality, and do not seem to depend on habitat or environment. The usual
+color is dark gray, greenish or brownish, always darker on the back,
+lighter on the sides, and belly white or whitish. The fins usually have
+dusky or slate-colored spots or blotches; the lower fins and caudal fin
+are often reddish. The markings of the body vary a great deal. In the
+young the upper half of the body is covered with small, round black
+spots, which usually disappear or change their shape as they grow old.
+In mature fish the spots are more diffuse, sometimes enlarging to an
+inch or more in diameter, or by coalescing form vertical broad bands,
+while in others there are no distinct dark markings. And while all of
+these various markings are found in fish from the same locality there is
+no apparent structural difference.
+
+I have examined and compared specimens from the St. Lawrence and Indian
+rivers, New York. Lake Erie, the Wisconsin lakes, Lake Pepin, Chautauqua
+and Conneaut lakes, Scioto and Mahoning rivers, in Ohio, and have seen
+preserved heads of large ones from Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and
+found that they all agree so well in the number of branchiostegals,
+squamation of cheeks and opercles, in dentition, fins, and in
+measurements, that they must all be considered as one and the same
+species. At the Chicago Columbian Exposition there were some twenty very
+large specimens of mounted skins from Canadian waters, in the exhibit of
+the Ottawa Museum, which showed well the variation in markings. Some
+still showed the dark spots on a gray ground; others were more or less
+distinctly barred with broad or narrow bands; others showed both bars
+and diffuse spots; and still others were of a uniform slate or grayish
+coloration, without markings of any kind. In the museum of the Cuvier
+Club, in Cincinnati, there are quite a number of mounted skins of
+mascalonge from the Wisconsin lakes, mostly large ones, that also show
+all of the various markings, as well as those of a uniform coloration.
+
+About 1890 I donated to the Cincinnati Society of Natural History a
+specimen from Lake Erie; and in 1892 I donated to the United States
+National Museum two specimens from Lake Erie, and one from a tributary
+of the Muskingum River, in Ohio. All of these Ohio fish were from
+eighteen inches to two feet long, and all showed similar markings, being
+profusely covered with round black spots from an eighth to a quarter of
+an inch in diameter. Where the spots become diffused, and the bands are
+inclined to spread and coalesce, they are always more distinct toward
+the tail. In a mascalonge of less than a foot in length the spots are
+very black, very round, and quite small, not exceeding a sixth or an
+eighth of an inch in diameter.
+
+Various appellations have been bestowed on the mascalonge to denote its
+rapacity, as the shark, wolf, or tiger of the waters, all of which are
+well merited by that fierce marauder. It subsists entirely on fish,
+frogs, snakes, and even the young of aquatic mammals and water fowl.
+Nothing in the shape of food comes amiss to him. He is solitary in his
+habits, lying concealed among the water plants and rushes at the edges
+of the streams or channels and along the shores, or beside shelving
+rocks or banks in clear lakes, from whence he darts open-mouthed upon
+the luckless fish that approaches his lair. The number of fishes
+swallowed by a mascalonge during a single summer is almost incredible;
+and they are not minnows and small fry alone, such as are devoured by
+other predaceous fishes, but such as are old and large enough to
+reproduce their kind. It is fortunate that the mascalonge is
+comparatively a rare fish. As it is now being artificially propagated in
+some states, great care and judgment should be exercised as to the
+waters planted, so as not to jeopardize other and better game-fishes.
+
+It spawns early in the spring and in very shallow water, where most of
+the eggs are devoured by frogs, turtles, fishes, and water fowl--a wise
+provision of nature when it is considered that the female deposits from
+one hundred thousand to three hundred thousand eggs. The eggs are quite
+small, about ten or twelve to an inch, and hatch in about two weeks. The
+mascalonge is the most valuable food-fish of its family, and is
+pronounced by some as being really excellent; but I consider it much
+inferior to the whitefish, lake-trout, pike-perch, black-bass, or
+brook-trout. While possessing no especial flavor, its flesh is firm and
+flaky, more so than that of the pike or pickerel, and it commands a
+ready sale in the markets.
+
+It grows occasionally to an enormous size. I have taken it up to forty
+pounds, good weight. The late Judge Potter, of Toledo, Ohio, an angler
+of the old school, informed me that he had seen, in early days, many
+that weighed from fifty to seventy-five pounds. Mr. L.H. McCormick,
+formerly of Oberlin College, Ohio, saw one taken in a pound net that
+weighed seventy-two pounds. The late Dr. Elisha Sterling, formerly of
+Cleveland. Ohio, a contemporary of Judge Potter and the late Dr.
+Garlick, the father of artificial fish-culture in America, told me of
+one he once speared in Lake Erie that weighed eighty pounds, and said
+that those of fifty to sixty pounds were common in the forties.
+
+The mascalonge is the best game-fish of its family. When of large size,
+from twenty to thirty pounds, it exhibits a bull-like ferocity when
+hooked, making furious dashes for liberty, and if not stopped in time
+will eventually take to the weeds. It exhibits great powers of
+endurance, but little finesse or cunning in its efforts to escape. It
+depends on main strength alone, swimming swiftly in straight lines, as
+might be inferred from its shape. Its long body does not admit of the
+quick doublings of the black-bass or brook-trout. If kept on the surface
+with a taut line it sometimes leaps into the air; but if allowed its own
+sweet will it bores toward the bottom, or endeavors to reach the refuge
+of weeds or rushes. One of less weight than twelve pounds, when hooked,
+can scarcely be distinguished from the pike or pickerel in its manner of
+resistance, and exhibits but little more gameness.
+
+A black-bass rod of eight or nine ounces is sufficient for the largest
+mascalonge one is likely to encounter in these days. I caught one on the
+St. Lawrence, many years ago, that weighed thirty-two pounds, on an
+eight-ounce Henshall rod, and gaffed it in twenty minutes. Others have
+done the same even with a lighter rod. But it must be remembered that
+the weight of the fish, added to his fierce lunges, is very trying to a
+light rod, and I should not recommend one of less weight than eight
+ounces, which will answer for all emergencies in skilled hands. A good
+multiplying reel, a braided silk or linen line, size E or F, and Sproat
+or O'Shaughnessy hooks Nos. 3-0 to 5-0 on gimp snells, with brass
+box-swivel for connecting snell and line, constitute the rest of the
+tackle.
+
+The best season for mascalonge fishing is in May or June, and in
+September and October, the latter months preferable. The most favorable
+hours are in the early morning and late afternoon. The middle of the day
+may be fished with a better prospect of success on cloudy, lowering
+days, with a brisk wind.
+
+The best bait is a large minnow, either alive or dead, though a frog
+answers very well; and in the absence of either, a trolling-spoon, No.
+4, with a single hook, may be utilized for casting. Rowing along in
+water from five to ten feet deep, the bait should be cast as far as
+possible to the edge of weed patches, reeling it again very slowly, or
+if the bait is alive it may be allowed to swim outside of the
+water-plants for a short time. By moving along continuously, and making
+frequent casts, this method is much more successful than still-fishing.
+When the wind is just right, or when the current is strong enough and
+the wind not contrary, it is a good plan to allow the boat to drift
+while casting.
+
+As soon as a fish is struck and hooked the boat should be moved to
+deeper and open water at once, in order to give free play to the fish
+and lessen the probability of its taking to the weeds. In open water the
+angler has a better chance successfully to play and land his quarry,
+which should be kept on the surface as much as possible. He can be aided
+very much in his efforts by the careful and judicious management of the
+boat by a skilful oarsman.
+
+When the mascalonge shows signs of weakness and can be drawn alongside,
+it should be gaffed at once. Not by striking at it with quick and
+violent motions, which serve only to frighten the fish and endanger the
+angler's tackle, but the gaff should be kept below the fish until it can
+be drawn over it, and then by raising it slowly and cautiously, until
+near enough, when, by a quick upward and drawing motion, the point of
+the hook should be driven into the throat or breast of the fish, and by
+the same motion the fish should be lifted into the boat. It should then
+be killed by a smart stroke on the head, as a wound from its sharp teeth
+is no trifling matter. In the absence of a gaff-hook the fish should be
+more thoroughly exhausted before bringing it alongside the boat, when it
+should be struck a stunning blow on the head before being taken in.
+
+The bait or spoon may be trolled along the edges of the channel, just
+outside of the weed patches, from a moving boat, with a line of thirty
+to fifty yards. In trolling, the revolving spoon, glistening and
+shining, is the attractive lure, and any addition of a minnow, or strip
+of fish or pork-rind, or other bait, as is often resorted to by some, is
+entirely unnecessary. It adds nothing to the chances of hooking a fish,
+and should never be practised by the consistent angler. He may use
+pork-rind if he wishes, but let it be used alone, on its own merits. A
+spoon is bad enough in any case, but it only makes it more reprehensible
+and repulsive, to the angler at least, to handicap it with bait of any
+kind; even the bunch of feathers that usually adorns the spoon should be
+discarded, as it is of no practical use.
+
+Most mascalonge are taken, I am sorry to say, by trolling with a
+hand-line of heavy braided linen, size B or C, and a spoon of very large
+size, as large as No. 8, which seems to be the favorite size with
+hand-trollers. In this method of fishing the mascalonge hooks himself
+when he strikes the spoon. It is then drawn in, hand over hand, as the
+sailors say, with might and muscle. And as might be supposed, those who
+practise this method are loudest in their praise of the mascalonge as
+the "king of all game-fishes." A quick pull, a strong pull, and a pull
+all together, with the hauling aboard as soon as possible of the
+struggling fish, amidst much splashing and floundering, seems to be
+their estimation of gameness in a fish.
+
+The foregoing remarks apply to fishing on lakes and quiet, weedy streams
+of the Northern states. In the clear and swifter waters of the upper
+Ohio, and its tributaries, the mascalonge lies in the deep pools during
+summer and fall, where it is taken by still-fishing. A large sucker,
+weighing from half a pound to a pound, is the favorite bait, with
+suitable rod and reel. The fish is given plenty of time to gorge the
+bait before striking, and this is quite important with so large a bait.
+Many large mascalonge, there called "pike," have been taken in this
+manner in those waters, events to belong remembered and talked about,
+while the head is carefully preserved for the admiration and envy of
+future generations of anglers.
+
+Once when returning from a fishing trip to northern Wisconsin when
+mascalonge were much more in evidence than at the present day, I was
+carrying the head of a forty-pounder that just filled an ordinary tin
+bucket. At Appleton, while waiting for the train to Green Bay, the big
+head was the centre of an admiring group of anglers. Then came the
+natural and inevitable query, "Where did you catch it?" In order to
+avoid a long recital, which only could have done justice to the subject,
+and expecting the train at any moment, I replied, "An Indian speared it
+on Lake St. Germain." They looked at me as if I had seven heads; then
+one said: "Well! well! It requires an awful lot of moral courage to make
+such an admission." But I killed it, all the same, on a nine-ounce rod,
+and my Indian canoe-man gaffed it.
+
+
+THE PIKE
+
+(_Esox lucius_)
+
+The pike is more generally known in the United States as "pickerel," and
+sometimes as the great northern pickerel to distinguish it from the
+pickerel, properly so-called. In England the young pike is a pickerel,
+an older one a jack, and the mature fish a pike. In England and
+continental Europe the pike (_E. lucius_) is the only species of the
+family inhabiting their waters, while there are five species of the
+family in America, which makes it all the more confusing when the name
+"pickerel" is applied indiscriminately to all,--even the mascalonge
+being sometimes alluded to as an "overgrown pickerel."
+
+The range of the pike in America is from Lake Champlain, the Great Lake
+region, and the upper Mississippi River, north to Alaska; it is rare in
+the Ohio Valley.
+
+Next to the mascalonge the pike is the most important and largest member
+of the pike family. It has a long body, somewhat compressed, its length
+being a little more than five times its depth. The head is large,
+somewhat more than a fourth of the length of the body, with a long,
+flattened, and projecting snout; the teeth are similar, but not quite so
+large or numerous as in the mascalonge.
+
+The coloration and markings of the pike are quite constant, not varying
+so much as in others of the family, and is very different from those of
+the mascalonge or any of the pickerels. The ground color is grayish or
+greenish gray, darker on the back and fading to silvery white on the
+belly; the sides, from head to tail, are profusely covered with
+irregular, oblong, or bean-shaped whitish spots or blotches, much
+lighter than the ground color; the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are
+marked with dark spots or blotches. It is somewhat more gregarious, and
+is more of a rover than the mascalonge; otherwise its habits are very
+similar, and it coexists with that fish in many waters, especially in
+the region of the Great Lakes. It feeds on fish, frogs, and
+water-snakes. Its usual weight reaches fifteen pounds, though it
+occasionally grows to four feet in length and a weight of twenty-five or
+thirty pounds.
+
+As a food-fish it is variously estimated. Some consider it to be very
+good, and it sells well in the markets,--which, however, is not always a
+fair criterion. It is much better in the fall and winter than in summer.
+Most people who know it best, and I agree with them, think it inferior
+to any fresh-water fish for the table except the carp and sucker. Its
+flesh is soft and dry, and unless of large size is not flaky, and it is,
+moreover, very full of small bones. One of ten pounds, stuffed with a
+savory dressing and baked, is not unpalatable, but cannot be compared
+favorably with the whitefish, black-bass, or trout.
+
+The pike when of large size is a good game-fish. Its weight and
+strength, added to its bold rushes when hooked, are very trying to light
+tackle. One of fifteen pounds is worthy of the angler's most serious
+attention on an eight-ounce rod. Its manner of fighting is similar to
+that of the mascalonge, though in a lesser degree, and it does not
+continue its resistance so long. After a few frantic rushes it weakens
+very materially, and if kept away from weeds soon gives up the struggle
+for freedom.
+
+In England, where game-fishes are much scarcer than in this country, the
+pike is considered a fine game-fish and is much sought after by
+bait-fishers, and with a wonderful array of murderous traces,
+minnow-gangs, and spinning tackle. In the United States, where there are
+so many better game-fishes, it is not often made the object of special
+pursuit. Most pike are caught by anglers in northern waters when fishing
+for black-bass.
+
+Ordinary black-bass rods and tackle are very suitable for pike fishing,
+though where they run large, eight to fifteen pounds, an eight or
+nine-ounce rod is to be preferred to a lighter one. A good multiplying
+reel, a braided line, either silk or linen, size F, and Sproat hooks,
+Nos. 2-0 to 3-0, are better suited to large pike than black-bass.
+
+[Illustration THE EASTERN PICKEREL]
+[_Esox reticulatus_]
+
+[Illustration THE WESTERN PICKEREL]
+[_Esox vermiculatus_]
+
+[Illustration THE PIKE-PERCH]
+[_Stizostedion vitreum_]
+
+[Illustration THE YELLOW-PERCH]
+[_Perca flavescens_]
+
+A minnow, or a trolling-spoon of small size with a single Sproat or
+O'Shaughnessy hook, may be employed in casting from a boat along the
+edges of weed patches, lily-pads, and wild rice, and along the shoals
+and bars. The same tackle can be utilized for trolling in the same
+situations. Where the conditions are favorable it is advisable to allow
+the boat to drift, in order to dispense with the noise and confusion of
+rowing or paddling. The directions already given for black-bass fishing,
+as to playing and landing the fish, will answer just as well for the
+pike.
+
+As the pike seems to suggest the trolling-spoon, this is a good place to
+say a few words concerning that little-understood article of fishing
+tackle. In the first place, it should never have more than a _single_
+hook, and that should never be handicapped by adding a minnow, frog, or
+strip of fish or bacon-skin, as is so often done. The hook should be
+left free to perform its function, untrammelled by extraneous and
+useless appendages. If the angler pins his faith to them, by all means
+give them a fair chance on a hook without a spoon; it is not only more
+logical, but more sportsmanlike. Give the fish a chance, also, and of
+two evils let it choose the least by using them separately. Seriously,
+the spoon is a most alluring and attractive bait in itself. Its bright
+and shining appearance when spinning and glancing through the water is
+well-nigh irresistible to a predaceous fish, and is in itself all that
+could be desired as an effective lure.
+
+The original trolling-spoon (made by Buell) was the bowl of a dessert
+spoon, with a hole in the broadest end for the line, and a single hook
+soldered to the narrow end. It is as effective as the best
+trolling-spoon made to-day. With a single hook, either loosely attached
+or soldered to the spoon, one is more apt to hook his fish, and more
+certain of landing it, to say nothing of the cruel and inhuman practice
+of using the triangle of three hooks usually attached to most
+trolling-spoons.
+
+Manufacturers generally affix a triangle of hooks to trolling-spoons,
+disguised by a bunch of red and white feathers that are worse than
+useless. The spoon is made of many shapes and of various sizes, and
+often of two or three spoons combined. They seem to vie with each other
+as to who can turn out the most ridiculous contrivance, for the farther
+it departs from the original spoon the more useless it becomes.
+Manufacturers are not all anglers, and endeavor to produce what is most
+novel and attractive to the prospective customer. Such appliances sell
+to the uninitiated and unwary, but do not catch many fish, or even
+anglers of experience.
+
+And the same remarks will apply in a measure to the gang or trace of
+several hooks, usually employed in trolling or spinning the minnow. A
+minnow, hooked through the lips--and it may be a dead one--with a single
+hook, will move more lifelike, and be really more attractive to the
+fish, than the whirling, wabbling one, bristling with a dozen hooks. It
+is cruel and heartless to employ so murderous a device. I have seen the
+mouths of bass and pike and lake-trout lacerated and mutilated,
+sometimes the lips and upper jaw torn completely off, by the triangle of
+the spoon or the half dozen or more hooks of the gang or trace. If their
+use cannot be dispensed with on the score of inutility, a single hook
+being far more successful, their employment should be relinquished in
+the name of humanity.
+
+The pike will not often rise to the artificial fly, but will take it if
+allowed to sink a foot or two after casting. Many years ago, in
+Wisconsin, I devised the "polka" black-bass fly, and on its first trial,
+at the very first cast, it was seized by a pike of six pounds. The polka
+has a body of red floss silk, with spotted wings of the guinea fowl. I
+have frequently taken the pike with other red-bodied flies, as the
+Abbey, red ibis, king of the water, and Montreal, but the polka was
+always the favorite. Flies with bodies of peacock harl, as coachman,
+Henshall, Governor Alvord, etc., are very useful, as well as some with
+yellow bodies, as professor, queen of the water, and Lord Baltimore. The
+afternoon hours, especially toward sundown and until dusk, are the most
+promising for fly-fishing. Large flies are also successfully used in
+trolling for pike, from a rather slow-moving boat. For fuller
+instructions for fly-fishing the reader is referred to those given for
+the black-bass, which will answer very well for the pike, especially
+where the two fishes inhabit the same waters.
+
+Fishing through the ice for pike or pickerel has quite a fascination for
+some persons, even for those who never fish in any other way. And there
+is a certain kind of enjoyment in it, though actual fishing, as we
+understand it, has but little to do with it. If the ice is glare and
+free of snow, one can vary the amusement with skating. The bracing,
+nipping air on a clear day, with the sun shining brightly on the winter
+landscape, has its charms, and fishing through the ice is a good pretext
+for a winter outing. A dozen or more holes are cut through the ice in a
+circle, its diameter extending over the feeding grounds of the pike,
+whether small or great in extent. A fire may be built in the centre, if
+far from the shore on a lake, or on the shore itself if convenient to
+the holes. The holes being cut and a fire made for comfort, the next
+thing to do is to place the "tip-ups," as they are called, and bait the
+hooks, when there is nothing more to be done but to fill one's pipe and
+wait by the fire for the anticipated event--the rising of a signal
+proclaiming a "bite."
+
+Tip-ups are made in several ways, but the simplest plan, which is as
+good as any, is to provide a piece of thin board, say two or three feet
+long and two or three inches wide. A few inches from one end a hole is
+bored, through which is thrust a round stick, like a section of a
+broom-handle, and long enough to extend well across the hole in the ice.
+A short line, usually three or four feet long, with suitable hook and
+sinker, is tied to the short end of the thin board, through a small hole
+bored for the purpose. The hook is then baited, placed in the water, and
+the thin board is laid down on its edge, with the short end at the
+middle of the hole in the ice, and the round stick straddling it. It
+will be readily understood that a fish pulling on the line at the short
+end of the thin board, or lever, will raise the long end, thus
+indicating to the watcher the looked-for event. The long end of the
+lever may be shaved to a point, to which a signal flag may be affixed.
+Where the fish are plentiful it will keep one pretty busy running from
+one hole to another to take off the pike or rebait the hooks.
+
+When residing at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. I found that fishing through the
+ice for pike and yellow-perch was a favorite sport. I indulged in it
+once for pike and several times for perch, for the latter is a firm,
+sweet, and delicious pan-fish in the winter. Driving over La Belle Lake
+in my sleigh to the "pickerel grounds," where my man had cut the holes
+the day before, the tip-ups and lines were soon arranged and the hooks
+baited with live minnows. A fire was then built on the shore, near at
+hand, to warm the chilled fingers. It was pretty tame when considered
+from the angler's point of view; but with the keen, crisp winter air,
+and the bright sun sparkling on the pure white snow, on which I
+occasionally took a spin in the sleigh, it was quite an enjoyable
+experience. In the course of a few hours several pike were taken and
+left lying on the snow, where they soon became frozen stiff. Upon my
+arrival at home they were placed in a tub of cold water, when all but
+one or two revived and began to swim about; the latter were probably too
+thoroughly frozen or may have been dead before being frozen. Apropos of
+this: I had some minnows in a live box, at the edge of the lake near my
+home, that thawed out alive in the spring after being frozen all winter.
+They were evidently the same minnows, as there were no dead ones, and
+the live ones could hardly have got into the box from the lake.
+
+The mediocrity of the pike as a game-fish is doubtless a just estimation
+in a majority of cases, but once in a while one will exhibit game
+qualities that will surprise the most doubting and contemptuous angler,
+compelling his admiration, and forcing him to admit that there are
+exceptions to all rules, but more especially in fishing. I was once one
+of a party of black-bass fishers on a lake in Wisconsin. In one of the
+boats was a lady of Milwaukee, who was justly considered one of the most
+expert and level-headed anglers in the party. She always stood up in her
+boat, was a marvel in casting the minnow, and played a bass to a finish
+in a style both graceful and artistic after a short, sharp, and decisive
+contest. She used the lightest rods and tackle, and the best. On this
+occasion, after landing a number of gamy bass and logy pike, she hooked
+a pike of about six pounds that put her six-ounce rod to the severest
+test, and gave her twenty minutes of the liveliest work that a fish is
+capable of. It leaped repeatedly from the water, and rushed not only
+straight away, but twisted and turned and doubled in a manner that would
+have done credit to the gamest bass. Finally she brought it to the
+landing-net in triumph, though she was, to use her own expression,
+"completely tuckered out." I venture to say that no man of the party
+would have been successful in landing that pike, with the same tackle,
+in the same length of time.
+
+A woman who is an expert angler will risk her tackle to greater lengths
+than a man, and will take more chances in subduing a fish within a
+reasonable time. This is not because of recklessness, or because she
+does not understand or appreciate the tensile strength of her rod. On
+the contrary, she knows her tackle well, and has the utmost faith in its
+potentiality. I knew a lady friend who was never more than thirty
+minutes in bringing to gaff any salmon of from twenty-five to thirty
+pounds. And my Kentucky friend, Mrs. Bachmann (formerly Mrs. Stagg),
+killed her tarpon of two hundred and five pounds in eighty minutes.
+
+
+THE EASTERN PICKEREL
+
+(_Esox reticulatus_)
+
+The eastern pickerel, also called chain pickerel in the North, and jack
+in the South, was first described by Le Sueur, in 1818, from the
+Connecticut River. He named it _reticulatus_, owing to the
+"reticulations" or the netted character of the markings on the body.
+
+Its range extends from Maine along the coastwise streams to Florida and
+Louisiana. West of the Alleghanies it has been reported from the Ozark
+region of Missouri and Arkansas, but I am rather inclined to doubt it.
+
+In its general form the pickerel resembles a small pike, though it is
+more slender, has a larger eye, and its coloration is quite different.
+The ground color is either olive-brown or some shade of green, the sides
+with a golden lustre, and the belly white. The sides are marked with
+many dark lines and streaks, mostly oblique and horizontal, forming a
+kind of network. There is a dark vertical bar below the eye; the dorsal
+fin is plain; the lower fins sometimes reddish; the caudal fin
+occasionally has a few dark spots or blotches.
+
+In its habits of feeding and spawning it is similar to the pike,
+spawning in the early spring. It is found in weedy ponds in the North,
+and in the quiet, grassy reaches of southern streams. It feeds mostly on
+small fishes and frogs. It grows to a foot in length, usually, sometimes
+to two feet and weighing seven or eight pounds, though its usual maximum
+weight is three or four pounds.
+
+In the New England states it is regarded by many as not only a fine
+game-fish, but an excellent food-fish as well. Others despise it on both
+counts, and there you are. To many a Yankee boy fishing for pickerel was
+the highest ideal of angling, but with the larger experience of mature
+years his idol has been thrown from its pedestal, and he, too, has
+learned to look askance at the friend of his youth. But while the
+pickerel is not a game-fish of high degree, it is capable of furnishing
+a fair amount of sport with light black-bass tackle in waters not too
+weedy.
+
+Ordinary black-bass rods and tackle are quite suitable for pickerel
+fishing, either with bait or fly, though the hooks should be larger,
+about 1-0 to 2-0, on gimp snells or heavy silkworm fibre. Where the
+weeds are too thick to admit of playing the fish a reel can be dispensed
+with, and a plain, light bamboo or cane rod, in its natural state, can
+be substituted for the jointed rod. It should belong enough to furnish
+considerable elasticity, say twelve feet, as its flexibility must
+subserve, somewhat, the purposes of a reel.
+
+The pickerel will take a sunken fly in shallow water, after it has been
+fluttered on the surface awhile. The red ibis, soldier, Abbey, polka.
+Montreal, and coachman are all good pickerel flies, if cast toward the
+dusk of evening.
+
+Skittering is a favorite method of fishing for the pickerel in weedy
+ponds. It is practised with a long cane rod, and line of about the same
+length as the rod, with or without a reel. A spoon bait, frog, or a
+piece of white bacon-rind cut in the semblance of a fish, or a frog's
+hind legs, skinned, are skittered or fluttered on the surface near the
+lily-pads and pickerel weeds. The fish should be kept on the surface if
+possible, when hooked, and drawn into open water; otherwise it may
+become entangled in the weeds and lost.
+
+The pickerel may also be taken by still-fishing from a boat with the
+live minnow or frog. On open water, a very successful way is trolling
+with a small spoon and single hook, or a dead minnow. For these methods
+the reader is referred to pike or black-bass fishing on previous pages.
+
+I have found the pickerel as far south as eastern Florida, where it is
+known as "pike," though it is rarely met with, and owing to its rarity
+is held in pretty fair esteem as a game-fish. In the marshes and rice
+ditches of South Carolina, and some sluggish streams of south-east
+Georgia, it is rather more plentiful, though usually of inferior size
+and dusky coloration. I once caught several on the Cooper River in South
+Carolina when fishing with very light tackle for "bream," which were
+unusually active and strong, and which impressed me as entitled to a
+better reputation as a game-fish than is commonly accorded to it by
+anglers. On the whole, the eastern pickerel is not half a bad fish, as
+English anglers would say. One might go farther and fare worse.
+
+
+THE WESTERN PICKEREL
+
+(_Esox vermiculatus_)
+
+The western pickerel was first described by Le Sueur from the Wabash
+River. He named it _vermiculatus_, owing to the "wormlike" appearance of
+its markings. He collected it about 1818, but his description was not
+published until 1846. It inhabits the Mississippi Valley, south to
+Arkansas and Mississippi, and the tributaries of Lakes Erie and
+Michigan. It is not found east of the Alleghanies.
+
+It is formed on the same general lines as the other members of the pike
+family, but is rather more slender and rounder, with a shorter head,
+proportionally, but a larger eye. Its color is olive-green, or grayish
+green, darker on the back, and belly white. The sides are covered with
+many dark curved streaks, inextricably mixed, or forming reticulations.
+The coloration is quite variable in different waters. A dark vertical
+bar is usually present below the eye; the sides of the head are
+variegated.
+
+It is common in the grassy streams of the Middle West and weedy bayous
+of the South-west, never exceeding a foot in length. The late Dr. Elisha
+Sterling, of Cleveland, Ohio, once sent me a plaster cast of one not
+more than eight inches in length, with the ovaries exposed, showing the
+ripe ova. It is not of much importance as a game-fish or as a food-fish.
+It spawns in early spring, and feeds on small fish, frogs, and tadpoles.
+It may be fished for in the same way, and with the same tackle as
+recommended for crappies on a previous page.
+
+
+THE BANDED PICKEREL
+
+(_Esox americanus_)
+
+The banded pickerel, Long Island pickerel, or brook pickerel, as it is
+variously known, was one of the first of its family to be recognized. It
+was described by Gmelin, in 1788, from Long Island. New York. He named
+it _americanus_, or "American pike," as a variety of the European _Esox
+lucius_.
+
+It is found only east of the Alleghanies in coastwise streams from
+Massachusetts to Florida. It is almost a duplicate of the little western
+pickerel in its general form, and represents that species in eastern
+waters. The characteristics of fin rays, scales, and squamation of
+cheeks and gill-covers apply equally to both species.
+
+The ground color is dark green; belly white; sides with about twenty
+distinct, blackish, curved, vertical bars, often obscurely marked, but
+not distinctly reticulated. There is a black vertical bar below the eye,
+and a horizontal band extending from the snout, through the eye, to the
+gill-cover. The lower fins are often quite red. I have collected it on
+the east coast of Florida of a beautiful emerald-green coloration,
+without distinct dark markings, and with orange-colored lower fins--a
+most beautiful fish.
+
+Although an interesting little fish, it is of no importance to anglers
+and is merely mentioned here, with the little western pickerel, to
+enable the reader to identify the different members of the pike family.
+It spawns early in the spring. It seldom grows beyond a foot in length,
+and is usually much smaller. Fishing for it is on the same plane with
+sunfishing, and the lightest tackle should be employed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE PERCH FAMILY
+
+(_Percidæ_)
+
+Most of the species belonging to this family are the dwarf perches, the
+beautiful little darters of the clear streams. The only genera of
+importance as game-fishes are _Stizostedion_, the pike-perches, and
+_Perca_, the yellow-perch. They are characterized by an elongate, nearly
+round body; small, rough, and adherent scales; rather large mouth with
+sharp teeth; spines on opercle, and preopercle serrate; branchiostegals
+six or seven; two dorsal fins, the first composed of spines, the second
+of soft rays; the anal fin with two spines.
+
+
+GENUS STIZOSTEDION
+
+ _Stizostedion vitreum._ The Pike-perch. Body elongate; back
+ somewhat elevated; head 4; depth 5; eye 4; D. XIV-20; A. II,
+ 12; scales 10-125-25; head and cheeks sparsely scaled; canine
+ teeth on jaws and palatines; opercle with small spines; pyloric
+ coeca 3.
+
+ _Stizostedion canadense._ The Sauger. Body elongate and
+ spindle-shaped; head 3-1/2; depth 4-1/2; eye 5; D. XIII-18; A.
+ II, 12; scales 9-100-27; head and cheeks scaly; spines on opercle;
+ head depressed and pointed; pyloric coeca 5 to 7.
+
+
+GENUS PERCA
+
+ _Perca flavescens._ The Yellow-perch. Body oblong, somewhat
+ compressed, the back elevated; head 3-1/4; depth 3-1/4; eye 5;
+ D. XIV-15; A. II, 7; scales 6-75-17; top of head rough; profile
+ convex from dorsal to occiput, thence concave to snout, which
+ projects; cheeks scaly; opercles nearly naked; preopercle and
+ shoulder girdle serrated; teeth in villiform bands;
+ branchiostegals 7; scales strongly ctenoid.
+
+
+THE PIKE-PERCH
+
+(_Stizostedion vitreum_)
+
+The pike-perch or wall-eye was first described by Dr. Mitchill in 1818,
+from Cayuga Lake, New York. He named it _vitrea_ in allusion to its
+large vitreous or glassy eye. It would have been indeed fortunate if the
+name glass-eye or wall-eye, with or without the suffix perch, had been
+adopted; for this fine fish is a true perch, with nothing "pike-like" in
+form or habits, except its large mouth and canine teeth, and nothing
+"salmon-like" except its trimly-shaped body. But these fancied
+resemblances have caused it to be called in various localities wall-eyed
+pike, yellow pike, blue pike, glass-eyed pike, salmon, and jack salmon.
+It is also known in Canada as dorè and okow, and among the commercial
+fishermen as "pickerel." However, the names pike-perch and wall-eyed
+pike have been rather universally adopted, and it will probably be
+always known by these names. Pike-perch is the Anglicized form of
+_Lucioperca_, the Latin name of the genus in Europe.
+
+It is abundant in Canada and the Great Lake region, and fairly abundant
+in the upper Mississippi River and its tributaries, and especially in
+Lake Pepin. It is found also in the lake region of northern Minnesota,
+and in the lakes and streams of Wisconsin and Iowa. It is not uncommon
+in the upper Ohio River and tributaries, south to Tennessee. On the
+Atlantic slope it is more rarely found from Pennsylvania to Georgia,
+where it often exists in brackish water. I have taken it in my boyhood
+days at Ferry Bar, a point on the Patapsco River, near Baltimore.
+Maryland. Its range is being constantly extended by transplantation. The
+pike-perch is a very trimly-built and shapely fish. Its body is rather
+slender, not much compressed. The head is well shaped, neither too large
+nor too small, with a large mouth well filled with teeth, some quite
+long and sharp. The eye is very large and glassy. Like all the perches
+it has two dorsal fins, well separated; the caudal fin is forked. The
+scales are small and rough. The edge of the cheek-bone is toothed or
+serrated, and the edge of the gill-cover has one or more small spines.
+The color varies considerably in different localities, and even in the
+same waters. The usual color is olive, or greenish brown, mottled with
+brassy or yellowish blotches forming oblique but indistinct lines, or
+vermicular markings. The head is similarly colored and marked; the lower
+jaw is reddish; the belly and lower fins pinkish or yellowish; the first
+dorsal fin is not much marked, but has a large black blotch on its
+posterior border; the second dorsal fin is mottled with olive, brown,
+and yellow; the caudal fin is likewise mottled, with the tip of the
+lower lobe white or light colored.
+
+The pike-perch frequents waters of good depth, only entering the shallow
+portions of streams and lakes at spawning time, and at night when
+feeding. It prefers a bottom of rock or gravel in clear and cool water,
+and loves to lie in the deep pools at the foot of riffles, or at the
+entrance of streams; or where the current is strong and deep near
+mill-dams and under sunken logs, or shelving rocks and banks, and about
+the timbers of bridges in deep water. It is nocturnal in its habits,
+for which it is well fitted by its large and prominent eye, and seeks
+its prey, which consists mostly of small fishes, in shallow water.
+
+It spawns in the spring, and in lakes usually resorts to its spawning
+grounds in the winter, where it is caught through the ice in large
+numbers in certain localities, notably in Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie, and
+in Lake Pepin and other northern lakes. It spawns in sand or gravel in
+shallow water. Its eggs are small, twelve to an inch, and average fifty
+thousand to a female. After spawning it retires to deeper water, and in
+summer locates in the deepest pools. During the spring freshets it
+sometimes ascends smaller streams in its search for food. Its usual
+weight does not exceed three or four pounds, though it often grows much
+larger, from ten to twenty pounds. I have seen preserved heads of fish
+that must have weighed thirty or forty pounds, which had been caught in
+Kentucky--in Tygert Creek and Kentucky River. It is highly prized as a
+food-fish, its flesh being white, firm, and flaky, and of an excellent
+flavor. It is a commercial fish of much importance, especially on Lake
+Erie, from whence it is shipped in large numbers to the city markets,
+where it always commands a ready sale, being in great demand during the
+Lenten season.
+
+The pike-perch is a good game-fish, taking live bait eagerly, and rising
+pretty well to the fly. When hooked it is a vigorous fighter, pulling
+strongly and lustily. It does not exhibit much dash or take line
+rapidly, but swims away rather slowly, but at the same time is
+constantly tugging and jerking on the line in such a manner as to
+require careful handling with light tackle. Ordinary black-bass rods and
+tackle are well suited for the pike-perch up to six or eight pounds,
+either for bait-fishing or fly-fishing. Where they are found in
+considerable numbers, and especially on lakes where pickerel or pike
+abound, gimp snells should be used instead of gut snells to withstand
+their sharp teeth; otherwise the tackle may be the same as recommended
+for black-bass fishing. The best bait is a live minnow, though crawfish
+are successfully used. On lakes it should be fished for in comparatively
+deep water, over pebbly or rocky bottom. On streams the likely places
+are in deep and swift water, at the foot of rapids, or on a rocky lee
+shore with a brisk wind, where it congregates in search of minnows that
+are rendered almost helpless by the churning water.
+
+Owing to its nocturnal habits, the hours from about sunset until dark
+are the most favorable. Night fishing is also quite successful should
+any one care for it. As a matter of experiment I fished Pewaukee Lake,
+in Wisconsin, one moonlit evening in summer, many years ago, in company
+with three other anglers, there being two to a boat. In a few hours
+twenty-two were landed to each boat, weighing from three to four pounds
+each. This was my only experience in fishing for pike-perch at night,
+but I have known many others to practise it very successfully.
+
+Fly-fishing is most successful from about sundown until dark, or later,
+and on cloudy days also during the afternoon. Two flies on a four-foot
+leader may be used, one of which should be a light-colored one, as the
+coachman, or white miller; the other may be any of the hackles or the
+stone fly, oriole, gray drake, polka, professor, or Montreal. The same
+instructions concerning fly-fishing for black-bass may be profitably
+followed for the pike-perch, allowing the flies to sink two or three
+feet after each cast, though it is a more uncertain fish to locate,
+being much given to roaming in its search for food at different
+seasons.
+
+Years ago I had fine sport on several occasions, about sundown,
+fly-fishing for pike-perch from the bridge over Neenah channel, the
+outlet of Lake Winnebago, in Wisconsin. It was really the best fishing I
+have ever had for this fish. All the conditions seemed to be just right,
+and they responded eagerly to the coachman and oriole at first, but at
+the approach of dusk they preferred the dusty miller and gray hackle.
+The fish averaged three pounds, and in the swift water were quite gamy.
+I have been very successful, on many occasions, fly-fishing on the
+Muskingum River, in Ohio, fishing just below the dams late in the
+afternoon; and also about the rocky tow-heads on the upper Ohio
+River,--the fish, however, averaging only about a pound. But taking
+everything into consideration, the character of the stream and its
+surroundings, I think I have had the most enjoyable experience with the
+pike-perch, both in fly-fishing and bait-fishing, on Rock River,
+Wisconsin, in the southern part of the state. It is a beautiful, rocky
+river in places, an ideal stream for wading. The fish also were of good
+size, running up to five or six pounds.
+
+In fishing for pike-perch in different parts of the country I have
+noticed its variableness of coloration, which might be inferred from
+some of its names, as gray pike, yellow pike, blue pike, white salmon,
+etc. As I remember them, those caught in brackish water in Maryland were
+quite greenish, with silvery reflections and with dark markings. On Lake
+Erie the coloration varies somewhat with age, the younger ones being
+known as blue pike, the mature fish as yellow pike, and the oldest and
+largest as gray pike. On the rivers of the Middle West that are subject
+to periods of high and muddy water they are much paler. On the many
+pine-fringed lakes in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota the variation in
+color is quite apparent, both as to the ground color and markings. The
+older fish are very dark and dull on the back, and the younger ones much
+brighter.
+
+
+THE SAUGER
+
+(_Stizostedion canadense_)
+
+The sauger was first described by C.H. Smith, in 1834, who named it
+_canadensis_, from having collected his type specimens in Canada.
+
+It is also known as jack, sand-pike, gray-pike, and rattlesnake pike. It
+is closely related to the pike-perch, though smaller and more slender,
+with a more pointed head and smaller eye. It is distributed through the
+Great Lake region and in the upper portions of the Missouri,
+Mississippi, and Ohio rivers. It grows to a length of twelve to fifteen
+inches. Its color is paler than the pike-perch, grayish above, with
+brassy sides, which are marked by several blackish blotches or patches,
+hence "rattlesnake pike."
+
+It is not nearly so good a food-fish as the pike-perch, and is not of
+much importance as a game-fish. It may be fished for with the same
+tackle as that recommended for the calico-bass or crappie, in the same
+situations mentioned for the pike-perch. I have taken it with a gaudy
+fly on the Ohio and Muskingum rivers, in Ohio, and in the Big Sandy and
+Tygert Creek, in Kentucky; also by still-fishing and trolling on Lake
+Erie about the Bass Islands. The meaning or etymology of the name
+"sauger" is unknown.
+
+
+THE YELLOW-PERCH
+
+(_Perca flavescens_)
+
+The yellow-perch was first described by Dr. Mitchill in 1814, from the
+vicinity of New York. He named it _flavescens_, "yellowish," owing to
+its coloration. It is closely allied to the perch of Europe. It is
+commonly known as perch or yellow-perch, also as ringed-perch and
+raccoon-perch. It is abundant in the Great Lake region and in coastwise
+streams of the Atlantic slope from Nova Scotia to North Carolina. It is
+also common in some of the tributaries of the upper Mississippi River
+and in certain lakes in northern Indiana. It is a handsome fish, well
+proportioned, and of a lively disposition. It has a shapely body, with a
+depth of about one-third of its length, somewhat compressed, and with an
+arching back. The mouth is moderate in size, with bands of small,
+bristlelike teeth, but no canines, and has a projecting snout. The head
+is not quite one-third of the length of the body. Its back is dark
+olive, sides bright golden yellow, belly pale or pinkish, with half a
+dozen or more broad, dark, vertical bars. The lower fins are bright red
+or orange. While the coloration varies somewhat in different situations
+it is always brilliant, rendering it one of the handsomest fishes among
+the fresh-water species.
+
+The yellow-perch is gregarious, always in schools, and the fish of a
+school will be about of a uniform size, be that great or small. It
+frequents waters of a moderate depth in streams or lakes or ponds. In
+streams, early in the spring, it frequently resorts to the edge or foot
+of riffles, when feeding, but later prefers the deeper water under
+mill-dams and about the submerged timbers of bridges, and the still
+water under hollow banks, or in the eddies of old logs, rocks, etc. It
+is averse to a muddy bottom in fresh water, but along the eastern coast
+it is often found on the weedy shoals of shallow bays in brackish water.
+In my boyhood days it was a prime favorite with myself and companions.
+We sought it on the mud-flats, among the water-plants, of the Patapsco
+River, near Baltimore. It was there known as "yellow Ned," and was
+considered a good pan-fish.
+
+In Lake Michigan, after leaving its winter quarters in the spring, it
+fairly swarms about the piers and wharves of Chicago and other towns,
+where it is caught by thousands by men, women, and children with
+hand-lines, rods, and dip-nets. It is a very predaceous fish and feeds
+principally on small minnows and the young of other fishes, also on
+crawfish, tadpoles, small frogs, insects, etc. In large waters it grows
+to a pound or two in weight, sometimes more. Usually it is much smaller,
+a half-pound perch being a good-sized fish in most localities. In
+midsummer, in weedy ponds, it is not good; but at other seasons, or in
+clear, cold water, it is an excellent pan-fish, firm and flaky. In
+brackish water it is good at all seasons. Whenever it has a muddy taste,
+it should be skinned, by which the objectionable flavor is removed
+almost entirely, and owing to its adherent scales it is the best plan
+for dressing it. It spawns early in the spring, in March and April,
+though in very cold waters not until May. The eggs are about twelve to
+the inch, and are held together by a glutinous substance in long,
+ribbonlike masses from two to six feet in length, and from an inch to
+three or four inches wide.
+
+Light trout tackle, either for bait-fishing or fly-fishing, is suitable
+for the yellow-perch for those anglers who can appreciate the pleasure
+to be derived only by the use of appropriate and elegant tackle for any
+kind of fishing, and a pound perch is well worthy of such implements.
+With a fly-rod of a few ounces, a light click reel, an enamelled silk
+line, and a small leader and flies on hooks No. 7, the yellow-perch will
+not disappoint the most exacting angler who has a true love for the
+sport. Under such circumstances it is a good game-fish, eager to rise,
+bold to a degree, and fights to a finish.
+
+Most of the flies used for black-bass, as coachman, polka, oriole,
+professor, Abbey, etc., are successful, as well as the hackles of
+various shades, and occasionally red ibis and stone fly. The late
+afternoon hours are to be preferred for fly-fishing. The flies should be
+allowed to sink with each cast, after being fluttered on the surface a
+few seconds.
+
+In the absence of a more suitable rod, a light one of native cane, nine
+or ten feet long, will do good service without a reel. The line should
+be the smallest "sea-grass," or twisted silk. Hooks Nos. 5 or 6, on gut
+snells, with a small brass box-swivel for connecting snell and line,
+make up the rest of the tackle.
+
+The most taking bait is a small minnow, but grasshoppers, crickets,
+white grubs, or earthworms are good. In tidal waters the shrimp is
+preferred. But in the absence of any of these baits, cut-bait, either
+fish or flesh, may be used with good results, for the yellow-perch is
+not very particular or fastidious. Large perch are also easily taken by
+trolling with the minnow, or a very small spoon on lakes or ponds. If
+the spoon is employed, but a single hook should be used, and that not
+too large. I am not an advocate, however, for trolling for so small a
+fish, and merely mention it as one of the ways and means that may be
+followed. There are men who never rise above this method for any
+game-fish, but they are more to be pitied than blamed. They either lack
+the skill to practise more approved methods, or are too indolent to
+learn them.
+
+The yellow-perch has been introduced into some waters west of the
+Rockies. A few weighing about a pound were sent to me from a lake about
+forty miles west of Spokane, which were of exceptionally bright
+coloration and good flavor. In the same box were two pike of about four
+pounds each, and a large-mouth black-bass of eight pounds, dressed, and
+very fat, plump, and delicious. These fish were the result of a single
+plant by the United States Fish Commission some years ago. On the
+Missouri River, a few miles above the Great Falls, a large lake has been
+formed by an expansion of the river, caused by building a dam for an
+electric light plant. Several years ago some yellow-perch were placed in
+this lake, or in the river just above it, but by whom I have not been
+able to ascertain. At all events, the lake now swarms with perch,
+strings of one hundred or more not being an uncommon catch in a single
+day, as I am credibly informed. As the water above the forks of the
+Missouri River is too cold for the perch, and the water of the lake too
+warm for trout or grayling, there seems to be no probability of any harm
+resulting from the introduction of the yellow-perch, though it was not a
+wise thing to do. About the only fish in that portion of the Missouri,
+before the perch were planted just above the Great Falls, were ling,
+suckers, and catfish.
+
+In the many small lakes near Oconomowoc. Wisconsin, the yellow-perch
+thrives well. It is caught in the summer by men, women, and children
+with almost any kind of bait, and often with the rudest tackle. To the
+summer visitors it is a source of perennial delight, and an unfailing
+means of enjoyment to the juvenile anglers. In my day, Genesee Lake, a
+few miles from Oconomowoc, contained some of the largest perch of all
+the numerous lakes and lakelets. In this lake only the small-mouth bass
+and yellow-perch were found, no large-mouth bass or pike, and the bass
+and perch were of about the same size--two pounds. This uniformity of
+weight did not obtain in any of the other lakes. A basket of perch from
+Genesee Lake was a handsome sight, and the fish were unusually sweet and
+savory. During the winter the residents catch yellow-perch through holes
+cut in the ice in great numbers, in all of the lakes mentioned. It was
+here that I devised my "Oconomowoc" bass fly with creamy yellow body,
+hackle of hairs of deer's tail, cinnamon (woodcock) wings, and tail of
+ginger; but for the perch of Genesee I found that with a tail of scarlet
+wool it was more effective. Many a two-pound perch responded to that
+lure, in days long gone, and as Thoreau says, "It is a true fish, such
+as the angler loves to put into his basket or hang on top of his willow
+twig on shady afternoons."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+THE GRAYLING FAMILY
+
+(_Thymallidæ_)
+
+ _Thymallus signifer._ Head 5-1/2; depth 4-2/3; eye 3; D. 24; A.
+ II; scales 8-88 to 90-11; coeca 18; body elongate, compressed,
+ highest under the anterior portion of the dorsal; head rather
+ short, subconic, compressed, its upper outline continuous with
+ anterior curve of the back; mouth moderate, the maxillary
+ extending to below the middle of the eye; maxillary 6 (?) in
+ head; jaws about equal; tongue, in the young, with teeth, which
+ are usually absent in the adult; eye quite large, rather longer
+ than snout; scales moderate; lateral line nearly straight; a
+ small bare space behind isthmus; dorsal fin long and high,
+ about 3-1/2 in length of body; adipose fin small; anal fin
+ small; gill-rakers short and slender, about 12 below the angle.
+
+ _Thymallus tricolor._ Head 5; depth 5-1/2; eye 4; D. 21 or 22;
+ A. 10; scales 93 to 98; gill-rakers 7 + 12; maxillary 2-1/2 in
+ head; dorsal fin 5-1/2 in length of body. Otherwise much as _T.
+ signifer_.
+
+ _Thymallus montanus._ Head 5; depth 4-1/2; eye 3-1/2; D. 18 to
+ 21; A. 10 or 11; scales 8-82 to 85-10; gill-rakers 5 + 12;
+ maxillary 3 in head; dorsal fin 4-1/2 in length of body. Other
+ features much resembling _T. signifer_ and _T. tricolor_.
+
+Owing to the restricted area of its distribution, the "graceful, gliding
+grayling" is known to but comparatively few anglers in America. He who
+has been so fortunate as to have this beautiful fish respond to his
+deftly cast flies, will bear me out in the assertion that for courage,
+finesse, and all the qualities that constitute a true game-fish, the
+grayling is the equal of its congener, the trout.
+
+In France it is known as ombre, in Germany as asche, and in Norway as
+harren. Among all English-speaking people it is the grayling, though
+occasionally it is called umber in parts of England. All of these names
+are somewhat descriptive of its grayish, ashy, or bluish coloration.
+Gliding along in clear, swift water it seems, indeed, a gray shadow; but
+fresh out of its native element it becomes a creature of
+mother-of-pearl, so beautiful and varied are its tints.
+
+The graceful outlines and beautifully-moulded proportions of the
+grayling, together with the satiny sheen and delicate coloration of her
+adornment, have always impressed me as essentially feminine. The
+evanescent play of prismatic hues on her shapely and rounded sides, when
+fresh from the pure and crystal stream she loves so well, reminds one of
+changeable silk shot with all the colors of the rainbow. Her tall dorsal
+fin, with its rose-colored spots, she waves as gracefully and effectually
+as the nodding plume of a duchess.
+
+[Illustration THE ARCTIC GRAYLING]
+[_Thymallus signifer_]
+
+[Illustration THE MICHIGAN GRAYLING]
+[_Thymallus tricolor_]
+
+[Illustration THE MONTANA GRAYLING]
+[_Thymallus montanus_]
+
+The grayling was named by the ancients _Thymallus_, owing to a smell of
+thyme that was said to emanate from the fish when freshly caught.
+However that may have been in days of old, it is not so now, though an
+odor of cucumbers is sometimes perceptible when it is just out of the
+water. But the name, if not the odor, has endured to the present day,
+for _Thymallus_ is still its generic appellation. The graylings were
+formerly included in the salmon family, and are still so considered by
+European ichthyologists, who include them in the genus _Salmo_. Dr.
+Theodore Gill, however, has formed them into a separate family
+(_Thymallidæ_), owing to the peculiar structure of the skull, whereby
+the parietal bones meet at the median line, excluding the frontal bones
+from the supra-occipital; whereas in the other salmonids the parietals
+are separated by the intervention of the supra-occipital bone, which
+connects with the frontals.
+
+There are three species in America: one in the Arctic regions, one in
+Michigan, and one in Montana. To the untrained eye no great difference
+is apparent between these various species as to form and coloration, [1]
+and their habits are similar, all loving clear, cold, and swift water,
+with gravelly or sandy bottom. They feed on insects and their larvæ,
+small minnows, crustaceans, and such small organisms. They spawn in the
+spring. The eggs are smaller than trout eggs, running seven to the inch.
+They hatch in from ten days to two weeks, according to temperature of
+the water.
+
+
+THE ARCTIC GRAYLING
+
+(_Thymallus signifer_)
+
+The Arctic grayling was first described by Sir John Richardson, in 1823,
+from specimens collected at Winter Lake, near Fort Enterprise, in
+British America. He named it _signifer_, or "standard-bearer," in
+allusion to its tall, waving, gayly-colored dorsal fin. It is presumably
+the oldest and original species, and it is not unlikely that it was
+transported to Michigan and Montana on an ice-field during the glacial
+period. It is often called Bach's grayling, in honor of an officer of
+that name who took the first one on the fly, when with the Arctic
+expedition of Sir John Franklin, in 1819. It abounds in clear, cold
+streams of the Mackenzie and Yukon provinces in British America, and in
+Alaska up to the Arctic Ocean. This boreal grayling has a somewhat
+smaller head than the other species, its upper outline being continuous
+with the curve of the back. The mouth is small, extending to below the
+middle of the eye, which latter is larger than in the other graylings,
+while its dorsal fin is both longer and higher, and contains a few more
+rays. The sides are purplish gray, darker on the back; head brownish, a
+blue mark on each side of the lower jaw; the dorsal fins dark gray,
+splashed with a lighter shade, with rows of deep blue spots edged with
+red; ventral fins with red and white stripes. Along the sides are
+scattered a few irregularly-shaped black spots.
+
+A friend of mine, an ardent angler, returned recently from Cape Nome and
+the Yukon, in Alaska, where he resided for several years. He informed me
+that the grayling is very abundant in the streams of that region, and
+that he had taken thousands on the fly; but not knowing that they
+differed from the Montana grayling, he did not examine them closely.
+
+
+THE MICHIGAN GRAYLING
+
+(_Thymallus tricolor_)
+
+The Michigan grayling was first described by Professor E.D. Cope, in
+1865, from specimens from the Au Sable River. He named it _tricolor_, on
+account of its handsomely-decorated fins and body. At that time it was
+abundant in the Au Sable, Manistee, Marquette, Jordan, Pigeon, and other
+rivers in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan, and in
+Otter Creek, near Keweenah, in the upper peninsula. It has a somewhat
+larger head than the Arctic form, its length being about one-fifth of
+the length of the body; the outline of the latter does not differ except
+in not being so prominent over the shoulder.
+
+The coloration is purplish gray with silvery reflections, darker on the
+back, belly white and iridescent; sides of head with bright bluish and
+bronze lustre; sides of the body with small, black, irregular spots;
+ventral fins with oblique, rose-colored lines; dorsal with alternate
+dusky and rose-colored lines below, and alternate rows of dusky green
+and roseate spots above; caudal fin dusky with a middle roseate stripe.
+
+In 1870-1876 I visited most of the grayling streams in Michigan, and
+found it abundant, affording fine fishing. At that time it was also in
+the Boyne, and in Pine Lake and River. I also took it in Lake Michigan
+while fishing for cisco from the pier at Charlevoix. Fish running from a
+pound to a pound and a half were common, and occasionally one of two
+pounds was taken.
+
+It is sad to contemplate the gradual disappearance of this fish from the
+once densely populated streams of Michigan. At the present day the
+angler is fortunate, indeed, who succeeds in taking a brace of grayling
+where a few years ago his basket was soon filled. This deplorable state
+of affairs has been brought about by the axe of the lumberman, whose
+logs, descending the small streams on the spring rise, plough up the
+spawning beds, smothering the eggs and killing the helpless fry. As
+brook-trout spawn in the fall they escape this calamity, the fry being
+old enough in April to take pretty good care of themselves. The decrease
+of both trout and grayling is commonly attributed to overfishing; but
+while this may have its influence to a limited extent in lessening the
+numbers for a season, other causes must be looked for to account for the
+permanent depletion of certain waters.
+
+A stream or pond will support but a limited number of fish, the number
+depending on the supply of natural food for both young and mature. By
+the supply of food on one hand, and the natural enemies of the fish on
+the other, a certain balance is maintained which if disturbed by, say,
+overfishing one season, will be restored by natural laws the next. And
+this state of affairs will continue so long as the natural conditions of
+the waters remain undisturbed.
+
+By cutting down the pine trees at the sources of the streams and along
+the small tributaries, which are the spawning grounds of both trout
+and grayling, the natural conditions are changed. The scorching rays of
+the summer sun are admitted where once mosses and ferns and the trailing
+arbutus luxuriated in the shade of a dense growth of pines and hemlocks
+and firs. The soil becomes dry, the carpet of green shrivels and dies,
+and the myriads of insects that once bred and multiplied in the cool and
+grateful shade, and whose larvæ furnish the food for the baby fish,
+disappear. The brooks and rivulets diminish and vanish. A page has been
+torn from the book of nature, and the place that trout and grayling knew
+so well is known no more forever.
+
+
+THE MONTANA GRAYLING
+
+(_Thymallus montanus_)
+
+The Montana grayling was collected by Professor James W. Milner, of the
+United States Fish Commission, in 1872, from a tributary of the Missouri
+River, at Camp Baker, in Montana. He named it _montanus_, from the name
+of the state. Lewis and Clark, however, during their wonderful journey
+that blazed the western course of empire, described, but did not name
+it, seventy years before, from fish taken near the head waters of the
+Jefferson River. A few years ago (1898) it was my good fortune to be the
+first to call attention to this prior description. Knowing that Lewis
+and Clark ascended the Jefferson nearly to its source in the Rocky
+Mountains, in 1805, I thought it extremely probable that those
+remarkably close observers had mentioned the existence of this beautiful
+and well-marked species. Upon investigation I found my surmise to be
+correct. On page 545 of Dr. Elliott Coues's edition (1893) of "The Lewis
+and Clark Expedition," I found the following:--
+
+"Toward evening we formed a drag of bushes, and in about two hours
+caught 528 very good fish, most of them large trout. Among them we
+observed for the first time ten or twelve trout of a white or silvery
+color, except on the back and head, where they are of a bluish cast; in
+appearance and shape they resemble exactly the speckled trout, except
+they are not so large, though the scales are much larger; the flavor is
+equally good." (In a foot-note Dr. Coues stated that this fish remained
+unidentified.)
+
+The locality where these fish were taken was near the head waters of the
+Jefferson River, where Lewis and Clark abandoned their canoes and
+crossed the Continental Divide on horses purchased from the Indians. At
+this point the grayling is abundant to-day, as I know from personal
+observation, and coexists with the red-throat trout almost to the
+exclusion of all other species.
+
+Lewis and Clark were both remarkable for clear and correct descriptions
+of the animals and plants met with during their journey, many of which
+were new to science; but as they neglected to give them scientific
+names, others have reaped the honors of many of their discoveries. I
+published my identification of the fish in question as being undoubtedly
+the grayling, and soon afterward received a letter from Dr. Coues,
+congratulating me and indorsing my opinion, which he said was certainly
+correct.
+
+The Montana grayling is found only in the tributaries of the Missouri
+River above the Great Falls. In Sheep and Tenderfoot creeks, tributaries
+of Smith River, in the Little Belt Mountains, it is fairly abundant, as
+it is likewise in the three forks of the Missouri,--the Gallatin,
+Madison, and Jefferson rivers. Its ideal home is in several tributaries
+at the head of Red Rock Lake, swift gravelly streams, and especially in
+the upper reaches of the Madison above the upper cañon, where the
+water is rapid, though unbroken, the bottom being dark obsidian sand,
+with a succession of pools and shallows. I have taken fish weighing two
+pounds in Beaver Creek, in the upper cañon, which is also an ideal
+stream. Such situations are peculiarly adapted to the grayling, being
+preferred to the broken water of rocky streams so much favored by trout.
+
+The Montana grayling is a trimmer-built fish than its Michigan cousin,
+being not quite so deep, proportionally, and with larger scales. Its
+dorsal fin is about the same height, but with one or two less rays.
+
+Its back is gray, with purplish reflections; sides lighter, with lilac,
+pink, and silvery reflections; belly pearly white. It has a few
+irregularly-shaped black spots on the anterior part of the body, but
+none posteriorly as sometimes on the Michigan grayling. It has two
+oblong dark blotches in the cleft of the lower jaw, and a heavy dark
+line running from the ventrals to the pectoral fin; these markings are
+more pronounced in the male, being quite faint or wanting in the female.
+The dorsal fin has a rosy-red border, six or seven rows of roseate,
+roundish spots, ocellated with white, and gray blotches form lines
+between the rows of red spots; in the upper, posterior angle of the
+dorsal fin are several larger oblong rosy spots; the ventral fins have
+three rose-colored stripes along the rays; the pectoral and anal fins
+are plain; the caudal fin is forked.
+
+As a game-fish the grayling is fully the equal of the trout, though its
+way of taking the artificial fly is quite different, and the old hand at
+trout fishing must pay court to "the lady of the streams" with the
+greatest assiduity before he is successful in winning her attention to
+his lures. And even then he must become fully conversant with her coy
+and coquettish way of accepting his offer, though it be cast never so
+deftly. There is a rush and snap and vim in the rise of a trout to the
+fly that is lacking with the grayling. The trout often leaps above the
+water to seize the fly, while it is taken more quietly and deliberately,
+though just as eagerly, by the grayling from below. In other words, it
+is "sucked in," as English anglers term it, though that hardly expresses
+it, as the act is not so tame as might be inferred. On the contrary, the
+grayling rises from the bottom of a pool and darts upward like an arrow
+to seize the fly, though as a rule it does not break water, and is not
+so demonstrative as the trout; but it seldom misses the mark, if the
+fly is small enough, which the trout often does.
+
+Sometimes the grayling will rise a dozen times to a fly, and for some
+reason refuse it, but will take it at the very next cast. Just why this
+is so is one of the unanswerable problems that often vexes or confounds
+the angler. Presumably the fly is too large, or is not presented in just
+the right way to please her ladyship. But the angler should not despair
+under such circumstances, but remember the old couplet, "If at first you
+don't succeed, try, try again." Moreover, he must remember that he is
+fishing for grayling, not for trout. He must not cast on a riffle, or at
+its head, but below, in the eddy or still water, where it is deepest.
+There lie the large fish, though small ones may be in the shallower
+water, and it is the latter that perplex one by their antics, oftentimes
+leaping over one's flies in play.
+
+Trout generally lie in ambush beneath the bank, shelving rocks, or
+roots, usually in shallow water, from whence they rush with tigerlike
+ferocity upon the fly, often leaping over it in their eagerness for the
+fancied prey. On the contrary, grayling lie on the bottom of pools, in
+swift water, entirely in the open. They are also gregarious, assembling
+in schools, while the trout is a lone watcher from his hidden lair.
+
+Some dry fly-fishers of England, echoing the opinion of Charles Cotton,
+term the grayling a "dead-hearted fish" that must be taken with a wet or
+sunken fly. This idea of its lack of gameness is implied in Tennyson's
+lines:--
+
+ "Here and there a lusty trout.
+ And here and there a grayling."
+
+As the English grayling grows only to half of the weight of the trout,
+it suffers by comparison when killed on the heavy rods of our English
+brothers. Their assertion, also, that the grayling has a tender mouth,
+and must be handled gingerly, is another fallacy, inasmuch as it has as
+tough lips as the trout, but the smaller hooks of grayling flies do not
+hold so firmly as the larger and stronger hooks of trout flies.
+
+It must not be supposed that the grayling is not a leaping fish because
+it takes the fly from beneath the surface of the water. On the contrary,
+in its playful moods it may be seen leaping above the surface the same
+as a trout, and moreover it breaks water repeatedly after being hooked,
+which the trout seldom does. It puts up a stiff fight also beneath the
+surface, being much aided in its resistance by its tall dorsal fin. It
+is no disparagement, then, to the gamesome trout, to declare the
+grayling its equal when of similar size and weight.
+
+Grayling fishing has been practised in England for centuries. In
+addition to fly-fishing, swimming the maggot, where a tiny float is
+used, is a common method. An artificial bait, called the grasshopper, is
+likewise employed. While grayling are taken during the trout season, in
+spring and summer, the most successful season seems to be from September
+to December, when they are at their best, both as to gameness and
+condition.
+
+With English anglers the universal practice is to fish up-stream, as the
+fish are not so apt to see the angler, and that plan undoubtedly has its
+advantages in the clear and shallow streams of England. In fishing for
+grayling, however, it is advised by some of their best anglers to cast
+across the stream, instead of above, and allow the flies to float down.
+No reason is given for this deviation from the generally accepted method
+with trout; but I imagine that as grayling lie on the bottom of deep
+pools, it has been found by experience that they are not so apt to see
+the angler as other species in mid-water or near the surface, especially
+in the clear chalk streams.
+
+In America, the streams being deeper, the necessity for fishing
+up-stream is not so apparent. Fishing down-stream is by far the best
+plan, for obvious reasons, if the angler wades slowly and cautiously, so
+as not to roil the water. The principal reason is that one's line is
+always straight and taut in swift water, and the flies can be more
+easily controlled and floated down over the fish, which always heads
+up-stream. Upon hooking the fish it can be drawn to one side, whereby
+the other fish in the pool are not much more alarmed than in the case of
+casting up or across. Casting across seems to be really a concession to
+the advantage of fishing down-stream.
+
+The fly-rod, reel, line, and leader ordinarily employed for
+trout-fishing may be used also for grayling, though I would advise some
+modifications. While a first-class split-bamboo rod of three and a half
+or four ounces may be advantageously used by an angler who knows how to
+handle a very light rod, I prefer one of five or six ounces. Such a rod
+is certainly light enough to be used all day without fatigue, and it is
+well to have the resourceful reserve of an ounce or two for
+emergencies. In any case it should not exceed ten and one-half feet in
+length, if built on the modern plan, where most of the pliancy is in its
+upper two-thirds, the lower third being stiffish and springy,
+constituting its backbone. A very good rod can be constructed with ash
+butt, and lancewood, greenheart, or bethabara upper pieces, and one that
+will be almost as light as split-bamboo, and certainly more serviceable
+in the long run. I would also advise flush, non-dowelled joints, and
+reel-bands instead of a solid reel-seat, the latter being of no
+advantage and only adding to the weight of the rod; moreover, it is now
+put on the cheapest rods to make them sell. A plain groove for the reel,
+with bands, is very much better.
+
+As a matter of course the line should be of braided silk, enamelled, and
+suited to the weight of the rod, as small as size G, but not larger than
+size E. It may be level, but a tapered line is better for casting, and
+is also better adapted for the delicate leader that must be employed.
+
+A tapered leader six feet long is best, but should not be shorter than
+four feet. It must be made of the very best silkworm gut fibre, round,
+clear, and unstained. The distal end should be made of the finest drawn
+gut, known as gossamer, and taper to the larger or proximal end, which
+should be the smallest undrawn gut.
+
+In England the most delicate leaders and extremely small flies are
+employed for grayling. The flies are usually tied on Pennell hooks,
+turndown eye, sizes 0, 00, 000, Kendal scale, which are smaller than No.
+12, Redditch scale, the latter being the smallest size commonly used in
+America. The favorite flies in England have yellowish--lemon to
+orange--bodies, and bodies of peacock harl, either green or bronze.
+Flies with purplish, black, or slate-colored bodies are more sparingly
+employed. They are either hackles or split-winged flies. The formulas
+for some of the favorites are as follows:--
+
+ _Red Tag._ Body bright green harl from the "moon" of a
+ peacock's feather; hackle, bright red cock's hackle; tag,
+ bright red wool; hook, No. 0, Kendal scale.
+
+ _Orange Bumble._ Body, orange floss silk, ribbed with a strand
+ of peacock's sword feather and fine flat gold tinsel; hackle,
+ honey dun cock, wrapped all down the body; hook No. 0, Kendal
+ scale.
+
+ _Green Insect._ Body, bright green peacock's harl; hackled with
+ a soft silver-gray hen's feather; hook No. 0, Kendal scale.
+
+ _Bradshaw's Fancy._ Body, copper-colored peacock's harl;
+ hackled with a feather from the neck of a Norwegian crow; tag,
+ bright crimson wool or silk, with a couple of turns of the same
+ at the head; tying silk, dark purple; hook No. 0, Kendal scale.
+
+ _Claret Bumble._ Body, claret floss silk, ribbed with a strand
+ of peacock's sword feather; medium blue dun cock's hackle;
+ hook. No. 0, Kendal scale.
+
+Most of the foregoing are fancy flies, but are considered the best
+killers on English waters. In this country it has been demonstrated,
+also, that flies with bodies of peacock harl, or with yellowish bodies,
+have been more uniformly successful than others. From this it would
+appear that the predilection of grayling for certain colors in
+artificial flies is much the same both in this country and England. From
+my own experience I can recommend the following well-known flies,
+adding, however, that their construction should be a little different
+from the conventional trout flies of these names in having a red tag or
+tail of scarlet wool, instead of the usual tail, and in having narrow
+split wings instead of the regular style of full wings:--
+
+Yellowish-bodied flies: professor, queen of the water, Oconomowoc, Lord
+Baltimore. Green-bodied flies: coachman, Henshall, and grizzly king.
+Other useful flies are black gnat, cinnamon, iron-blue dun, oriole, red
+ant, gray hackle, and black hackle. They should all be tied on Sproat or
+O'Shaughnessy hooks, No. 12, Redditch or common scale. Two flies only
+should be used in a cast, and of different colors.
+
+Bearing in mind that the portions of a stream mostly used by grayling
+are the sandy and gravelly pools in swift, smooth water, they are fished
+for in much the same way as trout, except that the flies are allowed to
+sink below the surface, very much as in black-bass fishing. It is very
+important that the line and leader are always taut, inasmuch as the rise
+of the fish is not always seen, except as a quick flash or shadow
+beneath the surface. With a tight line the fish will be more apt to hook
+itself. With the small hooks of grayling flies, it is not wise for the
+angler to attempt to "strike," as in trout or black-bass fishing.
+
+Upon hooking the fish it should be led sidewise from the pool, if
+possible, so as not to disturb or frighten the others of the school; and
+for the same reason it should be kept near the surface until taken into
+the landing-net.
+
+Either a light trout bait-rod or the fly-rod may be employed for
+bait-fishing for grayling, with fine silk line, leader, and hooks Nos. 6
+to 8 with a split-shot sinker a foot above the hook. English anglers use
+a small float, but in fishing down-stream it is not advisable, as the
+current prevents the bait from touching the bottom, and renders the use
+of a float for this purpose unnecessary. The bait should be kept from
+six inches to a foot above the bottom. The best bait is the larva of the
+caddis-fly, a small worm or caterpillar encased in a bag or covering
+composed of bits of bark, sticks, etc.; it is known in the Rocky
+Mountain region as the "rockworm." Earthworms, small grasshoppers,
+crickets, and grubs of various kinds are also useful.
+
+When it became known to fishculturists, about 1874, that the grayling
+existed in Michigan, attempts were made to propagate it artificially,
+but without success, as the same lines were pursued as with the
+brook-trout. It remained for the United States Fish Commission to
+successfully cope with the problem in Montana, under my supervision.
+Beginning with 1898, we have hatched millions at Bozeman Station and the
+auxiliary station near Red Rock Lake, at the head of the Jefferson
+River. We have also shipped millions of eggs to different parts of the
+Union, as far east as Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, mostly to
+United States Fish Commission stations, where they were hatched and
+planted in suitable streams. It is to be hoped that some of these
+plants will result in the permanent establishment of this beautiful and
+desirable fish in eastern waters.
+
+The eggs of the grayling are smaller than those of the trout, being but
+one-seventh of an inch in diameter. When first extruded they are
+amber-colored, owing to a large oil-drop, which renders them lighter
+than trout eggs, almost semi-buoyant, and for this reason are best
+hatched, or at least "eyed," in hatching jars. My plan is to keep them
+in the hatching jars until the eye-spots show, when they are removed to
+hatching-trays until incubation is complete.
+
+In a few days after extrusion the eggs become crystal-like or hyaline in
+color, when the embryo can be seen in motion. The period of incubation
+is from ten days to two weeks. The fry when hatched are very small,
+about the size of mosquito "wigglers" (larvæ). Their umbilical yolk-sac
+is absorbed in a few days, when it becomes imperative to supply them
+with stream water, which contains the small organisms (_Entomostraca_)
+on which they feed at first. Afterward they can be fed artificially the
+same as trout fry, which they soon outgrow.
+
+There is an erroneous opinion that has gained considerable currency
+among anglers to the effect that grayling and trout are antagonistic,
+and that to this cause is to be attributed the decrease of grayling in
+the waters of Michigan. My observations have led me to the conclusion
+that this opinion is not supported by any evidence whatever. When I
+fished the streams of that state, years ago, both trout and grayling
+were plentiful in the same waters, and were living in harmony as they
+had done from time immemorial. Their habits and choice of locality being
+different, the trout hiding under cover and the grayling lying in
+exposed pools, their struggle for existence or supremacy does not bring
+them much in opposition, or cause them to prey on each other or on their
+eggs or fry in an unusual degree, or to such an extent as to effect the
+marked decrease of either species. Honors are even. It is the same in
+Montana. In that state the red-throat trout and grayling seek out such
+portions of the streams as are best suited to them; but very often they
+are found together on neutral ground, where they live peaceably and not
+at variance with each other. As no disturbing element has yet been
+introduced, their numbers still bear the same relative proportion that
+has existed since the days of yore.
+
+Likewise in England, in such historic waters as the Wye, the Derwent,
+the Wharfe, or the Dove, hallowed by "meek Walton's heavenly memory,"
+the grayling and trout still coexist in about the same relative
+proportion that has been maintained since and before the days of Dame
+Juliana Berners, Izaak Walton, and Charles Cotton in the fifteenth
+century. On those quiet streams no cause has ever been allowed to
+militate against the well-being of either species, or to disturb the
+natural conditions to any considerable extent.
+
+In a recent number of the _London Fishing Gazette_ is one of the best
+articles on the English grayling that I have ever seen. It is written by
+Mr. E.F. Goodwin, who is undoubtedly fully conversant with his theme
+and well acquainted with the habits of that fish. Among other things he
+says:--
+
+"When in season I maintain that the grayling will give excellent sport
+on suitable tackle, is splendid eating, and is as handsome a fish as any
+angler need wish to gaze upon. What more can one want? How Charles
+Cotton could have written in such terms of condemnation of the sporting
+qualities of this fish as to call him 'one of the deadest-hearted
+fishes in the world, and the bigger he is the more easily taken,' passes
+my understanding, although we must remember that this remark was passed
+to 'Viator' on his catching a grayling in the early part of March, when
+the fish would be out of condition in all probability. I confess to a
+feeling of disappointment at the summary way in which Walton dismisses
+the grayling, showing that he did not think very highly of him either
+from an edible or sporting point of view.
+
+"Grayling will rise readily to the artificial fly, and although they
+will come again time after time if missed (or perhaps I should say if
+they miss the fly, which is more usual), they require the neatest and
+finest tackle and the most delicate handling to secure them; and as
+Francis truly says, 'when you have hooked a grayling, your next
+job is to land him.'--There is a lot of difference between the way a
+well-conditioned trout and grayling fight after being hooked, and this
+may account for some of the condemnation heaped upon the latter as to
+its non-sportive character; for although not so lively as the trout with
+its mad rushes for liberty, yet the kind of resistance is more dangerous
+to the hold you have on him, for the grayling tries the hold of the
+hook in every possible way, and from every possible point of that hold.
+To my mind a grayling is much more difficult to land than a trout, and
+the more I fish for grayling the more convinced I am of his gameness and
+sporting qualities. Certainly there are a great many more grayling lost
+after being hooked than trout, and this is accounted for principally not
+so much from the reputed tenderness of the mouth as from the fact of the
+fish not being so firmly hooked as the trout usually is.
+
+"The ideas of grayling not heading up-stream and of being deleterious to
+the trout have been perpetuated by author after author, just copying one
+another without really ascertaining the facts.... As regards the
+advisability of introducing grayling into a trout stream, that depends
+entirely upon the nature of the river. As far as my experience and
+observation go, grayling only become detrimental to the trout in that,
+being active and voracious feeders, they consume the food that otherwise
+would have belonged to and been partaken of by the trout. It is certain
+that these fish live together in general amity. The grayling is but
+seldom a fish eater, and therefore any accusation as to its being
+destructive to the fry of trout is untenable. That it, in the
+trout-spawning season, may help itself to what it can find of the
+superfluous ova which float down the stream no one can object to, but as
+to its burrowing in the redds and disturbing the hatching ova. I very
+much doubt it. Both the late Dr. Brunton and Dr. Hamilton were very
+strong in their assertion that this was a matter of impossibility with
+the grayling, and yet we are assured by Dr. James A. Henshall that the
+fry of grayling are as much addicted to cannibalism as the pike-perch
+fry."
+
+After giving a brief space to natural bait-fishing, he goes on to say:
+"But after all there is only one way in which this fish should be
+caught, and that is with the fly. This ground has been gone over so many
+times that it only remains for me to say that, the grayling being a bold
+and daring riser, never be discouraged if you fail to hook him, even if
+he rise at your fly time after time. He lies very low in the river when
+watching for his prey, and therefore is not so easily disturbed; and if
+you remain quite still when he has risen and missed the fly and gone
+down to his lair, he will surely rise again. His rise, too, is different to
+a trout. A trout, from lying close to the surface when feeding, takes
+without effort the flies floating over him, and also is easily scared.
+A grayling, from lying deep in the water, quite close to the bottom,
+comes up with great rapidity, and seldom takes the fly until it has
+passed him; and should he miss it, which often happens, disappears
+so quickly that he may well be compared to a shadow--hence the name
+of 'umber,' from _umbra_, a shadow. Should you hook him, up goes his
+great dorsal fin and down goes his head in his determination to get to
+his hiding-place, and it depends on his size and gameness, as well as
+the skill of the angler, whether he succeeds or not. I have often heard
+anglers complain that grayling are more difficult to hook than trout.
+Experienced anglers are all aware that grayling are not so easily hooked
+on the rise as trout, but he offers the best compensation in his power by
+consenting to rise over and over again until if you do not hook him the
+fault is yours, not his. When he rises at a passing fly he must ascend
+at lightning speed in order to cover the distance in time to catch it;
+having done so, he turns instantly head down and descends at the same
+speed. This is really the 'somersault' so well known to grayling fishers.
+With a long line it is next to impossible to strike a grayling on the
+instant, and a taut line in this fishing is of even greater importance
+than in trout-fishing."
+
+[Illustration THE MORE SPORTSMANLY WAY OF CATCHING MASCALONGE]
+
+I have given the above liberal quotations because the article agrees so
+well with my own practice in grayling fishing, and accords with the
+habits of the American graylings as I have observed them.
+
+ FOOTNOTE:
+
+[Footnote 1: SPECIFIC CHARACTERIZATIONS OF THE
+ GRAYLINGS
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+
+| | T. signifer | T. tricolor | T. montanus |
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+
+|Head in length | 5-1/2 | 5 | 5 |
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+
+|Depth in length | 4-2/3 | 5-1/2 | 4-1/2 |
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+
+|Eye in head | 3 | 4 | 3-1/2 |
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+
+|Maxillary in head | 6 (?) | 2-1/2 | 3 |
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+
+|Scales | 8-88 to 90-11 | 93-98 | 8-82 to 85-10 |
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+
+|Gill-rakers |12 below the angle| 7 + 12 | 5 + 12 |
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+
+|Dorsal rays | 20-24 | 21-22 | 18-21 |
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+
+|Height of dorsal fin| 3-1/2 in length |5-1/2 in length|4-1/2 in length|
++--------------------+------------------+---------------+---------------+]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+THE SALMON FAMILY
+
+(_Salmonidæ_)
+
+This is quite an extensive family, embracing the salmons, trouts, and
+whitefishes, and is characterized principally by an adipose fin and
+small, smooth scales. It is my province to consider only the Rocky
+Mountain whitefish and the cisco, as the salmons and trouts are
+described in another volume of this series. There are a number of
+whitefishes, but none of them can be considered game-fishes except the
+one about to be described, as they rarely or never take the fly or bait.
+
+ _Coregonus williamsoni._ Rocky Mountain Whitefish. Head 4-1/2
+ to 5; depth 4 to 5; eye 4-2/3; D. 11 to 14; A. 11 to 13; scales
+ 8 to 10-83 to 87-7 to 10; body oblong, little compressed; head
+ short, conic, the profile rather abruptly decurved; snout
+ compressed and somewhat pointed at tip, which is below the
+ level of the eye; preorbital broad, 2/3 the width of the eye;
+ maxillary short and very broad, reaching to the anterior margin
+ of eye, and is contained 4 times in length of head; mandible 3
+ times; gill-rakers short and thick, 9 + 15; pectoral fin 1-1/5
+ in head; ventral 1-2/5; adipose fin large, extending behind the
+ anal fin.
+
+ _Coregonus williamsoni cis-montanus._ Montana Whitefish. Head
+ 5; depth 5 to 5^1; pectoral fin 1^1 in head; ventral 1-4/5;
+ scales 90. Otherwise like the typical form.
+
+ _Argyrosomus artedi sisco._ Cisco. Head 4 to 5; depth 4 to
+ 4-1/2; eye 4 to 5; D. 10; A. 12; scales 8-65 to 80-8; body
+ long, slender and somewhat compressed; head long, pointed and
+ compressed; mouth large, lower jaw somewhat projecting,
+ maxillary reaching to pupil; mandible 2-1/3 in head; dorsal fin
+ high, its rays rapidly shortened; caudal fin forked.
+
+
+THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN WHITEFISH
+
+(_Coregonus williamsoni_)
+
+This fine fish was first described from the Des Chutes River in Oregon
+by Dr. Charles Girard in 1856, who described most of the fishes
+collected during the Pacific Railroad Survey, and named the one under
+consideration in honor of Lieutenant R.S. Williamson, who had charge of
+one of the divisions of the Survey.
+
+Its general form is not unlike that of the grayling, which has led to
+the absurd opinion, held by some, that the grayling is a hybrid, or
+cross, between this whitefish and the red-throat trout, its body being
+rather long, nearly elliptical in outline, and somewhat compressed. It
+is found in the clear streams on both slopes of the Rocky Mountains, and
+on both sides of the Cascade Range. In the tributaries of the Missouri
+River in Montana it differs slightly from the typical form, and is
+known as the variety _cis-montanus_. It is bluish or greenish on the
+back, sides silvery, belly white. All of the fins are tipped with black;
+caudal and adipose fins are steel-blue.
+
+I know this fish only from the streams of Montana, where it coexists
+with the red-throat trout and grayling. It spawns in the fall. It feeds
+on insects and their larvæ, small crustaceans, and the eggs of other
+fishes. It grows to about a foot in length, usually, and to a pound in
+weight, though I have taken much larger specimens. It is a very fair
+food-fish,--as good, I think, as the red-throat trout, as its flesh is
+firmer and flaky, and devoid of any muddy or musky flavor.
+
+It rises to the artificial fly as readily as the trout or grayling, and
+to the same flies, though a little more partial to small, dark, or
+grayish ones, as black, brown, and gray hackles, black gnat, oriole,
+gray drake, etc. When the streams are higher and not so clear,
+lighter-colored flies are useful, as professor, coachman, Henshall,
+miller, etc. Light trout fly-rods and tackle are used both for fly and
+bait-fishing by Rocky Mountain anglers,--the bait, when used, being the
+larva of the caddis-fly, and known as "rockworm." Grasshoppers are
+employed in the late summer and fall. Fly-fishing, however, is the most
+successful method.
+
+Large baskets of whitefish are made in the three forks of the Missouri
+River, especially in the lower Gallatin River, where it is taken with
+the grayling, the red-throat trout not being so plentiful in that part
+of the stream. The tributaries of this river are also well supplied with
+whitefish. Bridger Creek, one of the tributaries of East Gallatin River,
+has some large whitefish. I have taken them in that stream up to two
+pounds; for gameness they were equal to trout of the same weight, and
+just as good for the table. They are at their best in the early fall
+months, before spawning, when they are fat and in fine fettle. At this
+season they must be looked for in deep holes, especially in August and
+September, when they are gregarious, and one's basket may be filled from
+a single hole when of considerable extent. Later they depart for the
+shallows and pair off for spawning, when they seldom rise to the fly.
+
+There is a sentiment among trout fishers, and among people generally in
+a trout region, that no other fish is quite so good to eat, or possessed
+of as much gameness, as the trout. While I concede beauty of form and
+coloration to the trout, far excelling all other fresh-water fishes,
+there are others equally as good for the table, or even better. When
+camping by mountain streams, freshly-caught trout, fried to crispness in
+bacon fat, has a happy combined trout-bacon flavor that is certainly
+delicious, especially when one has the sauce of a camping appetite to
+favor it; but under similar conditions the mountain whitefish, in my
+opinion, is fully as good. Nine out of ten persons who are prejudiced in
+favor of the trout will declare that it has no scales, thus showing a
+lack of comparison and observation. In the Rocky Mountain region, where
+there are so few species of fish for the angler, usually only trout,
+grayling, and whitefish, the latter should be better appreciated.
+
+
+THE CISCO
+
+(_Argyrosomus artedi sisco_)
+
+The cisco, or so-called "lake-herring," was first described by the
+French ichthyologist, Le Sueur, in 1818, from Lake Erie and the Niagara
+River. He named it in honor of Petrus Artedi, the associate of Linnæus,
+and the "Father of Ichthyology." The variety _sisco_ was described and
+named by Dr. David Starr Jordan, in 1875, from Lake Tippecanoe, Indiana.
+It was for a long time supposed to exist only in Lake Geneva. Wisconsin,
+except in the Great Lakes, and an absurd opinion was prevalent that
+there was an underground communication between that lake and Lake
+Superior by which the cisco entered it. Soon after Dr. Jordan had
+discovered it in Tippecanoe Lake I found it in several lakes in
+Wisconsin, as La Belle, Oconomowoc, and Okauchee. The cisco is somewhat
+smaller than the lake-herring, but otherwise it is about the same. It is
+almost elliptical in outline, the body being compressed. The mouth is
+rather large, with the jaws more projecting than in the lake
+white-fishes. The coloration is bluish or greenish on the back, with
+silvery sides and white belly. The scales are sprinkled with black
+specks. It is a very pretty fish, is gregarious, swimming in large
+schools, and feeds on the minute organisms found in lakes of good depth.
+It remains in deep water most of the year, but resorts to shallower
+water in the summer, preparatory to spawning. From the last of May to
+June, when the May-fly appears in vast swarms on the western lakes, the
+cisco approaches the surface to feed on them. It is at this time that
+they take an artificial fly of a grayish hue. It grows to a length of
+ten or twelve inches, and is highly esteemed as a food-fish.
+
+At Lake Geneva, when the May-fly appears, crowds of anglers assemble to
+cast the artificial fly and the natural "cisco-fly," as the May-fly is
+called. A very light trout fly-rod with corresponding tackle can be
+utilized for cisco, with gray hackle, gray drake, or green drake, on
+hooks Nos. 8 to 10. The fishing is done from boats or the shore. In
+using the natural fly the same sized hooks mentioned will answer. As the
+May-fly alights on every object, the boat and clothing of the angler as
+well, the supply of bait is constant and convenient.
+
+The cisco can be caught in winter, through the ice, in water from fifty
+to seventy-five feet deep, and many are taken in this way from the lakes
+near Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. A small white or bright object is used as a
+decoy to attract the fish, which is kept in motion near the baited hook,
+and on a separate line. The bait may be a very small bit of white bacon
+or ham fat, or fish flesh, though insect larva is better.
+
+When the talismanic words, "The cisco is running," are pronounced,
+crowds of anglers from Chicago, Milwaukee, and all intermediate points,
+with a unanimity of purpose, rush as one man to the common centre of
+Lake Geneva, in eager anticipation of the brief but happy season of
+"ciscoing." Anglers of every degree--armed with implements of every
+description, from the artistic split-bamboo rod of four ounces to the
+plebeian cane pole or bucolic sapling of slender proportions, and with
+lines of enamelled silk, linen, or wrapping cord--vie with one another
+in good-natured rivalry in the capture of the silvery cisco. Very little
+skill is required to fill the creel, as the schools are on the surface
+of the water in myriads, and the most bungling cast may hook a fish.
+Though the etymology of the cisco is unknown, it is a veritable entity,
+whose name is legion during the month of June at Lake Geneva.
+
+The cisco is a localized variety of the so-called lake-herring of the
+Great Lakes, and holds the same relation to it that the landlocked
+salmon does to the Atlantic salmon. Being confined to small lakes, the
+cisco does not grow so large as the lake herring. Before the Chicago and
+Milwaukee railway was built, in Wisconsin, there was a plank road
+extending from Milwaukee to Watertown, and thirty miles west of
+Milwaukee this road crossed the outlet of Oconomowoc Lake. Within fifty
+yards or so of the bridge there stood a roadside tavern where the
+freight wagons stopped at noon on their way from Lake Michigan to
+Watertown. I have been informed by old residents of that section that in
+the fall of the year, about the spawning period of the cisco, boxes of
+fresh fish were frequently carried by these wagons, some of which were
+cleaned and dressed for dinner on the bank of the outlet of the lake,
+and the offal thrown into the stream. It is not unlikely, inasmuch as
+the fish were so recently caught, that the eggs and milt of the cisco
+thus became commingled, fertilizing the eggs, which were subsequently
+hatched. This opinion is supported by the fact that the cisco is found
+in that locality only in the chain of lakes composed of Oconomowoc,
+Okauchee, and La Belle lakes, all of which are connected by Oconomowoc
+River. It is possible that Lake Geneva was stocked in a similar manner
+from Racine or Kenosha. If it is objected that eggs from dead fish would
+not be fertilized, there is still a tenable theory: When the fish are
+taken from the nets alive, many of them are so ripe that the eggs and
+milt ooze from them. Under these circumstances some of the eggs would
+become fertilized without a doubt, and by adhering to the fish when
+placed in the boxes for transportation, they might be carried to the
+place mentioned, and there deposited in the stream in the manner
+related.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+THE DRUM FAMILY
+
+(_Sciænidæ_)
+
+The drumfish or croaker family is quite a large one, comprising nearly
+one hundred and fifty species, inhabiting the sandy shores of the seas
+or the brackish water of the bays and estuaries, sometimes ascending
+tributary rivers to fresh water; the fresh-water drum, hereafter to be
+described, however, is the only species permanently residing in fresh
+water. The members of this family have usually an elongate body, with
+rough-edged (ctenoid) scales; the dorsal fin is deeply notched, or in
+some species separated into two fins, with the soft-rayed portion, or
+the second dorsal, composed of many rays, while the spiny-rayed portion
+has but few; some have barbels, but all have large ear-bones; the
+air-bladder is usually large and complicated, and is supposed to be the
+source of the drumming, croaking, or grunting sounds common to most of
+the species.
+
+ _Cynoscion regalis._ The Weakfish. Body elongate, somewhat compressed;
+ head 3-1/8; depth 4-1/4; eye 6; D. X-I, 27; A. II, 12; scales 6-56-11;
+ mouth large, maxillary reaching beyond pupil; teeth sharp, in narrow
+ bands, canines large; soft dorsal and anal fins scaly, the scales
+ caducous; gill-rakers long and slender, _x_ + 11.
+
+ _Cynoscion nothus._ The Bastard Weakfish. Body elongate, slightly
+ compressed; head 3-1/2; depth 3-3/4; eye 4; D. X-I, 27; A. II, 9 or 10;
+ scales 6-60-7; mouth moderate, maxillary reaching posterior margin of
+ pupil; snout short; body rather deep and more compressed than above
+ species; back somewhat elevated; caudal fin weakly double concave;
+ gill-rakers long and slender, 4 + 9.
+
+ _Menticirrhus saxatilis._ The Kingfish. Body elongate, but little
+ compressed; head 4; depth 4-1/2; eye small 7; D. X-I, 26; A. I, 8;
+ scales 7-53-9; mouth large, maxillary reaching middle of eye; spinous
+ dorsal elevated; pectoral fins long; teeth villiform; snout long and
+ bluntish; scales all ctenoid.
+
+ _Micropogon undulatus._ The Croaker. Body rather robust, the back
+ somewhat elevated and compressed; head 3; depth 3-1/3; eye 5; D. X-I,
+ 28; A. II, 7; scales 9-54-12; mouth rather large, maxillary reaching
+ front of eye; profile rounded; snout convex, prominent; preopercle
+ strongly serrate; anal under middle of soft dorsal; caudal fin double
+ truncate; gill-rakers very short and slender, 7 + 16.
+
+ _Leiostomus xanthurus._ The Lafayette. Body oblong, ovate, the back
+ compressed; head 3-1/2; depth 3; eye 3-1/2; D. X-I, 31; A. II, 12; back
+ in front of dorsal high, convex and compressed to a sharp edge; profile
+ steep and convex, depressed over the eyes; mouth small and inferior,
+ maxillary reaching to below pupil; snout blunt; pharyngeals with three
+ series of molars posteriorly; teeth in upper jaw minute, none in lower
+ jaw in adult; gill-rakers short and slender, 8 + 22; caudal long and
+ forked.
+
+
+THE WEAKFISH
+
+(_Cynoscion regalis_)
+
+The weakfish, or squeteague, was first described by Bloch and Schneider,
+in 1801, from the vicinity of New York. They named it _regalis_, or
+"royal." In the Southern states it is called gray-trout and sea-trout.
+The name weakfish is doubtless derived from the Dutch, and is said to
+have originally meant a soft fish. Jacob Steendam, in a poem in "Praise
+of New Netherland," in 1661, has
+
+ "Weekvis, en Schol, en Carper, Bot, en Snoek,"
+
+meaning weakfish, plaice, carp, turbot, and pike. The name squeteague is
+of Indian origin.
+
+The natural habitat of the weakfish is along the Atlantic coast south of
+Cape Cod, occasionally straying to the Gulf of Mexico. It is most
+abundant between Buzzards Bay and Chesapeake Bay. It is a handsome,
+shapely fish, resembling somewhat the salmon in outline. It has a robust
+body, with a depth of about one-fourth of its length. It has a long,
+pointed head, nearly as long as the depth of the body. The mouth is
+large, with projecting lower jaw. The teeth are sharp, in narrow bands,
+with several fanglike canines in front of the upper jaw. The dorsal
+fins are but slightly separated, and the caudal fin is almost square.
+
+The color of the back and top of the head is bluish or bluish gray, with
+silvery sides and white belly, and with purple and golden iridescence. A
+series of dark, diffused spots or blotches form transverse or oblique
+streaks, more pronounced on the upper part of the body, from whence they
+run downward and forward. The cheeks and gill-covers are silvery and
+chin yellowish; the ventral and anal fins are orange; dorsal fin dusky;
+pectoral fins yellowish; caudal fin with upper part dark and lower part
+yellowish.
+
+The weakfish is a warm-water fish, visiting the coast and bays during
+the spring, summer, and fall, though more abundant in the summer. They
+are surface feeders, and swim in large schools in quest of menhaden,
+scup, and other small fishes. They are more numerous some seasons than
+others, probably owing to certain conditions affecting their food,
+temperature of water, and the abundance or scarcity of their enemy, the
+bluefish. They seldom, if ever, ascend the streams to fresh water, but
+remain about the outer beaches, entering the inlets and estuaries on the
+flood tide in pursuit of their prey, and go out again with the ebb; at
+least this is the habit of the largest fish, known as "tide-runners."
+Smaller fish probably remain in the bays and bayous, resorting to deep
+holes at low water.
+
+Its breeding habits are not well understood, though it spawns in the
+bays in early summer, about May or June. The eggs are quite small, about
+thirty to the inch, are buoyant or floating, and hatch in a few days,
+usually in two. I have taken many hundreds in Chesapeake Bay in August,
+but do not remember ever catching one containing roe during that month.
+It is an excellent food-fish if perfectly fresh, but soon deteriorates,
+becoming quite soft and losing its characteristic flavor when out of the
+water a few hours. It is quite an important commercial fish during
+summer in the eastern markets. Small ones, below a pound in weight, are
+delicious pan-fish; larger ones should be baked. Its usual weight is two
+or three pounds, and its maximum ten or twelve; occasionally they are
+taken still heavier--twenty or twenty-five pounds.
+
+Being a surface feeder it is a good game-fish on light tackle, taking
+bait or an artificial fly with a rush and snap that reminds one of a
+trout, and for a short time it resists capture bravely. Its first
+spurt, when hooked, is a grand one, and when checked darts in various
+directions, making for the weeds if any are near, or toward the bottom,
+or rushing to the surface leaps out, shaking itself madly to dislodge
+the hook. It must be handled carefully and gingerly, for it has a tender
+mouth from which the hook is apt to be torn if too much strain is
+exerted at first.
+
+A very light striped-bass rod may be utilized, but the most suitable is
+the "Little Giant" rod of seven and one-half feet and eight ounces in
+ash and lancewood. A good multiplying reel with fifty yards of braided
+linen line, size G, a three-foot leader, and snelled hooks, Sproat the
+best. Nos. 1-0 to 3-0 for the tide-runners, and Nos. 1 or 2 for school
+fish, together with a landing-net, constitute the rest of the tackle.
+
+The most satisfactory mode of fishing for weakfish is from a boat
+anchored near the channel, or tied to a pier or wharf in a tideway. The
+time for fishing is on the flood tide, from half flood to half ebb, as
+the tide-runners are going in or out in large schools. As little noise
+as possible should be made by any necessary movements in the boat, as
+the fish are easily frightened. Long casts should be made toward the
+advancing or retreating fish, and the bait kept in motion by being
+reeled in. No sinker or float is required, as the bait must be kept near
+the surface. Menhaden or minnows, shedder-crab, lobster, bloodworms,
+clam, and shrimp are all good natural baits. A small spinner, or a small
+mother-of-pearl squid, if reeled in rapidly, often proves very taking;
+also a large, gaudy fly, as the red ibis, soldier, silver doctor, Jock
+Scott, royal coachman, etc., can be used with good effect when the fish
+are running strongly and in goodly numbers.
+
+Still-fishing, with a float, and a sinker adapted to the strength of the
+tidal current, can be practised in the eddies of the tide, or at slack
+water near deep holes, using the natural baits mentioned. Another method
+is casting with heavy hand-line in the surf from the outside beaches,
+using block tin or bone squids, and hauling the fish in, when hooked, by
+main strength. The largest fish are taken in this way; but while it is
+in a degree exciting, it can only be said to be fishing, not angling.
+Many anglers, however, prefer it to any other mode of fishing. Another
+favorite method, but a tame one, is drifting with the wind and tide,
+following a school of fish and taking them by trolling with hand-line.
+If suitable rods and tackle were used, it would not be objectionable.
+
+Next to the striped-bass the weakfish is the most important game-fish of
+the East Coast, and to judge from the greater number of anglers who
+pursue "weakfishing," it is far and away the favorite with the majority.
+The estuaries and bays of the Jersey coast, Long Island, and Staten
+Island, and along the Sound, afford good fishing in the season and at
+favorable stages of the tide. These localities are more frequented by
+anglers than any other section of the East Coast. While ideal angling
+can only be found on inland waters in casting the fly for salmon,
+black-bass, or trout, amidst the rural and pastoral scenes of hill and
+hollow, with the birds and sweet-scented blossoms ever near the rippling
+streams--a full measure of enjoyment is vouchsafed to the salt-water
+angler in the exhilarating sail to the fishing-banks, the sunlit crests
+of the incoming tide, and the health-giving ozone of the chlorinated
+breeze. Then follows the ready response of the gamy weakfish to the
+angler's lure, the brave fight and happy landing of the prize. This is
+surely sport galore, and not to be gainsaid by the most prejudiced.
+
+
+THE BASTARD WEAKFISH
+
+(_Cynoscion nothus_)
+
+The bastard weakfish was first described by Dr. Holbrook, in 1860, from
+the coast of South Carolina. He named it _nothus_, meaning "bastard," in
+contradistinction to the well-known weakfish just described. It is a
+rare fish of the South Atlantic coast, preferring deep water, but
+otherwise of similar habits, and of the same general form as the
+weakfish of the northern waters. It differs from it in coloration, and
+has somewhat smaller scales, a smaller mouth, and more compressed body,
+which is also a little deeper and more elevated. Its color is
+grayish-silvery, thickly sprinkled with small, dark specks on the upper
+half of the body, and silvery below, a row of dark spots marking the
+division. There is another species inhabiting the Gulf coast which will
+be noticed later. Whenever met with they can be taken by the same
+methods and with the same tackle as recommended for the northern
+weakfish.
+
+
+THE KINGFISH
+
+(_Menticirrhus saxatilis_)
+
+The kingfish is also known as barb and sea mink in the North, and in the
+South as whiting. It was first described by Bloch and Schneider, in
+1801, from the vicinity of New York. They named it _saxatilis_, meaning
+"living among rocks," which by the way it does not do, as it prefers
+hard, sandy shoals. Its range extends along the Atlantic coast south of
+Buzzards Bay, occasionally straying to the Gulf of Mexico. It is most
+abundant, however, between Montauk Point and Cape Hatteras.
+
+It has a long, rather round body, not much compressed, its depth being
+nearly a fourth of its length. The head is long, with a blunt snout
+projecting beyond the mouth, which is small, with tough, leathery lips,
+and with a single barbel on the chin. Both jaws have bands of small,
+brushlike teeth, the outer ones in the upper jaw somewhat longer. The
+upper angle of the caudal fin is sharp, the lower angle rounded.
+
+Its color is gray with steely lustre on the back, fading gradually to
+the belly, which is bluish white. There are several dark, oblique bands,
+running from the back downward and forward, and one extending from the
+nape downward, forming a broad "V" with the one next to it; along the
+border of the belly is a horizontal dark streak running from the middle
+of the body to the tail.
+
+The kingfish is a bottom feeder, and as might be inferred from the
+character of the teeth is partial to crabs, shrimps, young lobsters, and
+mussels, but does not object to the sand-lance and other small fishes,
+and sandworms, and is found on the hard, sandy shoals where such
+organisms abound. It visits the shores from spring until November, but
+is more abundant in the summer, when it enters the bays and rivers. It
+is usually found in deep water, feeding along the channels. Although it
+seems to consort a good deal with the weakfish, its habits of feeding
+are quite different from that fish. It spawns in the summer, earlier or
+later, according to the temperature of the water, though but little is
+known of its breeding habits.
+
+Its flesh is flaky, of firm texture, and has a delicious flavor when
+perfectly fresh, which, however, is lost when out of the water a short
+time. It is of small size, usually weighing from a half pound to two
+pounds, though occasionally reaching five or six pounds. But although so
+small it is justly esteemed and in great demand, the smaller ones as
+pan-fishes, for breakfast, and the larger ones for chowders, for which
+it is unexcelled by any other fish.
+
+For its size, the kingfish is considered the gamest of all salt-water
+fishes. It bites savagely, suddenly, and with a vim and purpose that are
+sometimes startling to the unwary angler. And when he takes the
+proffered bait he stands not upon the order of going, but goes at once,
+and with a dash that is remarkable for its length in so small a fish.
+When checked, he darts from side to side with amazing quickness, or
+makes straight for the surface, when the angler is surprised to find him
+of so small a size. He is _multum in parvo_,--a large soul in a small
+body.
+
+In sheltered estuaries and bays where the tide does not run strongly or
+swiftly, or during the stages of slack water, the most suitable tackle
+consists of a black-bass bait-rod and reel, one hundred yards of fine
+braided linen line, a three-foot leader, and Sproat hooks, Nos. 1 or
+1-0, on stout gut snells, the leader being connected with the line by a
+brass box-swivel or swivel-sinker of small size. Where the rush of the
+tide is greater, a natural bamboo chum rod or the Little Giant rod is
+appropriate, as a heavy sinker must be used to keep the bait near the
+bottom. To meet the varying conditions of the tide, sinkers of different
+weights are needed, and a landing-net should not be forgotten when the
+rod is a light one.
+
+The fishing is done from a boat anchored near the edge of the channels
+or in the vicinity of hard shoals of sand, ledges of rocks, or near
+oyster bars, in water of pretty good depth. The bait may be
+shedder-crab, clam, blood-worm, or shrimp. All are good, but crab is,
+perhaps, the best, and should be kept in motion.
+
+The northern kingfish must not be confounded with the kingfish of the
+Florida Keys, which is a fish of the mackerel tribe, akin to the Spanish
+mackerel, a game-fish of high order, growing to a weight of forty
+pounds. I was amused several years ago when a correspondent applied to
+the angling editor of one of the sportsman's journals for information
+concerning the kingfish of Florida. The editor, not knowing any better,
+confounded it with the northern kingfish, and recommended the usual
+means of capture for that fish. I wondered, at the time, how the
+inquiring angler succeeded with the nimble acrobat of the coral reefs,
+still-fishing, with such tackle.
+
+There are two closely allied species--the Carolina whiting
+(_Menticirrhus americanus_) and the surf or silver whiting
+(_Menticirrhus littoralis_), which differ somewhat in coloration and
+in some unimportant structural differences; otherwise they are very
+similar to the kingfish. The former inhabits the deeper water, while the
+latter frequents the shallow sandy shores of the southern coast from
+Carolina to Texas. Their feeding habits are similar to those of the
+kingfish, and in their season they can be captured in the same way.
+
+
+THE CROAKER
+
+(_Micropogon undulatus_)
+
+The croaker was described by Linnæus, in 1766, from South Carolina. He
+named it _undulatus_, "undulating or wavy," owing to the undulating
+character of the markings on the body and fins. Its range extends along
+the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico from the Middle states to Texas,
+though it is more abundant from the Chesapeake Bay to Florida. The
+outline of the body is somewhat elliptical and compressed, not much
+elevated on the back, but with rather a regular curve from the snout to
+the tail; its depth is less than a third of its length. The head is
+about as long as the depth of the body, with a prominent, somewhat blunt
+snout, and a rather large mouth, with small barbels beneath the lower jaw.
+
+[Illustration THE WEAKFISH]
+[_Cynoscion regalis_]
+
+[Illustration THE KINGFISH]
+[_Menticirrhus saxatilis_]
+
+[Illustration THE GERMAN CARP]
+[_Cyprinus carpio_]
+
+The border of the cheek-bones is strongly toothed. The teeth of the
+jaws are in brushlike bands, with somewhat longer ones in the upper jaw.
+There are two dorsal fins, slightly connected; the caudal fin is double
+concave or trifurcate. The back is dusky gray with silvery lustre, sides
+silvery or brassy, belly white and iridescent. There are a number of
+dusky or cloudy vertical or oblique bands, and the upper part of the
+body is profusely sprinkled with numerous dark spots, irregularly
+placed, in undulating lines. A dusky spot is at the base of the pectoral
+fin; the dorsal fins are marked with dark spots, which form lines along
+the soft dorsal fin.
+
+The croaker frequents grassy situations in the brackish water of bays
+and bayous, feeding on crabs, shrimps, and other crustaceans, and small
+fishes. It grows to a length of ten or twelve inches, and is a good
+pan-fish when perfectly fresh. It spawns in the autumn.
+
+On the grassy flats of the Patapsco and other tributaries of the
+Chesapeake Bay I have caught countless numbers of the "crocus," as we
+boys called it. Just under the gill-cover, nearly always, we found a
+parasitic crustacean or sea-louse, a half inch in length, resembling the
+land crustacean known as the wood-louse, or sow-bug,--probably an
+isopod.
+
+A very light rod, a fine linen line, snelled hooks Nos. 1 to 3, and a
+small sinker or brass swivel for connecting line and snell are all that
+are needed for the croaker, as a reel is not necessary. The boat is
+anchored on grassy flats in water from six to twelve feet in depth.
+Shrimp is the best bait, though cut-bait of clam or fish is good. A
+float may be used to keep the bait from the bottom in still water. While
+this fish and the next, the spot or Lafayette, are usually classed as
+small fry, and particularly suited to boy anglers, they are such good
+pan-fish that many "grown-ups" are quite enthusiastic in their capture.
+They hold about the same relation to the more important game-fishes of
+the coast that the sunfishes do to the black-bass, trout, pike, etc., of
+inland waters. When no better fishing offers they will fill the void
+very satisfactorily when light and suitable tackle is employed.
+
+
+THE LAFAYETTE
+
+(_Leiostomus xanthurus_)
+
+The Lafayette, spot, or goody, as it is variously called, was described
+by Lacépéde, in 1802, from South Carolina. He named it _xanthurus_,
+meaning "yellow tail," under the impression that its caudal fin was
+yellow,--which, however, it is not. Its range extends from Cape Cod to
+Texas, though it is most abundant from New Jersey to Florida. It is
+found throughout its range in brackish-water bays and bayous, and is
+somewhat similar in appearance to the croaker. It has a short, deep
+body; the back in front of the dorsal fin is compressed to a sharp edge
+or "razor-back"; the outline of the back is arched, highest over the
+shoulder, with a steep profile from thence to the snout; the depth of
+the body is more than a third of its length. The head is not so long as
+the depth of the body; the snout is blunt and prominent; the mouth is
+small. There are few or no teeth in the lower jaw, while those in the
+upper jaw are quite small. The throat is well armed with molars and
+brushlike teeth. There are two dorsal fins, slightly connected; the
+caudal fin is forked. It is bluish or dusky above, with silvery sides
+and white belly; when fresh from the water it is very iridescent. It has
+about fifteen narrow, dark, wavy bands extending obliquely downward and
+forward, from the back to below the lateral line; the fins are
+olivaceous and plain; it has a very prominent and distinct round black
+spot just above the base of the pectoral fin, which has given rise to
+the name spot in some localities.
+
+Like the croaker, the Lafayette resorts to grassy and weedy situations
+in the brackish-water bays, estuaries, and tributaries. In Florida it is
+present all the year, but does not enter northern waters until summer
+and autumn, when it is often found in company with the croaker or
+white-perch. It feeds on shrimps and other small crustaceans and small
+mollusks. It spawns in southern waters in the fall. Although but a small
+fish, growing to eight or ten inches in length, and usually to but six
+inches, it is a great favorite as a pan-fish, as when perfectly fresh it
+is a delicious tidbit or _bonne-bouche_ of most excellent flavor.
+
+The same tackle recommended for the croaker is well adapted for the
+spot, though the hooks should be smaller, Nos. 4 to 6. It is found in
+the same situations as the croaker, and often in shallow water, or about
+the piling of bridges and wharves, wherever shrimps abound. My method,
+many years ago, was to use a light cane rod, ten or twelve feet in
+length, and a fine line of about the same length, very small hooks,
+about No. 8, with bait of shrimp, cut clam, oyster, sandworm, or
+earthworm. I used no float, but held the rod elevated sufficiently to
+keep the bait from touching the bottom, thus maintaining a taut line, so
+that the slightest nibble of the fish could be felt, when I would
+endeavor to hook it at once, for it is as well versed in bait-stealing
+as the cunner.
+
+It is only necessary to refer to the many names by which this little
+fish is known in various sections of the country to prove its
+popularity. Some of these are the spot, goody, Cape May goody, and
+Lafayette of northern waters, the roach and chub of Carolina, and the
+chopa blanca (white bream) and besugo (sea-bream) of the Portuguese and
+Spanish fishermen of Florida. It appeared in unusually large numbers in
+northern waters about the time that Lafayette visited this country in
+1834, hence one of its numerous names.
+
+Years ago I have seen crowds of men, women, and boys occupying front
+seats on the wood-wharves of Baltimore harbor engaged in fishing for
+spots and croakers, on Saturday afternoons, and many a boy was tardy at
+Sunday-school the next morning through picking out the bones from his
+Sunday breakfast.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+THE DRUM FAMILY (_CONTINUED_)
+
+(_Sciænidæ_)
+
+The most conspicuous and characteristic features by which the members of
+this family may be known were given in the preceding chapter, where the
+brackish-water and salt-water species were described. There is but one
+species found in fresh water, a description of which follows.
+
+ _Aplodinotus grunniens._ The Fresh-water Drum. Body oblong,
+ much elevated, and compressed; profile long and steep; snout
+ blunt; head 3-1/3; depth 2-3/4; eye moderate; D. X, 30; A. II,
+ 7; scales 9-55-13; mouth small, low, and horizontal, lower jaw
+ included; teeth in villiform bands, pharyngeals with coarse,
+ blunt, paved teeth; preopercle slightly serrate; the dorsal
+ fins somewhat connected; scaly sheaths at base of spiny portion
+ of dorsal and anal fins; second anal spine very large;
+ gill-rakers short, 6 + 14; pyloric coeca 7; caudal fin double
+ truncate.
+
+
+THE FRESH-WATER DRUMFISH
+
+(_Aplodinotus grunniens_)
+
+This well-known fish of the Middle West is also known as lake-sheepshead
+on the Great Lakes, white-perch on the Ohio River, gaspergou in
+Louisiana, and as bubbler, croaker, thunder-pumper, and other names in
+various sections of the country. It was first described by Rafinesque,
+in 1819, from the Ohio River. He named it _grunniens_, meaning
+"grunting," from the grunting sound it makes, in common with other
+members of the drum family, when taken from the water. It inhabits the
+Great Lakes and other smaller lakes in the vicinity, extending along the
+Mississippi Valley to Louisiana. Texas, and Mexico.
+
+The fresh-water drum is somewhat elliptical in outline, with quite a
+hump over the shoulders, with a depth of about one-third of its length,
+while its head constitutes more than a fourth of the length of the body.
+The single dorsal fin has the appearance of two. The ear-bones
+(otoliths) are quite large and resemble porcelain in their peculiar
+whiteness, and have a semblance of the letter "L" seemingly cut on them.
+From this circumstance they are known as "lucky-stones," and are often
+carried by boys as pocket-pieces.
+
+It is of a grayish silvery hue, dark on the back, fading to white on the
+belly. In the lakes of the North it has several oblique dusky streaks
+or bands, resembling in a minor degree those of the sheepshead of the
+coastwise streams and bays. In southern waters the streaks are not so
+apparent, and it is called white-perch, owing to its silvery appearance.
+It is a bottom fish, feeding mostly on mollusks, which it crushes with
+the blunt teeth of the throat. It also feeds on small fishes, crawfish,
+and other small organisms. Its spawning habits are unknown, but it
+probably spawns in the spring and summer.
+
+On the Great Lakes it grows to an enormous size, occasionally reaching
+fifty or sixty pounds, though as usually taken by anglers it is from
+three to ten pounds in weight. It is of no value as a food-fish in that
+region, being seldom eaten and heartily despised. On the Ohio and lower
+Mississippi rivers its weight is much less, from one to six pounds, and
+it is there considered a good pan-fish, selling readily in the markets.
+There is no doubt but that it is of better flavor in southern waters
+when of small size.
+
+As a commercial fish it is taken in nets in the North, and in fyke-nets
+in the southern extent of its range. On northern lakes it is often taken
+by anglers when fishing for black-bass, and being a strong, vigorous
+fish with the family habit of boring toward the bottom when hooked, it
+furnishes fair sport, and with considerable jeopardy to light tackle,
+when of large size. The angler is at first elated with what he imagines
+to be a fine bass until its identity is established, when his enthusiasm
+gives place to infinite disgust. And this is one reason why it is
+despised in northern waters, and very unjustly, too, for it is game
+enough, so far as resistance is concerned, and is entitled to that much
+credit. In southern waters it bites freely at small minnows, crawfish,
+or mussels, and is there better appreciated and has a fair reputation as
+a game-fish. I have enjoyed fishing for it with light tackle on White
+and St. Francis rivers in Arkansas, and some of the streams in
+Mississippi. Light black-bass tackle is quite suitable for it.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+THE MINNOW FAMILY
+
+(_Cyprinidæ_)
+
+This family of fresh-water fishes numbers probably a thousand species,
+mostly of small size in America and known universally as "minnows." In
+the eastern hemisphere the species grow larger, and of these, two have
+been introduced into America,--the German carp and the goldfish.
+
+ _Cyprinus carpio._ The German Carp. Body robust, compressed,
+ heavy anteriorly; head 4-1/2; depth 3-1/2; scales (normally)
+ 5-38-5; mouth moderate, with four long barbels; teeth molar, 1,
+ 1, 3-3, 1, 1; dorsal fin elongate, dorsal and anal fins each
+ preceded by a serrated spine. D. III, 20; A. III, 5.
+
+
+THE GERMAN CARP
+
+(_Cyprinus carpio_)
+
+The carp was described and named by Linnæus in 1758. Its original home
+was in China, and from thence it was introduced into Europe, and from
+there to America.
+
+Since the introduction of the carp into the United States, some thirty
+years ago, it may now be said to inhabit every state in the Union,
+having escaped from the ponds in which it was placed at first, into
+almost every stream, especially in the Mississippi Valley.
+
+The dorsal fin is single, extending from the middle of the back nearly
+to the tail, highest in front. In the typical scale-carp the scales are
+large, there being about thirty-eight along the lateral line, with five
+rows above it and five rows below. But domestication has greatly altered
+the squamation; thus in the leather-carp the body is naked, with the
+exception of a few very large ones on the back; in the mirror-carp there
+are a few rows of very large scales. The coloration is as variable as
+its scales. It is usually of some shade of olive or brown, with golden
+lustre, darkest on the back, with the belly whitish or yellowish.
+
+In Europe the carp hibernates, or remains dormant during the winter,
+burying itself in the mud of the bottom with its tail only exposed. In
+America it seems to have abandoned this habit almost entirely,
+especially in the more southern waters. It is not strictly, if at all, a
+herbivorous fish as has been alleged, but stirs up the bottom of ponds
+in search of minute animal organisms, rendering the water foul and
+muddy. It also devours the spawn of other fishes, though some persons
+contend that it does not, which is absurd, when it is considered that
+almost all fishes are addicted to this natural vice. I know from my own
+observation that the carp is not exempt from the habit. It grows to a
+length of two feet under favorable conditions. One of twenty-four inches
+will weigh about ten pounds. As a food-fish it ranks below the buffalo
+or sucker. It sells readily, however, to negroes. Chinese, and Polish
+Jews of the cities.
+
+I have no love for the German carp, but as it is now so plentiful in
+most waters, especially in the Mississippi Valley, and is constantly
+increasing in numbers, it may be well enough to devote a small space to
+it as a game-fish. It is a very poor fish at best, and as the poor we
+have always with us, we will never be rid of it. In England, where it
+has existed for centuries, it is considered a very shy and uncertain
+fish to catch; and the larger the fish, the more difficult to
+circumvent. The best success, and the best is very poor, is met with on
+small, stagnant ponds, with comparatively small fish. English anglers
+use a small quill float and split-shot sinker, allowing the bait to just
+touch the bottom. They then stick the butt of the rod in the ground and
+retire out of sight of the fish, watching the float meanwhile. They use
+for bait, worms, maggots, and pastes of various kinds, and usually
+ground-bait the "swims" to be fished, a day in advance.
+
+Where the carp are large, five or six pounds, the rod, reel, and line
+recommended for black-bass fishing will subserve a good purpose. A
+leader three feet long, stained mud color, must be used, with small
+hooks, Nos. 7 or 8, tied on gut snells. One of the best baits is a red
+earthworm.
+
+I think the hook can hardly be too small; Nos. 10 or 12 would probably
+be more successful than larger ones, as the fish is apt to eject the
+bait at once upon feeling the hook concealed in it. And this is
+especially important if such baits as bread paste, hard-boiled potato,
+or boiled grain are employed.
+
+The carp has a peculiar mouth, and feeds much like the sucker. It draws
+in mud and water and food together, strains the water through the gills,
+expelling it by the gill-openings, and probably macerates the residue by
+means of the tongue and the cushiony lining of the buccal cavity before
+swallowing it. During this process of mouthing the bait the fish is
+very likely to discover the hook, if large, and eject it.
+
+When once hooked, the fish is not to be lightly esteemed. The angler
+will have all he can attend to with a light rod in a weedy pond, or even
+in clear water if the fish is of large size. As most other game-fishes
+may in time disappear before the Asiatic carp, the analogue of the
+Mongolian boxer, it may be well and prudent to learn some of the ways to
+outwit him. In China and Japan the carp is considered before any other
+fish for food, and is emblematic of strength, vigor, and other good
+qualities. It is a custom in Japanese households, upon the birth of a
+male child, to hoist a flag representing a carp, in order that he may
+grow in strength and all manly attributes. In England the carp is not
+much liked. On the continent of Europe it is considered a good
+food-fish, but it is confined in clear running water to deprive it of
+its earthy flavor before it is marketed or eaten. It is likewise kept
+within proper bounds, although it has been cultivated for centuries. In
+the United States, however, it has spread over the Mississippi Valley
+and elsewhere from overflowed ponds until it bids fair to become a
+nuisance, inasmuch as our waters seem to be particularly suited to it.
+As there are so many better species of food-fishes in this country, both
+in fresh and salt water, there was no excuse or necessity for its
+introduction, which I consider as great a calamity as that of the
+English sparrow or the Shanghai chicken, and adding a third foreign evil
+that we will never be rid of.
+
+I have experimented with carp fishing, but I think the results were
+never twice alike. A great deal depends on the condition of the water.
+In ponds that are kept constantly muddy by the rooting of the carp, it
+is difficult for them to see the bait, and they must then depend on the
+olfactory sense to find it. This may take a longer time than the
+patience of the angler will admit. When the water is clear, as on a
+stream, the carp is too apt to see the angler, and being naturally a shy
+fish will not go near the bait under these circumstances. There is then
+nothing to do but to fix the rod in the bank and lie down beside it, or
+behind a bush or screen, until the moving of the float announces the
+hooking of the fish. By using a small float, fine line, and very small
+hooks, and a variety of baits, as earthworms, boiled grain or
+vegetables, pastes of various kinds, and a good stock of patience, one
+may eventually succeed in taking a few fish; but the game is hardly
+worth the candle.
+
+As the fish has its advocates, however, I add the following account of
+angling for carp in England, where it has been acclimated for several
+centuries. The directions given are abridged from Cornwall Simeon, a
+writer on natural history and angling:--
+
+"The tackle required will simply be a long rod, a reel containing not
+less than fifty yards of fineish line, a fine but sound casting-line
+nearly as long as the rod, hooks of about No. 9 size tied on gut to
+match, and a small, unpretending float, besides a good lump of the crumb
+of new bread, and a landing-net. Select a quiet, shallow part of the
+pond, especially if the weather be hot, and near its edge stick a few
+small bushes as a screen. Then plumb the depth of the water, and cover
+the whole of your hook, leaving not the slightest part visible, with a
+piece of bread kneaded into paste, and setting the float two or three
+feet _farther from the bait_ than the depth of the water, throw it well
+out, drawing in afterward all the slack of your line. You may then rest
+your rod on a forked stick, and sitting down, smoke your pipe if you
+like, and proceed to ground-bait the place by filliping in bread pills
+all round your bait and pretty wide of it. The two great objects should
+be not to alarm the carp and to get them to feed. They are very timid,
+and if they once take fright at anything and leave a place in
+consequence, it will generally be a good while before they will return
+to it. For this reason I prefer not to throw in any ground-bait when
+fishing for them until all my preparations are made and the actual bait
+is in the water. When they begin to come to the bread, if the bottom is
+at all muddy and the water not too deep, you will see lines of mud
+stirred up by them as they come on, nuzzling in it like so many pigs.
+You have then only to keep quiet and bide your time. The float will give
+you sufficient warning when to strike, and you should only do so when
+the carp is going well and steadily away with it. If your tackle is
+sound, and you are not intoo great a hurry, you may make pretty sure of
+landing him."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+THE CATFISH FAMILY
+
+(_Siluridæ_)
+
+The catfish family is represented by many species in the United States.
+They have the body entirely naked, barbels about the mouth, and an
+adipose fin, after the fashion of the fishes of the salmon family. They
+vary greatly in size, from the little stone-cat of three inches to the
+immense Mississippi-cat of nearly two hundred pounds. But one species
+will be noticed.
+
+_Ictalurus punctatus._ The Channel-catfish. Body elongate, slender,
+compressed posteriorly; head 4; depth 5; eye large; D. I, 6; A. 25 to
+30; head slender and conical; mouth small, upper jaw longest; barbels
+long, the longest reaching considerably beyond the gill opening; humeral
+process long and slender; caudal fin long and deeply forked.
+
+
+THE CHANNEL-CATFISH
+
+(_Ictalurus punctatus_)
+
+The channel-cat was first described by Rafinesque, in 1820, from the
+Ohio River. He named it _punctatus_, or "spotted," owing to the black
+spots on its sides. It is also known as white-cat and blue-cat in
+various parts of its range. It is found in rivers of the Great Lake
+region and Mississippi Valley, and in the streams tributary to the Gulf
+of Mexico.
+
+[Illustration THE CHANNEL-CATFISH]
+[_Ictalurus punctatus_]
+
+[Illustration THE SHEEPSHEAD]
+[_Archosargus probatocephalus_]
+
+[Illustration THE CUNNER]
+[_Tautogolabrus adspersus_]
+
+It is the most trimly-built of all the catfishes, with a long, slender
+body and small head. It is olivaceous or slate color above, sides pale
+and silvery, with small, round, dark spots; belly white; fins usually
+with dark edgings.
+
+Unlike most of the catfishes the channel-cat is found only in clear or
+swift streams, never in still, muddy situations. It is a clean,
+wholesome fish, and feeds mostly on minnows and crawfish. It is a good
+food-fish, the flesh being white and firm and of a rich flavor. It grows
+to a weight of twenty pounds, occasionally, though usually to five or
+six pounds.
+
+The channel-cat is a very fine game-fish. It takes the live minnow
+readily, also shedder crawfish, and will not refuse earthworms, cut
+butcher meat or liver. When hooked it is second to no other fish of its
+size as a bold, strong fighter beneath the surface. The angler who has
+"tackled," in a literal sense, a channel-cat of five pounds, on a light
+rod, can vouch for its gameness.
+
+As it coexists with the black-bass in streams in the Mississippi Valley,
+and is usually taken by the angler when angling for that fish, the rod,
+reel, line, and hook recommended for the black-bass will be found
+eminently serviceable for the channel-cat. It is fond of the deep pools
+below mill-dams, and in the channels of streams off gravelly or rocky
+shoals, and near shelving banks and rocks. The method of casting the
+minnow for black-bass answers well for the channel-cat, though the casts
+should not be so frequently made, and more time should be allowed for
+the display of the minnow in mid-water.
+
+Still-fishing with a small, live minnow for bait is the plan generally
+followed; and as the bait should be left to its own devices for several
+minutes at a time, a light float is sometimes useful for keeping it off
+the bottom. When crawfish, cut-bait, or worms are used, the float must
+always be employed for the same reason. The fish should be given several
+seconds to gorge the bait, and then hooked by an upward, short, and
+quick movement of the tip of the rod. When hooked it should feel
+constantly the strain of the bent rod, and no more line given than is
+actually necessary; otherwise the struggle will last a long time. No
+half-hearted measures will answer for the channel-cat, which has a
+wonderful amount of vitality. He must be subdued by the determined
+opposition of a good rod and a strong arm.
+
+There are a number of other catfishes that are taken by angling, but
+none are worthy of the name of game-fishes, though as food they are
+nearly all to be commended. There are two other species of channel-cats,
+though neither is quite so good either as game-fishes or for food. They
+are the blue-cat, also known as chuckle-head cat (_Ictalurus furcatus_),
+which may be known by its more extensive anal fin, which has from thirty
+to thirty-five rays, and its bluish silvery color, and with but few if
+any spots. The other is the willow-cat, or eel-cat (_Ictalurus
+anguilla_), of a pale yellowish or olivaceous color, without spots. Both
+of these fishes are found in southern waters from Ohio to Louisiana. The
+channel-cats are often called forked-tail cats, as they are the only
+catfishes that have the caudal fin deeply forked.
+
+I think no one appreciates the gameness of the channel-catfish, or has
+such a just estimation of its toothsomeness, as the Kentucky darky. He
+will sit all day long, a monument of patience, on a log or rock at the
+edge of a "cat-hole" of the stream, with hickory pole, strong line and
+hook, and a bottle cork for a float. He baits his hook with a piece of
+liver or a shedder crawfish--"soft craw," he calls it, and only uses
+minnows when the other baits fail. Apropos of this love for the
+channel-cat may be related the true incident of the "cornfield" darky
+who, while fishing for cats, had the luck to hook a fine black-bass,
+which was landed after a "strenuous" struggle, to the envy of his
+companions. After surveying it with evident admiration awhile, he
+unhooked it, and with a profound sigh he deliberately threw it back into
+the stream to the amazement and disgust of the others. "Good Lawd,
+Jeff," exclaimed one, "w'at yo' done do dat fur? dat sholy wa' a good
+bass; must a weighed more'n a couple o'poun's!" He surveyed the group
+with supreme contempt for a moment before he replied, "W'en I go
+a-cattin'. I go a-cattin'." What greater tribute to the channel-cat than
+this!
+
+On the other hand I was once fly-fishing on a black-bass stream in
+Kentucky, with a friend from Ohio who was casting the minnow. Having
+each made a good basket we were ready to quit, as the evening shadows
+were lengthening and the air was becoming decidedly cool. I was taking
+my rod apart, but my friend wanted to make "just one more cast," which
+happened to be on an inviting-looking "cat-hole." As I was tying the
+strings of my rod case I heard him exclaim joyfully. "I've got the boss
+bass of the season!" Turning, I perceived him wildly dancing on the edge
+of the pool, his rod bent to an alarming curve, and the strain on his
+line evidently near the danger point. I watched in vain for the leap of
+the bass, and then concluded he had business on hand for an uncertain
+period, for I felt sure that he had hooked a channel-cat of considerable
+avoirdupois. The fight was well sustained, and a gallant one on both
+sides; but it seemed impossible for the light rod to bring the fish near
+enough to slip the landing-net under it. Finally he backed away from the
+stream, drawing the fish close to the shore, where I netted it--a
+channel-cat of five pounds. When my friend saw what it was, he was the
+most disappointed and disgusted man in Kentucky. "Great Scott!" he
+yelled. "I nearly ruined my rod for a confounded catfish."--"Well," said
+I, "you had your fun; he put up a good fight; what more do you
+want?"--"Want! want!" he angrily cried, "I want to stamp the life out of
+the horrid brute; and I'll do it, too!" But I unhooked the fish and
+strung it on a willow branch. I had it stuffed and baked for our dinner
+next day, when he acknowledged that it was the best fish he ever ate,
+and was entirely consoled for the strain to his rod, to say nothing of
+his temper, and ever after had a better opinion of the channel-cat.
+
+[Illustration FISHING FOR CUNNERS]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+THE SHEEPSHEAD FAMILY
+
+(_Sparidæ_)
+
+This family embraces the sheepshead, porgies, and sea-breams. It is
+characterized principally by a heavy, compressed body, strong jaws and
+teeth, the front ones incisor-like and broad, and flat, grinding teeth
+or molars in the back of the mouth, like a pavement of small, rounded
+pebbles, for crushing the shells of mollusks.
+
+ _Archosargus probatocephalus._ The Sheepshead. Body short,
+ deep, and compressed, with large scales; head 3-1/2; depth 2 to
+ 2-1/2; eye 4; D. XII, 10 or 12; A. III, 10 or 11; scales
+ 8-48-15; mouth large, nearly horizontal, maxillary 2-2/3 in
+ head; incisors 3/4, entire in adult; molars in 3 series above
+ and 2 below; gill-rakers about 3 + 6; dorsal and anal spines
+ notably heteracanthous; frontal bone between the eyes convex
+ and honeycombed; occipital crest broad and honeycombed.
+
+ _Stenotomus chrysops._ The Scup. Body ovate-elliptical; head
+ 3-1/2; depth 2; eye 4; D. XII, 12; A. III, 11; scales 8-50-16;
+ profile steep; nape convex; a strong depression in front of the
+ eye; snout short; temporal crest obsolete; incisor teeth
+ narrow; molars in 2 rows above; gill-rakers small, about 6 +
+ 10; caudal fin forked; top of head, snout, orbitals, and chin
+ naked; a scaly sheath at base of soft dorsal and anal fins;
+ scales on cheeks.
+
+
+THE SHEEPSHEAD
+
+(_Archosargus probatocephalus_)
+
+In his account of the fishes in the vicinity of New York, in 1788,
+Schöpf, a surgeon in the British army, placed the sheepshead in the
+European genus _Sparus_, but gave it no specific name. From his
+description the ichthyologist Walbaum, in 1792, named it
+_probatocephalus_, which being translated means "sheep head." This fish
+inhabits the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Cape Cod to Texas, where it
+is common during the summer months, but it is especially abundant in the
+bays of Florida during the entire year. Its body is nearly half as deep
+as long, is much compressed, and elevated and arched over the shoulder.
+The head is large, about a third of the length of the body, with a steep
+profile, rounded in front of the eyes, which with its incisor teeth
+bears a slight resemblance to the profile of a sheep. The mouth is
+large, with strong incisor teeth in front, and several series of molar
+teeth in both jaws. The general tint is dusky gray, with silvery lustre,
+paling to the belly; about half a dozen broad, black bars cross the
+body, from above downward, very distinct in the young, but becoming
+fainter with age.
+
+As might be inferred from the character of its teeth, the sheepshead
+resorts to mussel shoals, oyster bars, bridge piers, and old wrecks,
+where mussels and barnacles abound, and on which it feeds, pinching them
+from their beds with its strong incisor teeth and crushing them with its
+molars. It is gregarious, feeding in schools, especially in southern
+waters, several hundred having been taken on a single tide at places in
+Florida. It appears in northern waters in June and disappears in the
+fall, probably wintering at great depths of the sea contiguous to the
+coast. Its usual maximum weight in northern waters is from three to six
+pounds, though occasionally reaching ten, fifteen, or even twenty
+pounds, though these heavy fish are exceedingly rare. Its average size
+in Florida is less than in the North.
+
+It is highly esteemed on the East Coast as a dinner fish, baked or
+boiled, and owing to its fine flavor has been called the turbot of
+America, though it is really much superior, in northern waters, to that
+vaunted aldermanic delicacy. In Florida, however, it is very lightly
+esteemed as a food-fish, and is seldom eaten where other and better
+fishes are available. Perhaps its abundance has something to do with its
+depreciation, though I am convinced, from numerous trials and tests,
+that it is not so good a fish in southern waters as in the North, having
+a sharp, saline taste that is not agreeable to most palates. While
+confined to salt and brackish waters in the North, it often ascends the
+rivers of Florida to fresh water. I have seen it in the large springs,
+the head waters of several rivers on the Gulf coast, its barred sides
+being plainly discernible on the bottom at a depth of fifty or
+seventy-five feet, in the clear and crystal-like water.
+
+The difference in flavor between the sheepshead of the North and South
+may perhaps be due to the character of their food. It is especially
+noticeable that fishes of the salt water that pass the winter season in
+the deep sea, as the salmon, shad, etc., possess a more superior flavor
+than those that feed constantly and during the entire year along the
+shores. While nothing is really known concerning the spawning habits of
+the sheepshead in northern waters, it probably spawns in early summer.
+From my own knowledge I can say that it spawns in Florida, on the Gulf
+coast, during March and April. Its eggs are very small, about thirty to
+the inch, are buoyant or floating, and hatch in two days.
+
+A good rod for sheepshead fishing is the natural bamboo rod, known as
+the striped-bass chum rod. It is light, and strong enough to withstand
+the vicious tugs, spurts, and especially the propensity of boring toward
+the bottom, that is characteristic of this fish. A rod of steel, or
+lancewood, or ash and greenheart, or bethabara, though heavier, is
+better and stronger. It should be about eight feet in length, with
+double guides. A multiplying reel carrying sixty yards of braided linen
+line, size E or F, Sproat hooks, Nos. 1-0 to 3-0 on gimp snells, with
+sinkers, and a wide-mouthed landing-net, make up the rest of the tackle.
+The short barb, with cutting edges, of the Sproat hook renders it
+superior to the Virginia. Chestertown, or blackfish hooks formerly so
+much in vogue for the sheepshead. A brass box-swivel is necessary for
+connecting the line with the snell of the hook.
+
+While the sheepshead often bites at all stages of the tide, the most
+favorable time is about slack water; from that stage, to half flood or
+half ebb, good success may usually be expected. The largest fish are
+taken from a boat anchored over or near mussel shoals or oyster beds.
+Smaller ones can be caught from old wharves or bridges whose piling is
+studded with barnacles and mussels, and about which shrimp abound.
+During slack water a light sinker is sufficient; but when the tide runs
+strongly, heavier ones must be used, as it is imperative to keep the
+bait near the bottom, especially if fishing from a boat. If fishing from
+a wharf, it does not matter so much, provided the bait is deep enough to
+prevent the fish from seeing the angler. While this is a precaution that
+must be observed with all fishes, I do not think the sheepshead is so
+shy a fish as some maintain; at least I have never found it so.
+
+The best bait is shedder-crab, fiddlers, or hermit crabs. Clam bait,
+though, is cheaper and more universally used in the North. In Florida
+the fiddlers can be scooped up by the peck on the inside beaches of the
+bays, and contiguous to good sheepshead fishing. If the clam is large,
+the meat should be cut up for bait; but if quite small, or if mussels
+are used, the shells may be merely cracked or smashed, and put on the
+hook entire. The latter is the mode where the fish are scarce or shy,
+but I prefer to use the meat only, discarding the shells; in the case of
+fiddlers, when very small, they should be used _au naturel_, or whole.
+
+The bait should be cast and allowed to sink, and the line reeled enough
+to keep the bait off the bottom, but close to it. A taut line should be
+maintained always, so as to feel the slightest nibble. If crab bait, or
+cut clam, is used, the fish should be hooked, if possible, at the first
+bite, however slight, by a quick and somewhat vigorous upward jerk of
+the tip, otherwise the sheepshead is apt to nip off the bait; or if
+sufficient force is not used, the hook fails to enter the well-armed
+mouth. One or other of these contingencies is almost sure to follow, if
+the fish be not hooked. A small sheepshead is a more adroit stealer of
+bait than the cunner. It has a way of deftly pinching the bait from the
+hook without much, if any, disturbance. When small clams or mussels are
+used in the cracked shells, it is thought best by some anglers to give
+the fish a little time to "shuck" the bait before jerking on the rod.
+But my advice is to yank him just as quickly as if crab bait were
+employed. To hesitate is to be defrauded of either the fish or the bait.
+
+When the fish is hooked he should be kept from the bottom by the spring
+of the rod, and brought as near the surface as possible. When line is
+given during his frantic rushes, the spring and resistance of the rod
+should never be lessened. Once on the surface he is easily kept there
+until conquered; but if allowed to descend to the bottom, he is pretty
+hard to manage, as his resistance then is very much greater, and he
+endeavors to tear out the hook by forcing his jaws among the rocks and
+débris or weeds. He should always be taken into the landing-net, and
+care must be observed to avoid his strong and sharp fins when removing
+the hook.
+
+In Florida the sheepshead is almost gregarious, congregating about
+oyster bars, old wharves, and near inlets in great numbers. At Colonel
+Summerlin's wharf, at Punta Rassa, I knew of a man, fishing for market,
+I presume, who took several hundred on a single tide. The wharf just
+across the bay at Sanibel Island is also a famous locality for
+sheepshead. The largest I ever caught in that state was just inside of
+Little Gasparilla inlet, near a steep bank on the north side. The
+settlers of Florida take them in cast-nets, and the commercial fishermen
+in haul seines; the latter either ship them on ice, or salt them along
+with mullet, as they take salt well. With the exception of the mullet,
+the sheepshead is the most abundant fish of both the east and west
+coasts of Florida, but it is seldom found in the dense salt water along
+the keys at the southern end of the peninsula, as it is essentially a
+brackish-water fish. The angler need never repine for a lack of sport in
+the "flowery state" if he is fond of "sheepsheading," and he will have
+no difficulty in securing bait, for the fiddlers are to be found in
+myriads convenient to good fishing grounds.
+
+
+THE SCUP
+
+(_Stenotomus chrysops_)
+
+Another fish of the _Sparidæ_ family is the scup, or porgy, which was
+first described by Linnæus, in 1766, from specimens sent to him from
+South Carolina by Dr. Garden. He named it _chrysops_, or "golden eye."
+The names scup and porgy are derived from the Indian name scuppaug. The
+porgy is mentioned, like the cunner, in deference to the ladies and the
+rising generation of anglers, to whom it is fair game on the summer
+excursions to the seashore. It is confined to the Atlantic coast from
+Cape Cod to South Carolina, being especially abundant in northern
+waters. A kindred species, the fair maid (_Stenotomus aculeatus_), is
+common from Cape Hatteras southward, there taking the place of the
+northern scup.
+
+The porgy is a short, deep, and compressed fish, rather elliptical in
+outline, its depth being nearly half of its length, and with the back
+elevated over the nape. Its head is of moderate size, with a steep
+profile, depressed in front of the small eye. The mouth is rather small
+and the snout short. Its incisor teeth are very narrow and rather
+conical or pointed, resembling canines; there are two rows of molar
+teeth in the upper jaw. The color is brownish on the top of the head and
+back with greenish and golden reflections, and bright and silvery below;
+the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are dusky or mottled, and the pectoral
+fin yellowish.
+
+The scup appears along the shores of the East Coast about the first of
+May, sometimes earlier, and continues until late in the fall, when it
+retires to its winter quarters in the depths of the sea. It is a bottom
+fish, feeding on crustaceans and small mollusks, and is found wherever
+they abound on the outer shoals. It usually spawns in June; the eggs are
+quite small, measuring about twenty-five to the inch; they are buoyant
+or floating, and hatch in four or five days. When perfectly fresh it is
+an excellent pan-fish, its flesh being firm, white, flaky, and of a
+fine, sweet flavor, but owing to its abundance is not properly
+appreciated. It grows to a foot or more in length, weighing a pound or
+two, though its usual maximum length is ten inches, and weight half a
+pound. Very rarely the oldest fish sometimes reach a length of fifteen
+to eighteen inches, weighing from two to four pounds.
+
+The scup is usually taken by hand-line and clam bait on the fishing
+banks from the excursion steamers; but fishing from small boats anchored
+over the shoals, with suitable tackle, is more sportsmanlike. It is a
+very free-biting fish, but is not possessed of much gameness, though the
+pleasure of angling for it is much enhanced by the employment of light
+tackle.
+
+A trout bait-rod is quite in order for the scup, though a light natural
+cane rod about ten feet long, fitted with reel seat and guides, will
+answer a good purpose. A small multiplying reel is not essential, though
+it is an advantage in accommodating the line to different depths; and
+then a larger fish than the scup may be hooked. The line should be of
+small size, Sproat hooks Nos. 6 to 8 on gut snells, with leader three
+feet long, connected to the line by a swivel-sinker, and of a weight
+adapted to the strength of the tide. A float may be used in shallow
+water to keep the bait from the bottom when clam or shrimp is used. In
+localities where tautog, sea-bass, or weakfish are likely to be met
+with, a heavier rod, like the Little Giant, or a light striped-bass rod,
+may be of an advantage to one not accustomed to lighter rods, and the
+hook may be a trifle larger.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+CUNNER, FLOUNDER, SMELT
+
+ _Tautogolabrus adspersus._ The Cunner. Family _Labridæ_, the
+ Wrasse fishes. Body oblong, not elevated, slender and
+ compressed, with cycloid scales; lateral line well developed;
+ mouth moderate, terminal; premaxillaries protractile;
+ maxillaries without supplemental bone, slipping under edge of
+ preorbital; head pointed; snout moderate; maxillary reaching
+ front of eye; preopercle serrate; opercles scaly; interopercle
+ naked; head 3-1/4; depth 3-1/4; D. XVIII, 10; A. III, 9; scales
+ 6-46-12; 5 canines in front of upper jaw, about 4 in the lower;
+ bands of small concave teeth behind canines; preopercle with 5
+ rows of small scales; opercle with 4 rows, rest of head naked;
+ gill-rakers very short, about 6 + 11.
+
+ _Pseudopleuronectes americanus._ The Flatfish or Flounder.
+ Family _Pleuronectidæ_, the Flatfishes. Head 4; depth 2-1/4; D.
+ 65; A. 48; scales 83; body elliptical, an angle above the eye;
+ head covered above with imbricated ctenoid scales, blind side
+ of head nearly naked; body dextral; teeth compressed,
+ incisor-like, widened toward tips, closely set, forming a
+ continuous cutting edge; right side of each jaw toothless;
+ highest dorsal rays less than length of pectorals, and more
+ than half the length of head; anal spines present.
+
+ _Osmerus mordax._ The Smelt. The American smelt belongs to the
+ family _Argentinidæ_. The body is long and slender; head 4;
+ depth 6-1/2; eye 4; D. 10; A. 15; P. 13; scales 68; head and
+ mouth large; small teeth along the edge of the maxillary;
+ strong, fanglike teeth on tongue and front of vomer; cardiform
+ teeth on palatines, pterygoids, and hyoid bone; mandible with
+ moderate teeth, its tip projecting; maxillary reaching middle
+ of eye; scales deciduous; dorsal fin rather posterior, the
+ ventrals under its front.
+
+
+THE CUNNER
+
+(_Tautogolabrus adspersus_)
+
+The cunner was named _adspersus_, meaning "besprinkled," by Walbaum, in
+1792, from the description of Schöpf, who simply gave its common name,
+burgall, in his "History of New York Fishes," in 1788. Its specific name
+is in allusion to the fancied mottled markings. It belongs to the
+_Labridæ_ family. Its habitat is the North Atlantic coast from Labrador
+to Sandy Hook, not appearing much farther south.
+
+The cunner is known by various other names, as burgall, chogset,
+blue-perch, etc. It has an oblong and rather robust body, its depth
+being about a third of its length. Its head is about as long as the
+depth of the body and pointed, with a mouth of moderate size, well
+filled with unequal, conical, and sharp teeth, in several series.
+
+The coloration is variable, though usually bluish, more or less mixed
+with bronze or brown, with brassy sides and pale belly; sometimes brassy
+spots on the head and back; young examples exhibit dark blotches and
+markings. It resorts to the same feeding grounds as the tautog, and
+about old wharves and bridges where shrimp and barnacles abound,
+and in such situations is always abundant. It spawns in the early
+summer, about June. Its eggs are small, about twenty-five to the inch,
+and hatch in four or five days. It grows to about a pound in weight,
+though it usually does not exceed half that amount.
+
+[Illustration THE FLOUNDER]
+[_Pseudopleuronectes americanus_]
+
+[Illustration THE SMELT]
+[_Osmerus mordax_]
+
+[Illustration THE SPANISH MACKEREL]
+[_Scomberomorus maculatus_]
+
+While it is generally considered worthless, or at best a poor food-fish,
+it is really a pretty fair pan-fish, and if it were not so common would
+be found oftener on the table of fish lovers. As a game-fish it is
+anathema with most anglers. It is despised because it responds so
+readily to the angler's lures, taking the bait intended for larger and
+more desirable fish. But on this very account it is ever dear to the
+heart of the juvenile fisherman, who glories in his string of cunners
+with as much pride and enthusiasm as his larger brothers with their
+tautog, sea-bass, or striped-bass.
+
+It can be caught with almost any kind of tackle or bait. The cunner has
+no particular vanity in the way of either. A piece of liver on an
+ungainly hook and twine string is as welcome as the choicest shrimp on
+one of Harrison's best Sproat hooks on a snell of the finest silkworm
+fibre. My heart goes out to the boy angler with his cane pole and
+cut-bait, fishing for cunners. And should he in time become the most
+finished salmon fisher, he will look back to his cunner days as
+conducive of more real pleasure than any he may have found since. The
+cunner is here recorded for the urchin with the cane pole.
+
+
+THE FLOUNDER
+
+(_Pseudopleuronectes americanus_)
+
+There are quite a number of flounders, or flatfishes, on the East Coast,
+but the one best known to juvenile anglers is the one with the long name
+recorded above. It belongs to the flatfish family _Pleuronectidæ_, and
+was noticed by Schöpf as early as 1788, and from his description was
+named by Walbaum _Pleuronectes americanus_, which means, literally, "the
+American side-swimmer." It inhabits the North Atlantic coast from
+Labrador to the Chesapeake Bay, and is abundant in all the bays and
+estuaries of the Middle states, where it is variously known as flatfish,
+flounder, winter flounder, mud-dab, etc.
+
+Its body is elliptical in outline, about twice as long as broad, and
+very much compressed or flat. The head is small, less than a fourth of
+the length of the body, with a small mouth containing closely set,
+incisor-like teeth. As usual with all of the flatfishes, the dorsal and
+anal fins are very long, horizontally, the color on the exposed or right
+side is rusty brown, obscurely mottled, with the under or left side
+white.
+
+The flounder is partial to sheltered coves and quiet bays, preferring
+bottoms of sand or mud, though sometimes it is found in rocky
+situations. It is sedentary in its habits, partially burying itself in
+the sand or mud, where it remains during the entire year, feeding on
+minute shells, crustaceans, worms, etc.
+
+It spawns in the spring, during March and April. The eggs are very
+small, about thirty to the inch; and unlike those of most marine fishes
+they do not float, but are heavy enough to sink, forming bunches or
+clusters on the bottom, adhering to the weeds, etc., where they hatch in
+from two to three weeks. The fry swim upright, like other fishes, with
+an eye on each side of the head, but as they grow older they incline to
+one side, the under eye moving gradually to the upper side, so that at
+the age of three or four months both eyes are on the upper side, as the
+result of a twisting of the bones of the head. The right side, being
+constantly exposed to the light, becomes darker or colored, while the
+left side, being deprived of light, becomes pure white.
+
+It is an excellent food-fish, its flesh being firm, white, and of good
+flavor; and as it is easily procured in winter when other fishes are
+comparatively scarce, it is a favorite at that season. It rarely grows
+to more than a foot in length or a pound in weight. As it can be caught
+in early spring, late fall, and winter, when other fishes are absent or
+not inclined to bite, the angler with light tackle may obtain
+considerable sport with this fish, as it will eagerly take almost any
+kind of natural bait. A bait-rod used for trout or black-bass or a light
+cane rod can be utilized, with very fine linen line, a three-foot
+leader, and hooks Nos. 7 or 8, on gut snells; a reel is not necessary,
+but is convenient. Using as light a sinker as possible, with clam or
+sandworm bait, the angler may be assured of success. The fishing may be
+done from a boat anchored at low tide on muddy or grassy flats, or from
+wharves or piers favorably located.
+
+
+THE SMELT
+
+(_Osmerus mordax_)
+
+The smelts were formerly classed with the salmon family, but are now
+placed in a separate one, _Argentinidæ_, in which are included a number
+of allied species. To all external appearances the smelt is a true
+salmonid, and differs from the trouts and salmon chiefly in the form of
+the stomach and its appendages. The American or Atlantic smelt was first
+described by Dr. Mitchill, in 1815, from the vicinity of New York; he
+named it _mordax_, or "biting." Its habitat is along the Atlantic coast
+from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Virginia, but it is most abundant
+northward. It islandlocked in a number of northern lakes.
+
+The smelt is a very pretty, graceful fish, with a long, slender body,
+long, pointed head, and large mouth, with a somewhat projecting lower
+jaw. The small adipose fin, which is peculiar to all of the salmonids,
+is situated far back, opposite the end of the anal fin; the caudal fin
+is deeply forked. Its color is pale olive-green above, silvery below,
+translucent, with an obscure, longitudinal, broad, satin-like band along
+the sides. The fins are greenish, with a few punctulations.
+
+The smelt enters the tidal rivers and brackish bays in the fall and
+winter in countless myriads, preparatory to spawning. It feeds
+principally on the small fry of other fishes, mostly at night, and along
+the shores in shallow water. It spawns in March, in both fresh and
+brackish water. The eggs are small, about twenty to the inch, and are
+adhesive. A medium-sized fish yields fifty thousand eggs, which hatch in
+two or three weeks, according to the temperature of the water, though
+usually in from sixteen to eighteen days. Though small, it is highly
+prized as a food-fish, having a delicate and delicious flavor. When
+fresh it emits an odor resembling that of cucumbers. Its usual size is
+from five to nine inches and weighing from two to four ounces, though
+occasionally reaching a foot or more in length. The smaller fish are
+more prized, the largest having a rank oily flavor. It is caught in
+large seines by fishermen and shipped fresh to the markets, and in
+winter is taken in great numbers with hook and line through the ice.
+
+Smelt fishing is a very popular pastime along the East Coast in the fall
+and winter, as it is at a time when not many other fishes are to be
+caught. In the inland lakes it is, as has just been mentioned, caught
+with hook and line through holes cut in the ice; but this is tame sport
+compared with fishing in open water with very light tackle. The angler
+can utilize his trout fly or bait-rod, or if he prefers, a very light
+natural cane rod eight or ten feet long. A reel is not necessary. The
+line should be of the smallest size, linen or silk, though silk lines
+soon rot in salt water. A fine leader three or four feet long, with
+hooks Nos. 3 to 6, on single gut snells, are next in order. When the
+fish are swimming in schools near the surface, especially at night, a
+sinker need not be used; under other circumstances, and when the tide is
+strong, one of suitable weight should be added. The fishing is usually
+best on the flood tide, and almost any kind of bait will answer; but
+shrimp is best, though sandworms, very small minnows, or even earthworms
+are useful. Given the proper time and place, and with tackle and bait in
+readiness, it only remains to cast the baited hook, retrieve the fish,
+and so on _ad infinitum_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+THE MACKEREL FAMILY
+
+(_Scombridæ_)
+
+The fishes of this family are all pelagic, and most of them are highly
+valued for food. They are characterized by an elongate body, more or
+less compressed; pointed head; large mouth; sharp teeth; two dorsal
+fins; the anal and second dorsal fins are similar in shape and size, and
+both are followed by detached finlets; the caudal fin is widely forked
+or falcate, its pedicle very slender and with a sharp keel; scales small
+and smooth.
+
+ _Scomberomorus maculatus._ The Spanish Mackerel. Body elongate,
+ covered with rudimentary scales, which do not form a distinct
+ corselet; head pointed, short and small; mouth wide; strong
+ teeth in jaws, knife-shaped; sandlike teeth on vomer and
+ palatines; gill-rakers 2 + 11; caudal peduncle with a single
+ keel; head 4-1/2; depth 4-1/2; D. XVII-18-IX; A. II-17-IX; eye
+ 4-3/4; soft dorsal inserted in advance of anal, somewhat;
+ lateral line undulating, with about 175 pores; spots bronze.
+
+ _Scomberomorus regalis._ The Cero. Body rather elongate, its
+ dorsal and ventral curves about equal; mouth large, maxillary
+ reaching to below the eye; angle of preopercle produced
+ backward; pectorals scaly; caudal less widely forked than
+ _maculatus_; teeth triangular, compressed, about 40 in each
+ jaw; pectorals scaly; spots and stripes brownish; head 4-1/4;
+ depth 4-1/2; D. XVII-I, 15-VIII; A. II, 14-VIII.
+
+ _Sarda sarda._ The Bonito. Body elongate, moderately
+ compressed, robust; head 3-3/4; depth 4; D. XXI-I, 13-VIII; A.
+ I, 13-VII; P. 10; scales small, those of the pectoral region
+ forming a distinct corselet; teeth moderate, slightly
+ compressed, about 40 in each jaw; mouth large, maxillary
+ reaching beyond orbit; lateral line slightly undulating, with
+ nowhere a decided curve.
+
+
+THE SPANISH MACKEREL
+
+(_Scomberomorus maculatus_)
+
+The Spanish mackerel was first described by Dr. Mitchill, in 1815, from
+the vicinity of New York. He named it _maculatus_, or "spotted," owing
+to the large bronze spots on its sides.
+
+It is common to the southern portions of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
+and the Gulf of Mexico, ranging in summer as far north as Cape Cod, and
+is one of the trimmest and most graceful fishes known, as well as one of
+the most beautiful both in form and coloration. It is especially adapted
+for rapid and sustained motion. Its long, graceful, and elliptical body
+is four times its depth. The head is as long as the depth of the body,
+with a large mouth, and sharp, lancet-shaped teeth in both jaws. It has
+two dorsal fins; the second dorsal and anal fins are nearly opposite
+each other, are similar in outline, and are each followed by nine
+detached finlets; the caudal fin is widely forked, the lobes being long
+and pointed or crescent-shaped. Its color is silvery, bluish or greenish
+above, paling to white on the belly, with iridescent reflections; the
+sides are dotted with some thirty bronze or golden spots, a fourth of an
+inch or more in diameter; the first dorsal fin is dark in front, whitish
+behind; the second dorsal is yellowish; the anal fin is pale; the
+pectoral fin is yellow, bordered with black; the caudal fin is dusky.
+
+The Spanish mackerel is gregarious and migratory, swimming in large
+schools, and feeding at the surface on pilchards, anchovies, and
+sardines in Florida, and on silversides and menhaden in northern waters.
+When feeding, the schools are constantly leaping above the surface, and
+the flashing of their silvery forms in the bright sunlight is a
+beautiful and inspiriting sight, enhanced by the flocks of gulls and
+terns whirling and darting above the schools, eager for such stray
+morsels and fragments as they are able to seize. In the Gulf of Mexico
+it often feeds in company with the salt-water trout, and in northern
+waters with the bluefish and weakfish.
+
+It is a fish of the warm seas, approaching the shores for spawning and
+feeding when the temperature becomes suitable. It appears on the Gulf
+coast of Florida in March and April, though I have observed it as early
+as January in forward seasons. Its advent on the Atlantic coast is
+later, progressing gradually northward, reaching the vicinity of New
+York in July and August, and disappearing in October or November. Its
+breeding season in the Gulf of Mexico is in the early spring, and as
+late as August or September at the northern extent of its range. Its
+spawning may cover a period of many weeks, as the fish do not all mature
+at one and the same time. The eggs are quite small, about twenty-five to
+the inch, float at the surface, and hatch in a single day. The newly
+hatched fry are very small, about the tenth of an inch long, but in a
+year will have attained a length of six inches. The average weight of a
+mature fish is from two to four pounds, rarely exceeding six or eight
+pounds.
+
+The Spanish mackerel is held in the highest esteem as a food-fish, being
+considered one of the very best, second only to the pompano of the Gulf
+or the whitefish of the Great Lakes. It has a mackerel flavor, but one
+peculiarly its own for richness and sapidity of savor. It is a game-fish
+of high degree, and worthy of the angler's highest regard. Its manner of
+fighting, when hooked, is mostly on the surface of the water, darting
+here and there with dazzling rapidity, in straight and curving lines,
+leaping into air, and bounding over the water with a velocity and
+nimbleness that is difficult to follow with the eye in the bright
+sunlight.
+
+In northern waters it is usually taken by trolling with a small
+mother-of-pearl squid, or one of block tin, using a long hand-line, as
+the fish is rather shy and difficult to approach with a boat. In
+Florida, however, great sport can be had with a light rod, both in
+fly-fishing and bait-fishing, from the sand-spits at the entrance to
+deep inlets, and from the long piers and wharves that extend to deep
+water. The angling is done in March and April, when the fish are running
+into the bays in great schools on the flood tide, often in company with
+the salt-water trout.
+
+A black-bass or trout fly-rod of seven or eight ounces is very suitable
+for fly-fishing, with a click reel and a braided linen line of pretty
+large size, say D or E, in order to give weight enough for casting. The
+enamelled silk line is, of course, better, but it does not last long in
+salt water. Any bright or gaudy fly will answer, on hooks Nos. 1 to 3,
+though yellowish or grayish flies are perhaps more attractive. A single
+fly only should be used, with a three or four foot leader. Black-bass
+rods and tackle are just right for bait-fishing for the Spanish
+mackerel, except that a braided linen line, and not a silk line, should
+be used for reasons just given. The best bait is a small, bright fish,
+three or four inches long, either mullet or anchovy, hooked through the
+lips. A small pearl squid, or a very small trolling-spoon or spinner,
+may be used instead, but the minnow is far and away the most attractive
+lure.
+
+The bait is cast as far as possible toward the school as it is running
+past the point of an inlet or the end of a pier, and reeled in slowly,
+but rapidly enough to keep the bait on or near the surface, no sinker
+being employed. If the fishing is done from a pier, a very long-handled
+landing-net must be provided. The best plan is to fish from a small boat
+moored to the pier, as the angler is not so likely to be seen by the
+fish, and they are more easily landed. The same method is pursued in
+fly-fishing in the general features, except that the fly is allowed to
+sink after fluttering it awhile on the surface; no other special
+suggestions are needed. I have found the following flies useful: gray
+drake, green drake, red ibis, oriole, professor, and silver doctor, in
+black-bass patterns, on hooks Nos. 1 to 3.
+
+
+THE CERO
+
+(_Scomberomorus regalis_)
+
+The cero, or sierra, was described by Bloch, in 1795, from a drawing of
+a specimen from the West Indies, by Plumier. He named it _regalis_,
+meaning "royal" or "regal." It belongs to the West Indian fauna of
+fishes, and is common from Florida to Brazil. Occasionally it strays in
+the summer as far north as Massachusetts. It is closely allied to the
+Spanish mackerel, and resembles it in form, but differs very much in
+coloration and size, being more sombre and much larger. Its color is
+brownish on the back, with silvery sides and belly; it is marked with
+two dusky longitudinal stripes, and several rows of dark spots, not
+bronze or golden as in the Spanish mackerel.
+
+I have met with the cero only along the Florida reefs and keys. It does
+not swim in such large schools as the Spanish mackerel, and does not
+accompany it in its wanderings into the bays or along the shores, but
+seeks the same localities, and is of similar habits, as the
+kingfish-mackerel. It feeds entirely on fishes. Its breeding habits have
+not been studied, though they are doubtless not unlike those of the
+Spanish mackerel, except as to the locality and season of depositing its
+eggs. Its usual weight is five or six pounds, though it sometimes grows
+to five feet in length and twenty pounds or more in weight.
+
+I have taken it with bone and block-tin squids, trolling from a yacht,
+and also from an anchored boat with rod and line, by casting mullet or
+sardines for bait. A striped-bass rod and tackle are suitable, as it is
+a strong and powerful fish, making extraordinary leaps when hooked. For
+its weight I know of no gamer fish, but my experience in rod-fishing has
+been somewhat limited, being confined to the capture of half a dozen
+fish.
+
+I was once yachting along the Florida keys, and while anchored near
+Bahia Honda I put off in the dinghy to cast mullet bait for cero and
+kingfish (_Scomberomorus cavalla_). The latter is a near relative of the
+cero, and they resemble each other so closely that it is often
+difficult to distinguish between them. The kingfish is rather more
+slender, the adult fish being of a uniform slaty hue, usually without
+spots or markings of any kind, and grows to a larger size, often to
+fifty pounds or more. It is fully described in another volume of this
+series.
+
+On the occasion referred to I captured a number of kingfish and two
+ceros of about the same relative weight, from eight to ten pounds. The
+conditions were quite favorable to compare their gameness, but I was
+unable to perceive any difference in this respect. Both fish took the
+bait with a rush, and when hooked exhibited game qualities of the
+highest order, leaping continuously and to a height of five or six feet.
+Their swift rushes, as they cut through the water with incredible
+swiftness, and for which they are especially built, were very trying to
+my light striped-bass rod. I lost a number of fish that shook out the
+hook when leaping. I used the Sproat bend, No. 7-0, but 5-0 would be
+large enough for the average-sized cero. My line was a braided linen,
+size E, to which the snelled hook was attached by a small brass
+box-swivel; but knobbed hooks, if they can be obtained of suitable size,
+are to be preferred.
+
+[Illustration THE BONITO]
+[_Sarda sarda_]
+
+[Illustration THE NIGGER-FISH]
+[_Bodianus fulvus_]
+
+[Illustration THE POMPANO]
+[_Trachinotus carolinus_]
+
+The market fishermen of Key West troll for kingfish and cero in their
+schooner smacks, using coarse hand-laid cotton lines, and codfish or
+other large hooks as mentioned. The bait is usually a piece of white
+bacon-rind, cut in an elliptical shape to resemble a fish, and strung
+along the shank of the hook, and fastened at the top by a piece of fine
+copper wire. This rude device is very successful, as they take hundreds
+of fish in a few days, of a size running from ten to fifty pounds. The
+cero and the kingfish are favorite food-fishes in Key West, where large
+quantities are consumed; and years ago many were carried to Havana by
+the smacks, until a prohibitive duty was imposed by the Spanish
+governor-general, in order to favor Spanish fishermen. Under the changed
+conditions that now exist in Cuba this trade will doubtless be resumed.
+Both the cero and kingfish are excellent food-fishes, with a flavor much
+like that of the Spanish mackerel, but more pronounced,--that is, not so
+delicate and delicious, but more pungent.
+
+Northern anglers who go to Florida in quest of the tarpon will find in
+the cero and kingfish game-fishes of great merit on light tackle.
+
+
+THE BONITO
+
+(_Sarda sarda_)
+
+The bonito is a very handsome and gamy fish belonging to the mackerel
+family. It was named _sarda_ by Bloch, in 1793, from its being taken in
+the vicinity of Sardinia. It inhabits both coasts of the Atlantic Ocean,
+and the Mediterranean Sea. It is not uncommon from the region of Cape
+Cod southward to Florida and the West Indies, where it is more abundant.
+
+It has a long, graceful body, nearly round, its depth a fourth of its
+length. It is elliptical in outline, tapering to a very slender caudal
+pedicle, which is strongly keeled. The mouth is large, with strong,
+conical teeth. The caudal fin is deeply forked, or swallow-like. Its
+color is dark steel-blue above, silvery below, with white belly. There
+are numerous dark oblique stripes running from the back downward and
+forward, by which it is easily recognized. The ventral fins are whitish,
+the other fins are bluish black.
+
+The bonito is a pelagic fish, approaching the shores in search of food,
+which consists of small fishes almost entirely. It grows to a length of
+three or four feet, though it is usually taken of ten or twelve pounds
+in weight. It does not rank high as a food-fish, having rather dark
+flesh of a strong mackerel flavor, rather too pungent to be agreeable,
+but it is liked generally by sailors. There is another fish of the
+Atlantic coast (_Gymnosarda pelamis_), of the mackerel family, that is
+known as the oceanic bonito. It may be distinguished by its stripes
+being horizontal, instead of oblique; it is rather rare.
+
+The bonito is taken only by trolling with a small fish for bait, or a
+block-tin, bone, or shell squid, from a sailing vessel, and with
+bluefish tackle. It is frequently caught by the Key West fishermen when
+trolling for kingfish with a bait of bacon-rind. It is a powerful fish,
+and withal a very game one, being a swift swimmer, and must be handled
+very carefully when hooked. The line should be a heavy one of braided
+linen or cotton, and a foot or two of brass or copper wire should be
+used as a snell to withstand its sharp and numerous teeth. A Sproat or
+O'Shaughnessy hook, No. 7-0, is about right when bait is used, and one
+of similar size with artificial squids, or spinners.
+
+I was once trolling in the vicinity of the Dry Tortugas, and in a short
+time took four bonitos of about twelve pounds each. As the yacht was
+going at a spanking rate with a beam wind, the strain on the line was
+tremendous, and in each case the vessel had to be luffed up into the
+wind to enable me to land them. As one fish was more than enough for the
+crew, and as I had occasion to land at Fort Jefferson, on Garden Key, I
+resolved to donate the others to the garrison of the fortress. On going
+ashore I found the "garrison" to consist of one man, the corporal in
+charge of the property. He said he did not think he alone could get away
+with the fish, but as the lighthouse keeper of the fort would return
+from Loggerhead Key in the afternoon, he thought that they, together
+with his dog, might manage to dispose of them. Afterward he informed me
+that he and the light-keeper had finished one bonito, and the dog, whose
+name was Bonaparte, had made way with the others, or as he expressed it:
+"Bone eet two," and said this without any intent to pun on bon-i-to; he
+thought that I was amused at the capacity of Bonaparte as an
+ichthyophagist, being unconscious of his play on the words which caused
+my merriment.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+THE GROUPER FAMILY
+
+(_Serranidæ_)
+
+The fishes of this family are characterized by an oblong body, more or
+less compressed, covered with adherent scales of moderate or small size,
+which are usually ctenoid; the dorsal and ventral outlines do not
+usually correspond; premaxillaries protractile; teeth all conical or
+pointed, in bands, present on jaws, vomer, and palatines; pseudobranchiæ
+large; gill-membranes separate, free from isthmus; cheeks and opercles
+scaly; preopercle usually serrate; opercle ending in one or two flat
+spines; lateral line not extending on the caudal fin; lower pharyngeals
+narrow, with pointed teeth; gill-rakers armed with teeth.
+
+ _Mycteroperca microlepis._ The Gag. Body comparatively elongate
+ and compressed; head 2-1/2; depth 3-1/2; eye 6; D. XI, 16 to
+ 19; A. III, 11; scales 24-140-50; pores about 90; dorsal fin
+ single, its spines slender and weak; head long and pointed;
+ mouth large, the maxillary reaching beyond the eye; teeth in
+ narrow bands, each jaw with two canines; gill-rakers few, 12 on
+ lower part of anterior arch; scales very small, chiefly
+ cycloid; preopercle with a shallow emargination above the angle,
+ with radiating serræ; caudal lunate; lower jaw projecting.
+
+ _Mycteroperca falcata phenax._ The Scamp. Body elongate; head
+ 3; depth 3-1/2; D. XI, 18; A. III, 11; eye 5; scales 24-135-43;
+ dorsal fin single, the spines slender and weak; head pointed;
+ mouth large, the maxillary reaching posterior border of the
+ eye; teeth in narrow bands, each jaw with two strong canines,
+ nearly vertical; preopercle finely serrate, a notch above the
+ angle; scales mostly cycloid; outer rays of caudal produced.
+
+ _Mycteroperca venenosa._ The Yellow-finned Grouper. Body
+ elongate; head 3; depth 3-1/4; eye 7; scales 24-125-_x_; D. XI,
+ 16; A. III, 11; head rather blunt; mouth large, the maxillary
+ reaching much beyond the eye; teeth in narrow bands, each jaw
+ with two strong canines, not directed forward; preopercle
+ without salient angle, its emargination slight; dorsal fin
+ single, its spines not very weak; caudal fin lunate; anal
+ rounded.
+
+ _Epinephelus adscensionis._ The Rock Hind. Body robust, little
+ compressed; head 2-1/2; depth 3; eye 6; scales 12-100-40; D.
+ XI, 17; A. III, 7; head subconic, acute; anterior profile
+ straight; mouth large, the maxillary reaching beyond the eye;
+ lower jaw strongly projecting; teeth in broad bands, the
+ canines short and stout, those of the lower jaw the largest;
+ preopercle finely serrate, convex, with but slight
+ emargination; scales strongly ctenoid; dorsal fin single, its
+ spines strong; caudal fin slightly rounded; gill-rakers short
+ and thick.
+
+ _Epinephelus guttatus._ The Red Hind. Body rather slender,
+ moderately compressed, the back somewhat elevated; head 2-1/2;
+ depth 3-1/3; eye 4-1/3; scales 19-100-x; D. XI, 16; A. III, 8;
+ head long and pointed; mouth moderate, the maxillary reaching
+ below posterior margin of eye; lower jaw rather weak, its tip
+ little projecting; teeth rather strong, in moderate bands, both
+ jaws with two curved canines, those in upper jaw largest;
+ preopercle weakly serrate, with a salient angle, which is armed
+ with stronger teeth; caudal fin rounded.
+
+ Petrometopon cruentatus. The Coney. Body oblong, rather deep
+ and compressed; head 2-1/2; depth 2-3/4; eye 5; scales 8-90-30;
+ D. IX, 14; A. III, 8; head moderate, a little acute anteriorly,
+ profile nearly straight; mouth large, the maxillary reaching
+ beyond the eye; lower jaw not strongly projecting; teeth in
+ narrow bands, the depressible teeth of the inner series very
+ long and slender, those of the lower jaw and front of upper
+ especially enlarged, longer than the small, subequal canines;
+ preopercle convex, very weakly serrate, its posterior angle
+ obliquely subtruncate, without salient angle or distinct
+ emargination; opercle with three distinct spines; scales rather
+ large, and mostly strongly ctenoid; dorsal fin single, its
+ spines rather slender and pungent; anal fin rounded; pectorals
+ long; caudal fin very convex.
+
+ _Bodianus fulvus._ The Nigger-fish. Body oblong, moderately
+ compressed; head 2-2/3; depth 3; eye 5; scales 9-100-33; D. IX,
+ 14 to 16; A. III, 8 or 9; head rather pointed, with curved
+ profile; mouth moderate, the maxillary reaching beyond the eye;
+ lower jaw strongly projecting; teeth in narrow bands, rather
+ large, the depressible teeth rather small, canines small,
+ subequal; preopercle with weak serrations, its outline convex,
+ with a shallow emargination; opercle with three distinct
+ spines; dorsal fin single, with slender and pungent spines;
+ scales rather large, mostly strongly ctenoid; caudal fin
+ truncate, its angles slightly rounded; pectorals long; ventrals
+ short.
+
+ _Diplectrum formosum._ The Sand-fish. Body elongate, the
+ profile strongly arched above the eyes; head 3; depth 3-1/2;
+ eye 5; scales 9-85-22; mouth large, maxillary reaching middle
+ of eye; lower jaw slightly projecting; canine teeth small;
+ preopercle finely serrate at upper margin; preopercle with two
+ clusters of divergent spines; opercular flap short and sharp;
+ top of cranium smooth and very convex; 11 rows of scales on
+ cheeks; fins, except caudal, scaleless; 15 scales before
+ dorsal; dorsal fin single, with low spines, the first three
+ graduated; caudal deeply lunate, the upper lobe the longest,
+ sometimes ending in a long filament.
+
+
+THE GAG
+
+(_Mycteroperca microlepis_)
+
+The gag is one of the series of fishes known as groupers in Florida, of
+which there are quite a number. It was first described by Goode and
+Bean, in 1879, from West Florida; they named it _microlepis_, or "small
+scale," as its scales are of less size than the other species of the
+same genus. It is known only from the South Atlantic coast and the Gulf
+of Mexico, from North Carolina south to Pensacola.
+
+It has a rather long, shapely body, with pointed head and an evenly
+curved profile. Its mouth is large, with projecting lower jaw. Both jaws
+are armed with narrow bands of sharp teeth and two canines, the upper
+ones directed forward. The predominating hue of the gag is brownish or
+brownish gray, with lighter sides, in deep-water specimens; those of
+shallow water, especially in grassy situations, are greenish or
+olivaceous, mottled with a darker shade, and more or less clouded. Very
+small and indistinct dusky spots sometimes cover the entire body, and a
+faint mustache is usually present. The dorsal fin is olive; the top of
+the soft dorsal fin rays is darker, with white edge; the caudal fin is
+bluish black, with white edge. It is a voracious fish, feeding on small
+fishes and crustaceans, and grows to a large size; twenty or thirty, or
+even fifty, pounds in weight is not uncommon, though usually taken of
+from six to ten pounds. It resorts, when large, to the banks and rocky
+reefs in deep water. Those of less size frequent the inshore waters. It
+is a fine food-fish, and a very game one on the rod.
+
+A light striped-bass rod, or the natural bamboo chum rod, with good
+multiplying reel and fifty yards of braided linen line, size E, and
+Sproat or O'Shaughnessy hooks, Nos. 3-0 or 4-0, on gimp snells, with a
+brass box-swivel for connecting snell and line, and a sinker adapted to
+the strength of the tide, make up the tackle for the gag. A large
+landing-net or a gaff-hook should not be forgotten.
+
+Rod fishing is done in comparatively deep water on the rocky reefs or
+shelly banks along the keys, from an anchored boat. Any natural bait, as
+a small fish, crab, crawfish, or conch, will answer, though a small
+fish, as the mullet, sardine, or anchovy, is the best. When of large
+size the gag is a very gamy fish, and must be handled very carefully to
+preserve one's tackle intact.
+
+It is taken more frequently by trolling with a strong hand-line from a
+sailing yacht, in the same way as trolling for bluefish. A small
+silvery fish is the best lure, though a strong spinner or a shell or
+block-tin squid answers well. Even a piece of bacon-rind cut in the
+semblance of a fish proves very attractive, in the manner commonly used
+by the fishermen of Key West in trolling for the kingfish.
+
+The largest groupers can be taken on rocky bottom in the deep holes
+about the inlets. On the south-east coast, Indian River Inlet, under the
+mangroves, and Jupiter Inlet, both afford good grouper fishing. Farther
+south, at Hillsboro and New River inlets, and in the deep holes about
+the passes between the Florida Keys, from Cape Florida to Key West,
+groupers are more or less abundant. The first gag I ever caught was in
+the winter of 1877, while trolling off Cape Florida; it was a big one,
+too, weighing about fifty pounds. "What is it?" asked a Kentucky boy who
+was with me. I was compelled to look it up in my books before replying
+that I thought it was a "scamp," as it agreed pretty well with the
+description of that grouper, though I was not fully satisfied that my
+identification was correct, and less so, when in about an hour we caught
+a real scamp. This was some two years before the gag was described as a
+new species by Drs. Goode and Bean, from Pensacola. As I had no means of
+preserving the fish, it was baked for our dinner, and proved to be very
+good indeed.
+
+In fishing for groupers the angler must keep them well in hand so as to
+prevent their getting into the holes and crevices of the rocks, as they
+are sure to do if given the chance, and from where it is almost
+impossible to dislodge them. They should be brought to the surface, or
+near it, as soon as possible after hooking them, and kept there until
+ready for the landing-net or gaff-hook. Most people in Florida fish for
+groupers with hand-lines, but with the tackle recommended the fish will
+be more easily subdued and landed, and the pleasure much enhanced, to
+say nothing of the question of sportsmanship as between the two methods.
+
+
+THE SCAMP
+
+(_Mycteroperca falcata phenax_)
+
+The scamp is a grouper that resembles very much the gag. It was first
+described by the Cuban ichthyologist Poey, in 1860, from Cuban waters.
+He named it _falcata_, or "scythe-shaped," from the curving of the
+caudal fin. The form common to Florida is a variety or subspecies, that
+differs principally in the angle of the canine teeth and to some extent
+in coloration. The variety was first described by Jordan and Swain, in
+1884, who named it _phenax_, meaning "deceptive," and equivalent to
+"scamp." It is abundant along the Florida Keys and the offshore "snapper
+banks," from Key West to Pensacola; those of smaller size frequent
+inshore waters.
+
+It resembles the gag very much in its general appearance and in the
+shape of its body, with a somewhat larger mouth and more projecting
+lower jaw, also a larger caudal fin, which is more crescentic or
+scythe-shaped. The depth of its body is about a third of its length. The
+teeth are in narrow bands, with two canines in each jaw, but these are
+not so strong as in the Cuban form, and those in the upper jaw are not
+directed so much forward, nor the lower ones so much backward. The
+caudal fin is concave or crescentic, and the scales are larger than
+those of the gag. The color is pinkish gray above, paler purplish gray
+below; the upper part of the body and head is covered with small,
+rounded, irregular dark brown spots; the sides and caudal fin with
+larger and longer pale brownish blotches, somewhat reticulate; fins
+dusky, some edged with white. Its habits are similar to those of the
+gag, just described, in whose company it is found. It grows to a length
+of two feet or more, and to ten pounds or more in weight. The remarks
+concerning the tackle and fishing for the gag apply equally as well for
+the scamp.
+
+This fish, with the gag, is sometimes taken on the snapper banks by the
+red-snapper fishermen, though it is not shipped to the northern markets
+as it does not bear transportation so well as the red-snapper, and is
+sold for home consumption or eaten by the crews. I first saw this fish
+as has just been related, in 1877, when it was caught by a Kentucky
+friend, and it had very much the same appearance as the gag. We then
+decided that both fish were scamps, my friend remarking that "The only
+difference is that this fellow seems to be more of a scamp than the
+other one," an opinion I fully indorsed. The scamp does not stray so far
+north as the gag, being confined to subtropical regions. It is regularly
+taken to the Key West market by the commercial fisherman, where it
+commands a ready sale, being well esteemed as a food-fish. The first
+specimens I afterward preserved were secured from this source.
+
+
+THE YELLOW-FINNED GROUPER
+
+(_Mycteroperca venenosa_)
+
+This grouper was first noticed by Catesby, in 1743, from the Bahamas,
+and was named by Linnæus, in 1758, who bestowed the specific title
+_venenosa_, or "venomous," as its flesh was said by Catesby to be
+poisonous at certain times. It is common at the Bahamas, and from the
+Florida Keys southward to the West Indies, and perhaps to South America.
+Its form is very similar to the gag and scamp; its depth is a third of
+its length. Its head is as long as the depth of the body, and rather
+blunt, with the profile somewhat uneven, but curved; the mouth is large,
+with narrow bands of teeth, and two canines in each jaw which are not
+directed forward.
+
+Not much is known concerning this fish, as its flesh is reputed to be
+poisonous at times, and it is seldom eaten.
+
+Its coloration is quite varied and beautiful; it is olive-green on the
+back, pearly bluish below, breast rosy. The upper parts are marked with
+broad reticulations and curved blotches of bright light green, which are
+especially distinct on the top of the head; the entire body and head
+are covered with orange-brown spots of various sizes with dark centres;
+the iris of the eye is orange, as is the inside of the mouth; the dorsal
+fin is olive-brown, with whitish blotches and a few dark spots; the
+pectoral fin is yellow, and all other fins have black edges. Its habits
+are similar to those of the other groupers. It grows to three feet in
+length, and frequents rocky situations.
+
+
+THE ROCK HIND
+
+(_Epinephelus adscensionis_)
+
+This grouper is one of the most bizarre and gayly colored in the family
+_Serranidæ_. It was first accurately described by Osbeck, in 1757, from
+Ascension Island, which accounts for its specific name, _adscensionis_,
+as bestowed by him.
+
+It is very widely distributed over both hemispheres, being known from
+Ascension and St. Helena Islands, Cape of Good Hope, and is abundant
+from the Florida Keys to Brazil. In outline it resembles the other
+groupers, having a robust body, but little compressed; its depth is a
+third of its length, its head is as long as the depth of the body, is
+pointed, with a profile straight from the snout to the nape, thence
+curved regularly to the tail. The mouth is large, with the lower jaw
+more prominent or projecting than in any of the other groupers; the
+teeth are in broad bands, with short and stout canines.
+
+Its ground color is olivaceous gray, with darker clouds; the head and
+entire body are profusely covered with red or orange spots of varying
+size, those on the lower part of the body the largest, nearly as large
+as the pupil of the eye; parts of the body and fins have
+irregularly-shaped, whitish spots or blotches; there are several
+ill-defined, clouded, blackish, vertical, or oblique blotches across the
+body, some of them extending upward on to the dorsal fin, with the
+interspaces lighter; the fins are likewise spotted with red and white.
+
+The groupers known as "hinds," as the red, rock, brown, speckled,
+spotted, or John Paw hinds, are so named from being spotted, and
+resembling somewhat in this way the hind or female red deer. They are
+all good food-fishes, and are found regularly in the Key West market,
+though not so plentiful as the snappers, grunts, etc., but bringing a
+better price. The rock hind, as might be inferred from its name,
+frequents rocky situations about the channels between the keys, feeding
+mostly on small fishes and marine invertebrates. It grows to a length of
+eighteen inches. Its spawning habits have not been studied, though it
+probably spawns in the spring.
+
+A light bait-rod, similar to a black-bass rod, with corresponding
+tackle, with hooks Nos. 2-0 to 3-0, on gimp snells, will answer for this
+fish, using sardines or anchovies, which are abundant along the shores,
+for bait.
+
+
+THE RED HIND
+
+(_Epinephelus guttatus_)
+
+This beautiful grouper rivals the rock hind in its gay and varied
+coloration. There is some uncertainty about the correct specific name of
+this well-marked species. The last name to be adopted is _guttatus_,
+meaning "spotted," conferred by Linnæus in 1758, based on the early and
+vague descriptions of Marcgrave and others on specimens from Brazil and
+the West Indies. It belongs to the West Indian fauna, its range
+extending from the Florida Keys to South America; it occasionally strays
+north in the summer to the Carolina coast.
+
+It resembles the other groupers in its general form, but is more
+slender, has a larger eye, and its lower jaw does not project so much.
+The depth of its body is a little more than a third of its length. Its
+head is long and pointed, considerably longer than the depth of its
+body, with a mouth of moderate size, and a weak lower jaw, which
+projects but slightly; the eye is very large; the teeth are in bands,
+with two curved canines in each.
+
+The pattern of the coloration and the markings are similar to those of
+the rock hind, but differ in color. The upper part of the body is
+grayish or yellowish olive, the belly reddish; the entire head and body
+are profusely covered with scarlet spots of nearly uniform size, except
+those on the breast and belly, which are a little larger; there are a
+few spots, both red and whitish, on the bases of the fins; there are
+three broad, oblique, obscure bands running upward and backward on the
+sides, extending on to the dorsal fin; the upper fins are edged with
+black; the pectoral fin is reddish yellow.
+
+The red hind, like the rock hind, frequents rocky places and feeds
+mostly on small fishes. It grows to a length of about eighteen inches,
+and is an excellent food-fish. Not much is known concerning its breeding
+habits, though it probably spawns in the spring. The same tackle
+recommended for the rock hind, and the same baits, will do as well for
+the red hind, as they are found together.
+
+
+THE CONEY
+
+(_Petrometopon cruentatus_)
+
+This beautiful fish is allied to the groupers, and belongs to the family
+_Serranidæ_, previously described. It was described and named by
+Lacépéde from a drawing by Plumier, made from a specimen from
+Martinique. Lacépéde recorded it in his "Natural History of Fishes,"
+1803, conferring on it the name _cruentatus_, meaning "dyed with blood,"
+in allusion to its red spots. It belongs to the West Indian fauna, with
+a range extending from the Florida Keys to Brazil; it is quite common
+about Key West, being seen in the markets every day.
+
+The body has the somewhat elliptical outline of the other groupers, but
+is more oblong and deeper, its depth being more than a third of its
+length. The head is moderate in size, rather pointed, its length less
+than the depth of the body; the mouth is large, with the lower jaw
+projecting but slightly; the teeth are in narrow bands, the inner series
+long, slender, and depressible; the canines small. Its ground color is
+reddish gray, a little paler below; the head and body are covered with
+bright vermilion spots, larger and brighter anteriorly.
+
+It frequents rocky situations, like the coney of Holy Writ. It is highly
+esteemed as a food-fish, but is of smaller size than the groupers
+previously described, seldom growing beyond a foot in length or a pound
+in weight. It probably spawns in the spring. It is quite a gamy fish for
+its size on light tackle.
+
+It is usually taken by the market fishermen on the same tackle as the
+grunts, snappers, porgies, etc., among the rocks of the channels, in
+rather deep water, with fish bait. It is well worth catching, if only to
+admire its graceful shape and brilliant coloration.
+
+For the coney, black-bass rods, braided linen line, size F, with Sproat
+hooks, No. 2-0 or 3-0, on gimp snells, and sinker adapted to the
+strength of the tide, with the smallest fish for bait, will answer
+admirably. The little whirligig mullet, or spiny crawfish, or even
+cut-fish bait, are all good baits to use as occasion may demand.
+
+
+THE NIGGER-FISH
+
+(_Bodianus fulvus_)
+
+It is difficult to account for names, we know; but just why this
+handsome fish should be called "nigger-fish" is hard to imagine. It is
+sometimes called yellow-fish, a better and more descriptive name,
+but no doubt nigger-fish it always will be. It differs from the other
+groupers in the less number of spiny rays in the dorsal fin; otherwise
+it is much the same. It was described by Linnæus, in 1758, from
+ the account of the "yellow-fish" by Catesby, in 1743, from the Bahamas.
+Linnæus named it _fulvus_, or "tawny," from its coloration. This is
+also a fish belonging to the West Indian fauna, its range extending
+from the Bahamas and the Florida Keys to South America.
+
+[Illustration CATCHING SPANISH MACKEREL ON THE EDGE OF THE GULF
+STREAM]
+
+The outline of body of the nigger-fish is similar to that of the hinds,
+being nearly elliptical, and with a depth of a third of its length, and
+moderately compressed. The head is long and pointed, longer than the
+depth of the body, with an evenly curved profile from the snout to the
+dorsal fin; the lower jaw projects very much; the mouth is large, with
+narrow bands of teeth, and small canines. Its general color is yellow,
+darker or orange-red on the back, with two black spots on the tail;
+there are a few violet spots about the eye, and some blue spots on the
+head and anterior half of the body, those on the head with dark margins;
+the head, and pectoral and dorsal fins, are reddish.
+
+The nigger-fish is found in the deeper channels in rocky situations. It
+feeds on small fishes principally. It is not very common, and is much
+prized as a food-fish by the people of Key West. The common varieties
+are the red and brown nigger-fishes, which differ only in coloration
+from the yellow ones. It is taken with the other channel fishes, and
+with the same baits and similar tackle, by the market fishermen; but the
+angler should utilize his black-bass rod, with braided linen line, size
+F, and hooks No. 2-0 on gimp snells. As it is a bottom feeder a sinker
+must be used to keep the bait at the proper depth. For baits, any small
+fish or sea-crawfish or prawns or shrimps will answer.
+
+I was once fishing for channel fishes in sight of Key West, and having
+just landed a nigger-fish. I asked my boatman, a Bahama negro, why it
+was so called. He answered in the lingo peculiar to both white and black
+Bahamians:--
+
+"Vell, maybe it's along of its yaller and red color, for niggers is
+right fond of yaller and red; but vether that's the horigin of its fust
+name is 'ard to tell. Now, Hamericans calls us Bahama people conchs
+'cause we eats conchs, but nigger-fish don't eat niggers, no more does
+jellyfish eat jelly. I think they are called nigger-fish 'cause they is
+so 'andsome."
+
+
+THE SAND-FISH
+
+(_Diplectrum formosum_)
+
+The sand-fish, or, as it is sometimes called, the squirrel-fish, also
+belongs to the family _Serranidæ_. It was first described by Linnæus, in
+1766, from Dr. Garden's specimens from South Carolina; he named it
+_formosa_, or "handsome," from its pretty form and coloration. It
+inhabits the Atlantic coast from South Carolina to South America, and is
+common to both coasts of Florida, and especially about the keys. It has
+a rather elliptical body in outline; its depth is less than a third of
+its length, being elongate and rather slender as compared with other
+allied species. The head is as long as the depth of the body, with an
+arched profile above the eyes; the mouth is large, the lower jaw
+projecting a little; the upper border of the cheek-bone is serrated,
+with two clusters of small, sharp spines; the teeth are in narrow bands;
+the canine teeth are small.
+
+Its color is light brown above, silvery white below; there are several
+dark and broad vertical bars across the body, and a dark blotch at the
+base of the caudal fin; the body has eight narrow bright blue
+longitudinal stripes, which are more distinct above, and paler below;
+the head is yellow, with several wavy blue stripes below the eye and
+several between the eyes; the upper fins have blue and yellow stripes,
+and the caudal fin has yellow spots surrounded by bluish markings.
+
+It frequents sandy shoals, and also rocky shores, feeding on small
+fishes and crustaceans. It is a good pan-fish, growing to about a foot
+in length, but usually to six or eight inches. The same tackle and baits
+used for the hinds, coney, and nigger-fish will also answer well for the
+sand-fish, which consists of black-bass rod, braided linen line, size F,
+hooks No. 1 or 1-0, and suitable sinker and swivel. It is a good
+game-fish for its size on the light tackle just mentioned, and is well
+worth a trial on account of its beauty, and excellence for the table,
+even if its gameness is not considered.
+
+While engaged in a scientific expedition to Florida many years ago, my
+vessel ran aground one afternoon in Barnes Sound, south-west of Biscayne
+Bay. The bottom was a sandy marl and quite soft, so that we were unable
+to use the setting poles to any advantage in moving the boat. I observed
+quite a school of fish surrounding the vessel, which proved to be
+sand-fish. I put out a stake to mark the stage of the tide, and while
+waiting for the flood tide I put in the time fishing, and soon had
+enough sand-fish for supper and breakfast. This was rather fortunate, as
+we were still aground the next morning, for strange to say the depth of
+the water had neither increased nor diminished for sixteen hours; there
+was no tide in that remote corner of the universe. We then took out the
+ballast of about a ton of pig-iron and put it in the dory we had intow.
+This lightened up the vessel enough to enable us to shove her off into
+deeper water. I think we never enjoyed any fish quite so much as those
+delicious little sand-fish, and it has ever since been one of my
+favorite fishes.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE CAVALLI FAMILY
+
+(_Carangidæ_)
+
+The members of this family differ from the true mackerels by a less
+number of spines in the first dorsal fin, and in having but two spines
+in the anal fin, and no detached finlets; also in having smaller teeth.
+Some of the species are described in another volume of this series, to
+which the reader is referred.
+
+ _Carangus chrysos._ The Runner. Body oblong, moderately
+ elevated, the dorsal and ventral outlines about equally arched;
+ head 3-3/4; depth 3-1/4; eye 3-1/2; lateral line with 50
+ scutes; D. VIII-I, 24; A. II-I, 19; profile forms a uniform
+ curve; snout rather sharp; mouth moderate, slightly oblique,
+ maxillary reaching middle of orbit; teeth comparatively large;
+ a single series in lower jaw; upper jaw with an inner series of
+ smaller teeth; no canines; teeth on vomer, palatines, and
+ tongue; gill-rakers long and numerous; pectoral fin not longer
+ than head; scales moderate; cheeks and breast scaly; black
+ opercular spot.
+
+ _Carangus latus._ The Horse-eye Jack. Moderately deep; head
+ 3-3/4; depth 2-1/2; scutes 30; D. VIII-I, 20; A. II-I, 17; head
+ bluntish; profile curved; mouth moderate; lower jaw prominent;
+ villiform teeth on upper jaw, vomer, palatines, and tongue;
+ weak canines in lower jaw; breast scaly; maxillary reaching
+ posterior edge of pupil; pectoral fin about as long as head;
+ cheeks and upper part of opercles scaly; gill-rakers rather long,
+ about 12 below the angle.
+
+ _Trachinotus carolinus._ The Pompano. Body oblong,
+ comparatively robust; head 4; depth 2-1/3; eye 4-1/2; scales
+ small and smooth; D. VI-I, 25; A. II-I, 23; profile of head
+ evenly convex; snout bluntly rounded; mouth small, maxillary
+ reaching middle of eye; jaws without teeth in the adult;
+ maxillary without supplemental bone; dorsal and anal fins
+ falcate, anterior rays nearly reaching middle of fins when
+ depressed; dorsal lobe 4-1/2 in body; anal 5-1/2; dorsal lobe
+ pale.
+
+
+THE RUNNER
+
+(_Carangus chrysos_)
+
+The runner was first described by Dr. S.L. Mitchill, in 1815, from the
+vicinity of New York. He named it _chrysos_, meaning "gold," from the
+golden sheen of its sides. It inhabits the Atlantic coast from Cape Cod
+to Brazil, but is most abundant on southern shores and in the Gulf of
+Mexico.
+
+It has an oblong body, its depth a little less than a third of its
+length, with the dorsal and ventral curves about equal. The head is
+shorter than the depth of the body, with a uniformly curved profile and
+rather sharp snout. The mouth is moderate in size and low, with a single
+series of teeth in the lower jaw, and two in the upper one, but no
+canines; there are also small teeth on the roof of the mouth and tongue.
+Its colour is greenish olive on the back, and golden yellow or silvery
+below; there is a black blotch on the border of the gill-cover; the fins
+are all plain.
+
+The runner, as its name indicates, is a great forager, and is the
+swiftest and most graceful of all the jacks or cavallies. It ranges
+farther northward than the other species of the genus. It frequents the
+reefs and the shores of the keys and mainland of Florida in search of
+food, which consists of small fishes, as sardines, anchovies, mullets,
+etc., crustaceans, and other small organisms. It is the best of the
+jacks as a food-fish, and is in great favor at Key West. For its size it
+is also the gamest, but as it rarely exceeds a foot in length it is not
+so much sought, generally, as the larger jacks. It is, however, a great
+favorite with the juvenile anglers at Key West, as it can be taken from
+the wharves with almost any kind of bait. On account of its activity and
+gameness it furnishes fine sport on light tackle, and under these
+conditions is worthy the attention of the angler. A light black-bass
+rod, braided linen line, size G, hooks No. 1 or 1-0 on gimp snells, a
+light multiplying reel and sinker adapted to the tidal current, comprise
+a good outfit for the runner, which is also known as hard-tail and
+jurel in some localities. About Key West and the neighboring keys the
+best bait is the little whirligig mullet (_Querimana gyrans_), which
+whirls on the surface in large schools, or cut bait or shrimps may be
+used to advantage.
+
+The author of a recently published book on the fishes of Florida makes
+the following queer statement, "It seems to me the runners are hybrids
+from the crevalle and bluefish species or families, as they certainly
+resemble both of those fishes." It would be strange did they not
+resemble the fishes named, as all are of the mackerel tribe, and all are
+distinguished by having falcate anal and dorsal fins of about the same
+relative size, and placed about opposite each other, and also have
+swallow-shaped caudal fins with slender caudal pedicle; but there the
+greatest resemblance ends. I have never seen a hybrid among fishes in
+the natural state. They can be produced by the fishculturist between
+kindred species, but there is no especial benefit to be derived from
+such experiments. Hybrids, or so-called mules, are infertile, and
+incapable of reproducing their kind.
+
+
+THE HORSE-EYE JACK
+
+(_Carangus latus_)
+
+The horse-eye jack was first described by Louis Agassiz, in 1829, from
+Brazil, who named it _latus_, or "broad," owing to its short and deep
+form. It differs from the runner mostly in being deeper in body, and in
+its large eye. It has a few less soft rays in the dorsal and anal fins,
+and but thirty-five bony scutes along the lateral line; otherwise it is
+very similar. Its color is bluish above and golden or silvery below, and
+it has a black spot on the margin of the gill-cover, but of less size
+than that of the runner. While it is similar in habits to the runner, it
+has a more extended range, inhabiting all warm seas.
+
+The horse-eye jack grows to a larger size than the runner, but is not
+nearly so good a food-fish, though nearly its equal as a game-fish. Its
+flesh is reputed to be poisonous at certain seasons in the tropics, and
+whether true or not, it is not held in much favor, though it is caught
+by boys at the wharves of Key West, and I presume is eaten. The same
+tackle and baits recommended for the runner can be utilized for the
+horse-eye jack.
+
+
+THE POMPANO
+
+(_Trachinotus carolinus_)
+
+The pompano was first described by Linnæus, in 1766, from Dr. Garden's
+specimens from South Carolina, which accounts for its specific name. It
+is abundant on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts, to which it is mostly
+confined, though it occasionally strays north to Cape Cod in summer, and
+rarely to the West Indies.
+
+It has a short, deep body, being nearly half as deep as long, oblong and
+robust. Its head is short, about half as long as the depth of the body,
+with a small, low mouth, and with few or no teeth in the jaws; the snout
+is blunt, the profile from end of snout to the eye about vertical, and
+from thence to the dorsal fin is regularly arched. The color is bluish
+above and golden or silvery below; the pectoral and anal fins are
+yellow, shaded with blue; caudal fin with bluish reflections.
+
+The pompano frequents the sandy beaches of the keys and islands of the
+Gulf coast, mostly the outside shores, where it feeds on beach-fleas and
+the beautiful little mollusks known as "pompano-shells," also on small
+shrimps and other shore-loving organisms. I consider the pompano to be
+the best food-fish in either salt or fresh water--the prince of
+food-fishes, it is incomparable. It is caught principally in haul seines
+by the fishermen on the flood tide. On the Atlantic coast it is abundant
+at Jupiter inlet and at Lake Worth, but not so plentiful as about the
+outside and inside beaches of the islands about Charlotte Harbor on the
+Gulf coast. In the summer it strays northward to the Carolina coasts.
+Its usual weight is a pound or two, rarely exceeding eighteen inches in
+length or four pounds in weight. It is often confounded with several
+other species, as the permit (_Trachinotus goodei_), which reaches three
+feet in length and twenty-five or thirty pounds in weight; also with the
+gaff top-sail pompano (_Trachinotus glaucus_), and the round pompano
+(_Trachinotus falcatus_), both of which grow larger than the true
+pompano and are often sold for the genuine article by dealers; but no
+one who has eaten a true pompano can be deceived by these other species.
+It spawns in the summer.
+
+It is difficult to take the pompano with the hook except on the flood
+tide, when it is running in schools, feeding along the shores, though it
+is occasionally caught by still-fishing in the bays with bait of
+beach-fleas or cut clam. The tackle should be very light and the hook
+small, Nos. 6 or 8, on fine gut snells. When hooked it is a game-fish of
+more than ordinary cunning and cleverness, and one of two pounds will
+tax the angler's skill on a six-ounce rod. They can be taken in the surf
+of the outside beaches of the islands, on the flood tide, with
+beach-flea bait, by casting it into the schools with a fly-rod; and this
+is the best form of fishing for this grand fish.
+
+The hooked pompano frequently breaks water among its other manoeuvres to
+escape the angler, and as a leaper at other times has quite a
+reputation. I have often had them leap into my boat, both when anchored
+and moving, but usually when sailing near a school. The name pompano is
+probably derived from the Spanish word _pampana_, a "vine leaf," owing
+to its shape resembling somewhat a leaf of some kind of vine; the books
+say a "grape leaf," to which the pompano has a remote resemblance if the
+extended fins are taken into account. There is another Spanish word
+_pampano_, more nearly resembling pompano in sound and spelling. It
+means "a young vine branch or tendril," and if the aquatic capers and
+aerial saltations of the pompano when hooked are to be brought into the
+comparison, they cannot be exceeded by that most intricate dance, the
+"grape-vine twist," even when performed by the most agile plantation
+negro. But seriously, when its size is considered, one would have to go
+far afield, or rather search the waters under the earth, for a better
+fish for the angler or the epicure.
+
+I have seen more pompano about the beaches of Big and Little Gasparilla
+Keys of Charlotte Harbor, on the Gulf coast, than elsewhere in Florida.
+On their outside beaches, during the flood tide, the beach-fleas and
+pompano-shells come rolling in on every wave. The little mollusks
+disappear beneath the sand in the twinkling of an eye, but the
+crustaceans are again carried out by the receding wave. And this
+continues during the first half of the flood tide, during which time
+schools of pompano are feeding on them. On one such occasion myself and
+a friend were "flea-fishing" for pompano; that is, we were using
+fly-rods and very small hooks baited with beach-fleas, which we cast in
+the same manner as artificial flies. My friend, fishing at the water's
+edge, often forgot in his eagerness to step back to avoid each "ninth
+wave," which would wet him to his knees. However, in that warm, sunny
+clime the involuntary bath did him no harm, and he had his compensation
+in a basket of fine pompano, which were duly planked for dinner and
+eaten, bones and all,--for their bones are very soft and
+semi-cartilaginous. The head of a broiled or planked pompano is a
+_bonne-bouche_ that once eaten will ever be held in grateful and
+gratified remembrance.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+THE CHANNEL FISHES
+
+The channels among the reefs and keys from Cape Florida to Key West and
+vicinity abound with a number of percoid, or perchlike, fishes,
+belonging to several families. They are mostly of small size,
+comparatively, but afford good bottom fishing. They are all good
+food-fishes and find a ready sale in the markets of Key West. Most of
+them are remarkable for their gay and brilliant coloration.
+
+The coralline formation of the keys and reefs renders the use of seines
+and nets impossible, so that all of the fishing for market is done with
+hook and line,--usually with sea-crawfish bait, though a few are taken
+in traps formed of heavy wire. The fishes consist of grunts, snappers,
+groupers, porgies, etc., and are carried to market alive in the wells of
+the small vessels known as "smackees."
+
+A fleet of larger vessels, mostly schooner-rigged, troll along the keys
+and reefs for the larger surface-feeding fishes, as kingfish, cero,
+Spanish mackerel, bonitos, large groupers and snappers, etc. The troll
+is usually a piece of bacon-skin cut of an elliptical shape to simulate
+a fish, and is impaled on a codfish hook with a snell of copper wire,
+and a laid cotton codfish line of a size nearly as large as a
+lead-pencil. The hooking and hauling aboard of the fish, while under
+sail, so disables it that it is killed by a blow on the head and carried
+to market on ice.
+
+As all of the grunts, snappers, porgies, and other channel fishes grow
+only to a foot or two in length, the same tackle may answer for all. The
+fishing is done in water of varying depth, from a few feet to twenty or
+more, from an anchored boat. The best plan for the angler who is
+visiting Key West for the first time is to go out with a market
+fisherman in his boat and learn by ocular evidence the _modus operandi_
+of channel fishing. After that he will be prepared to follow his own
+devices and fish in the same or an improved way.
+
+A stiffish black-bass rod, or the Little Giant rod of seven and one-half
+feet and eight ounces, a modification of the Henshall black-bass rod,
+are quite suitable, though the market fishermen use hand-lines
+altogether. The rest of the tackle needed is a multiplying reel, a
+braided linen line, size E or F, Sproat or O'Shaughnessy hooks of
+various sizes, from Nos. 1 to 3-0, according to the size of the mouths
+of the different fishes, though No. 1-0 will be found to be a good
+average size. Sinkers of different weights, from one to six ounces, to
+meet the strength of the tide, and a strong landing-net must be added.
+The hooks should be tied on single, strong silkworm fibre.
+
+The best bait is the sea-crawfish (_Palinurus_), or spiny lobster, which
+grows to the size of the common lobster, and is found in the crevices of
+the coral reefs or among the rocks and shells at the bottom, from whence
+it is taken by the fish spear called "grains." The flesh is taken from
+the shell and cut up for bait, and the shell itself is tied to a line
+and sunk near the bottom to attract the fish. Shrimps are also good
+bait, as are any of the small fishes, or conchs cut into suitable sizes.
+Any of the various crabs can also be utilized. The large conchs
+_Strombus_ and _Pyrula_ are good, and a large one will furnish bait for
+a whole day.
+
+
+BAIT FISHES
+
+For the information of anglers who would like to know something of the
+small fishes used for bait, their names at least, I think it not out of
+place to mention them here. The mullet is one of the fishes most
+frequently utilized. There are several species belonging to the family
+_Mugilidæ_: the common mullet (_Mugil cephalus_), the white mullet
+(_Mugil curema_), both of which are abundant in Florida, especially the
+first named. There is a somewhat rare species along the coasts, but
+common at Key West, the fan-tail mullet (_Mugil trichodon_). A very
+abundant but very small species, and one that makes a capital bait for
+fishes with small mouths, is the whirligig mullet (_Querimana gyrans_).
+
+There are several species of sardines belonging to the herring family
+(_Clupeidæ_). They may be found in all bays along the coasts, going in
+and out of the inlets with the tide. The most common species are the
+silver sardine (_Sardinella humeralis_), which has a dark spot at the
+base of the pectoral fin, and the striped sardine (Sardinella sardina),
+which has faint streaks along the sides.
+
+The anchovies belong to the family _Engraulididæ_, and may be
+distinguished by their very wide mouths, which open back to the
+gill-cover. The species all look very much alike; the most common ones
+are the banded anchovy (_Stolephorus perfasciatus_), with narrow silvery
+longitudinal band, and from two to three inches long; the big anchovy
+(_Stolephorus brownii_), which is deeper and grows larger, from four to
+six inches in length; these two species are mostly confined to the south
+and west coasts. Another species, also abundant on the east coast, is
+the silver anchovy (_Stolephorus mitchilli_), which is more silvery or
+translucent in appearance than the others, with yellowish fins and
+dotted body.
+
+There are a number of crabs that are excellent baits, as the hermit crab
+(_Eupagurus_), which lives in the cast-off shells of univalve mollusks;
+fiddler crab (_Gelasimus_), which abounds in myriads on the inside
+shores of the bays; the spider crab (_Libinia_), which is quite common
+in shallow water, sometimes covered with bits of weeds, shells, etc.;
+the common crab (_Cancer_); the lady crab (_Platyonichus_), beautifully
+spotted; the stone crab (_Menippe_), quite a large crab, with very large
+claws; the mud crab (_Panopeus_), a small crab and a very good bait.
+There are a number of crustaceans, commonly called beach-fleas, that
+are good baits for small-mouthed fishes along the Florida coasts, among
+which may be mentioned the beach-flea (_Orchestia_); the sand-bug
+(_Hippa_); the gribble (_Limnoria_); also the shrimp (_Gammarus_); and
+the prawn (_Palæmonetes_).
+
+
+THE GRUNT FAMILY
+
+(_Hæmulidæ_)
+
+The grunts have an oblong body, more or less elevated and compressed;
+head large, its sides usually scaly; mouth low and horizontal, usually
+curved; sharp or pointed teeth; dorsal fin single, with a marked angle
+at the junction of the spiny and soft portions; the dorsal spines ten or
+twelve; anal fin with three spines, the second one the largest; caudal
+fin concave. The coloration is bizarre and usually brilliant, with the
+lips and inside of the mouth bright red or scarlet. They are all good
+pan-fishes, and from their habit of emitting vocal sounds when caught
+are called "grunts." They feed on crustaceans, small fishes, and the
+innumerable marine invertebrates that inhabit the coral reefs and
+coralline rocks.
+
+ _Hæmulon plumieri._ The Common Grunt. Body moderately elongate;
+ the back elevated and somewhat compressed; head long, the sharp
+ snout projecting; head 2-2/3; depth 2-2/3; eye 5;
+
+ D. XII, 16; A. III, 8; scales 5-50-17; anterior profile more or
+ less S-shaped; the nape gibbous; mouth very large, the gape
+ curved, maxillary reaching beyond front of eye; lower jaw
+ slightly included; teeth strong, in broad bands, those of the
+ outer series enlarged; antrorse teeth of posterior part of both
+ jaws strong; interorbital space convex; preorbital rather deep;
+ preopercle finely serrate; scales above lateral line much
+ enlarged anteriorly.
+
+ _Hæmulon sciurus._ The Yellow Grunt. Body oblong, the back not
+ much elevated; head 2-3/4; depth 2-3/5; eye 4; scales 7-53-14;
+ D. XII, 16; A. III, 8; interorbital space convex; preopercle
+ finely serrate; profile nearly straight; snout moderately
+ acute; mouth large, the gape curved, the maxillary reaching a
+ little past front of pupil; lower jaw slightly included; teeth
+ strong; upper jaw in front with about 3 strong canines on each
+ side; front teeth of lower jaw rather strong; blue stripes on
+ body.
+
+ _Hæmulon album._ The Margate-fish. Body comparatively deep, the
+ back much elevated and compressed; the anterior profile steep;
+ head 3; depth 2-2/3; eye 6; scales 7-46-16; D. XII, 16; A. III,
+ 7; snout pointed; mouth large, the maxillary extending to front
+ of eye; lower jaw included; teeth not very large, in narrow
+ bands; interorbital space strongly convex; preorbital deep;
+ preopercle finely serrate; soft part of anal and dorsal fins
+ covered with thin, translucent scales.
+
+ _Hæmulon parra._ The Sailor's Choice. Body comparatively deep,
+ the back compressed and arched; anterior profile rather steep
+ and convex; head 3; depth 2-2/3; eye 4; scales 5-50-14; D. XII,
+ 17; A. III, 7; mouth rather small, the maxillary extending to
+ front of eye; teeth in bands, rather strong, the outer large,
+ antrorse teeth of lower jaw well developed; preopercle finely
+ serrate; lower jaw slightly included; interorbital space
+ convex; preorbital rather deep.
+
+ _Orthopristis chrysopterus._ The Pig-fish. Body
+ ovate-elliptical, somewhat elevated at shoulders, considerably
+ compressed; head 3-1/8; depth 2-3/4; eye 5; scales 10-60-19; D.
+ XII, 16; A. III, 12; snout long and sharp; jaws equal, each
+ with a narrow band of slender teeth, the outer above a little
+ larger; mouth small, the maxillary not reaching to eye;
+ preopercle very slightly serrate above; snout and lower jaw
+ naked, rest of head scaly; dorsal and anal spines enclosed
+ in a deep, scaly sheath; soft rays naked.
+
+ Anisotremus virginicus. The Pork-fish. Body ovate, the back
+ very much elevated; the anterior profile steep; very much
+ arched at nape; head 3-1/8; depth 2-1/10; eye 4; scales
+ 11-56-17; D. XII, 17; A. III, 10; mouth small, the maxillary
+ extending to anterior nostril; jaws subequal; outer row of
+ teeth enlarged; about 6 gill-rakers.
+
+[Illustration THE BLACK GRUNT]
+[_Hæmulon plumieri_]
+
+[Illustration THE RED SNAPPER]
+[_Lutianus aya_]
+
+
+THE BLACK GRUNT
+
+(_Hæmulon plumieri_)
+
+The black or common grunt is the most abundant and one of the most
+popular food-fishes in the vicinity of Key West. It was named by
+Lacépéde, in 1802, in honor of Father Plumier, an early naturalist, who
+sent drawings of the fishes of Martinique to the museums of Europe. It
+belongs to the West Indian fauna, and is abundant near Key West, and not
+uncommon about the rocks and reefs at the lower end of Tampa Bay and
+other rocky localities on the Gulf coast of Florida. On the Atlantic
+coast it is found as far north as Cape Hatteras.
+
+The depth of the body is a little more than a third of its length,
+compressed, with elevated shoulder. The head is as long as the depth of
+the body, with a large, curved mouth and a pointed and projecting snout.
+The profile is concave in front of the eye. The jaws are armed with
+bands of strong and conical teeth, the outer ones largest and the rear
+ones curving forward. Its color is bluish gray, with the bases of the
+scales bronze, tinged with olive, forming oblique stripes running upward
+and backward. The head is golden bronze, with many bright blue stripes,
+very distinct, a few of which extend to the shoulder. The inside of the
+mouth is scarlet, becoming lighter, or yellowish, on the jaws. The
+dorsal fin is grayish, with a yellow border on the spinous portion; the
+anal fin is gray tinged with yellow; the ventral fins are bluish gray;
+the pectoral fins are gray with a dusky bar at the base; the caudal fin
+is plain gray.
+
+The common grunt grows usually to a foot in length, though more are
+caught under that size than over. It is often called "sow grunt" by the
+market fishermen, in contradistinction to the "boar grunt," as the
+yellow grunt is often designated by them, wrongly supposing one to be
+the male and the other the female. While the general remarks on its
+feeding habits, as given in the paragraph relating to the family
+characteristics of the grunts, are correct, it may be stated that they
+are essentially carnivorous, devouring small fishes, crustaceans, and
+other marine invertebrates that abound on the coralline reefs. They
+spawn late in the summer, on the rocky shoals and hard, sandy bars,
+congregating at such times in large schools. As a food-fish it is held
+in greater esteem than any other fish in the Key West market, and
+selling from a nickel to a dime for a bunch of about half a dozen, it
+forms the staple breakfast dish of all Key Westers, who are inordinately
+fond of it.
+
+While assistant chief of the fisheries department of the World's
+Columbian Exposition at Chicago, in 1893, I had among other visitors a
+young lady friend from Key West, who never before had been away from her
+island home, having been educated at the convent of Key West. She could
+not find words to express her delight at scenes so entirely new and
+novel, and said that some things gave her a better idea of heaven; but
+there was one thing, she said, that was lacking amidst all the wonders
+and delights from the four quarters of the globe, and without which
+everything else paled into insignificance,--"fried grunts for
+breakfast." I made her happy by escorting her to the Aquarium and
+showing her the live grunts swimming in a tank, seemingly as much at
+home as on the coral reefs of Florida. The methods of angling, and the
+tackle and baits used for grunts, are given in the opening paragraphs of
+this chapter, to which the reader is referred.
+
+
+THE YELLOW GRUNT
+
+(_Hæmulon sciurus_)
+
+The yellow grunt was first noticed by Bloch, in 1790, from the West
+Indies; but owing to a mistake as to its proper identification it was
+named _sciurus_, meaning "squirrel," by Shaw, in 1803, based on Bloch's
+description and figure. The name squirrel is in allusion to the grunting
+noise it emits when captured, which is compared to the barking of that
+animal. It is abundant in the West Indies and south to Brazil, and is
+quite common about Key West.
+
+The yellow grunt is very similar to the common grunt in the conformation
+of its body and fins, but has a rather curved profile instead of a
+depression in front of the eye. The teeth are similar, with about three
+strong canines on each side. The scales on the upper part of the body
+are relatively smaller than in the black grunt. Its color is uniformly
+brassy yellow, with about a dozen longitudinal and distinct stripes of
+sky-blue, somewhat wavy, extending from the snout to the anal fin; the
+fins are yellowish; the inside of the mouth is scarlet. It grows to
+about a foot in length, but occasionally to eighteen inches. It is the
+handsomest in coloration and appearance of all the grunts, and is often
+called "boar grunt" by the Key West fishermen. A black-bass bait rod,
+braided linen line, snelled hooks No. 1-0, with sinker adapted to the
+depth and current of the water, and sea-crawfish, shrimps, prawns, or
+cut-fish bait, will be found quite applicable for grunt fishing.
+
+Although the yellow grunt was known to science from the West Indies as
+early as 1790, it was not recorded from the waters of the United States
+until a century later, when in 1881 I collected it at Key West. This is
+the more remarkable inasmuch as it is rather common along the keys, and
+is moreover such a striking, well-marked, and handsome species that it
+is difficult to imagine how it had been overlooked. The field has,
+however, been pretty well worked since, and many new species have been
+recorded.
+
+The Florida Keys, like the southern portion of the peninsula, are of
+recent formation, and are underlaid by oolitic and coral limestones.
+These coralline rocks are formed by the action of the waves and weather
+on the calcareous secretions of coral polyps, those beautiful "flowers
+of the sea" which are still building better than they know on the
+outlying submerged reefs, and where may be seen those tiny "toilers of
+the sea," madrepores, astreans, mæandrinas, porites, gorgonias, etc.,
+rivalling in beauty of form and color the most charming and delicate
+ferns, fungi, mosses, and shrubs.
+
+The fishes that frequent the coral reefs are very handsome, both in form
+and coloration: silvery, rosy, scarlet, brown, and golden bodies, with
+sky-blue, bright yellow, rosy, or black stripes and bands, or spotted,
+stellated, and mottled with all the hues of the rainbow; and with
+jewelled eyes of scarlet, blue, yellow, or black; fins of all colors and
+shapes, and lips of scarlet red, blue, or silver.
+
+
+THE MARGATE-FISH
+
+(_Hæmulon album_)
+
+The margate-fish, or margate grunt, is the largest of the family,
+growing to two feet or more in length and eight or ten pounds in weight,
+though usually it weighs from two to six pounds as taken to market. It
+was noticed by Catesby in his "History of the Carolinas," in 1742, and
+was wrongly identified from his description by Walbaum in 1792. It
+received its present name from Cuvier and Valenciennes, in 1830, from
+West Indian specimens; they called it _album_, meaning "white," as it is
+the lightest in coloration of any of the grunts. It is much esteemed as
+a food-fish at Key West. It is abundant from Key West to Brazil, being
+quite common about the Florida Keys, especially in the immediate
+vicinity of Key West, being usually found in deep water, except when it
+approaches the shallows to feed on crustaceans, etc. It is rather a
+warm-water fish.
+
+The margate-fish is of much the same proportions, and of similar
+appearance, as the yellow grunt, but with a more elevated and arching
+back, and is more compressed. The teeth are in narrow bands, and are
+somewhat smaller than in the other grunts. The adult fish is whitish,
+olivaceous on the back, with faint spots on the scales of back and
+sides. The inside of the mouth is orange; the lips and snout yellowish;
+the fins dusky greenish; a broad but indistinct band extends along the
+sides. Younger fish are bluish in coloration of body and fins, with dark
+parallel stripes below.
+
+Somewhat larger hooks, say No. 2-0, and a little heavier line, braided
+linen, size F, are more suitable for this fish; otherwise the same
+tackle and baits can be employed as for the other grunts and channel
+fishes.
+
+
+THE SAILOR'S CHOICE
+
+(_Hæmulon parra_)
+
+This grunt is sometimes called bastard margaret by the Key West
+fisherman. The name sailor's choice is often wrongly applied to the
+pinfish (_Lagodon rhomboides_) and the pig-fish (_Orthopristis
+chrysopterus_) The sailor's choice was first described by Desmarest, in
+1823, from Havana; he named it _parra_ in honor of the Cuban naturalist,
+Parra. It is a good pan-fish, eight or ten inches long, usually, but
+sometimes growing to a foot in length. It is abundant from Key West to
+Brazil. I have taken it from the line of keys south-west of Cape Florida,
+and along the mainland from Biscayne Bay to Marco and Lemon Bay on the
+Gulf coast.
+
+Its body is of about the same proportions, and of the same general
+appearance, as that of the yellow grunt, and it grows to about the same
+size. The radial formula of its fins and size of scales are also much
+the same. The mouth is smaller, but the teeth are of about the same
+character. Its color is dull pearly gray, belly grayish, each scale of
+the body with a distinct olive-brown spot, forming interrupted, oblique,
+and wavy streaks; fins dusky. The inside of the mouth is not so red as
+in the other grunts. There is a distinct black spot on the lower edge of
+the cheek-bone.
+
+
+THE GRAY GRUNT AND FRENCH GRUNT
+
+The gray grunt (_Hæmulon macrostomum_) and the French grunt (_Hæmulon
+flavolineatum_) are not so common about the Florida Keys as the other
+grunts, but grow to about the same size, and are often taken with them,
+and with the same baits and the same mode of fishing.
+
+
+THE PIG-FISH
+
+(_Orthopristis chrysopterus_)
+
+Another pan-fish belonging to the grunt family and common to the waters
+of Florida, and one much esteemed as a food-fish, is the pig-fish. It is
+known as hog-fish in Chesapeake Bay, and sailor's choice on the South
+Atlantic coast. It was described by Linnæus, in 1766, from South
+Carolina. He named it _chrysopterus_, or "gold fin." Its range extends
+from the Chesapeake Bay along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts to Florida
+and Texas, and occasionally it strays as far north as Long Island.
+
+It resembles the grunts very much in its general appearance. Its body is
+rather more than a third of its length, elevated at the shoulder, and
+compressed. Its head is a third of the length of the body, with a long,
+sharp snout and a small mouth placed low. There is a narrow band of
+slender teeth in each jaw, the outer ones in the upper jaw somewhat
+larger. The color of the pig-fish is light blue above, shading gradually
+to silvery below; the upper lip is marked with blue; the body scales
+have a blue centre, the edges with a bronze spot, forming very distinct
+orange-brown stripes along the rows of scales on the back and sides,
+those above the lateral line extending obliquely upward and backward,
+those below being nearly horizontal; the snout, cheeks, and gill-covers
+have distinct bronze spots, larger than those of the body; the inside of
+the mouth is pale, the back of the mouth somewhat golden in hue; the
+dorsal fin is translucent, with bronze spots or shades, the edge of the
+fin dusky; the other fins are more or less dusky, with yellowish
+shades.
+
+Along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts it resorts to sandy shoals in rather
+shallow water, but along the Florida Keys it is found also about rocky
+bars, and on the Gulf coast is often on grassy flats, or wherever crabs,
+shrimp, beach-fleas, and other crustaceans abound, on which it feeds,
+principally, though it is also fond of the young fry of other fishes. It
+is an excellent pan-fish, of delicious flavor, and is a favorite
+wherever its merits are known. It grows to a length of ten inches,
+sometimes to twelve or fifteen inches in favorable localities, but in
+Florida is mostly from six to eight inches in length. It spawns in the
+spring in April and May.
+
+It is much sought after in Chesapeake Bay, and is a favorite food-fish
+at Norfolk, Virginia, where it is known as hog-fish. It grows there
+somewhat larger, and is also a favorite fish with anglers. The lightest
+tackle must be employed for its capture, and hooks Nos. 2 to 3, on gut
+snells, for it has a small mouth. Sea-crawfish, crab, shrimp,
+beach-fleas, and other crustaceans are the best baits, though cut conch
+and fish will answer pretty well. It is a bottom feeder, and sinkers
+must be used to keep the bait near the fish.
+
+
+THE PORK-FISH
+
+(_Anisotremus virginicus_)
+
+Another pan-fish of the grunt family (_Hæmulidæ_) is the pork-fish, a
+handsome and beautifully-marked species. It was named by Linnæus, in
+1758, from South America, though why he called it _virginicus_,
+"Virginia," is not known. It is a tropical fish, its range extending
+from the Florida Keys to Brazil. It is very abundant in the vicinity of
+Key West, and is seen in the markets daily.
+
+It has a short, compressed body, its depth being half of its length,
+with the back very much elevated. Its head is short compared with its
+height, with a very steep profile, slightly convex in front and very
+much arched at the nape. The mouth is quite small, with thick lips; the
+jaws are armed with bands of sharp, pointed teeth, the outer row
+enlarged. The ground color of the body is pearly gray; an oblique black
+bar, as wide as the eye, extends from the nape through the eye to the
+angle of the mouth; another broader and jet-black vertical bar extends
+from the front of the dorsal fin to the base of the pectoral fin; the
+interspace between the bars is pearly gray, with yellow spots, becoming
+confluent above; beginning at the vertical bar and extending backward
+are half a dozen deep yellow, longitudinal, and parallel stripes, the
+lower ones reaching the caudal fin; all of the fins are deep yellow.
+
+The pork-fish resorts to the reefs and coralline rocks, feeding on
+crustaceans, small marine invertebrates, and small, soft-shelled
+mollusks, which it crushes with the blunt teeth in its throat. Its usual
+size runs from half a pound to a pound, but occasionally grows to two
+pounds. It should be fished for with very light tackle, about the same
+as used for the pig-fish, but with smaller hooks. No. 5 or 6, on gut
+snells, and cut-conch bait, small shrimps, and beach-fleas.
+
+The pork-fish has been known from the time of Marcgrave, over two
+centuries ago, from Brazil, and from the West Indies for many years, but
+was not recorded from the waters of the United States until 1881, when I
+collected it near Key West. As in the case of the yellow grunt and the
+lane snapper, it is surprising that such long-described and well-marked
+and beautiful species should have been overlooked in our own waters
+until my collection of that year.
+
+
+THE SNAPPER FAMILY
+
+(_Lutianidæ_)
+
+This family of perchlike fishes is related to the grunts on one hand,
+and to the groupers, or sea-basses, on the other. Those to be described
+here are mostly of small or moderate size, but are all good food-fishes
+and fair game-fishes. They are abundant along the Florida Keys, and with
+the exception of the red snapper are caught in a similar manner, and
+with the same tackle and baits, as the grunts. They are characterized by
+an oblong body more or less elevated and compressed; rough scales, large
+head and mouth; teeth sharp and unequal; dorsal fin single, with ten or
+twelve spines; anal fin similar in shape to soft dorsal fin, with three
+spines; the caudal fin concave.
+
+ _Ocyurus chrysurus._ The Yellow-tail. The yellow-tail differs
+ from the other snappers in the formation of the skull, the
+ peculiar form of its body, the large, deeply-forked caudal fin,
+ and the presence of pterygoid teeth. Its body is elliptical,
+ with regularly-arched back; head 3; depth 3; scales 7-65-15; D.
+ X, 13; A. III, 9; mouth small, oblique, the lower jaw
+ projecting, maxillary reaching front of orbit; snout pointed;
+ caudal peduncle long and slender; eye small, 5; interorbital
+ space very convex, with median keel; upper jaw with a narrow
+ band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a single series of
+ larger teeth, several in front being caninelike; a large, oval
+ patch of teeth on tongue; an arrow-shaped patch on the vomer;
+ a narrow band of pterygoid teeth in the adult; gill-rakers long
+ and slender, 8 + 21.
+
+ _Lutianus synagris._ The Lane Snapper. Body oblong and
+ compressed, back arched and slightly elevated; profile almost
+ straight; head 2-3/5; depth 2-4/5; eye 5; scales 8-60-15; D. X,
+ 12; A. III, 8; mouth moderate, maxillary reaching front of
+ orbit; interorbital space gently convex; upper jaw with a
+ narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of which a single
+ series of enlarged ones; lower jaw with villiform band in front
+ only, the row of larger teeth nearly equal in size, none of
+ them canines; vomer and tongue with each a single patch;
+ preopercle finely serrate, with coarser teeth at angle;
+ gill-rakers rather long, 5 + 9; 4 small canines in front of
+ upper jaw.
+
+ _Lutianus aya._ The Red Snapper. Body rather deep, moderately
+ compressed, the back well elevated, profile steep; head 2-3/5;
+ depth 2-3/5; eye 5-1/2; scales 8-60-15; mouth rather large,
+ maxillary reaching front of orbit; snout rather pointed;
+ interorbital space strongly convex; upper jaw with a narrow
+ band of villiform teeth, and a row of small teeth outside;
+ lower jaw with a single row of small teeth, some of which are
+ almost caninelike; within these is a very narrow band of
+ villiform teeth in front of jaw only; tongue with a broad oval
+ patch of teeth, in front of which a small, irregular patch;
+ vomer with a broad, arrow-shaped patch; preopercle with
+ serrated edge above, lower border dentate; gill-rakers
+ moderate, 8 on lower arch; 4 canines in front of upper jaw.
+
+ _Lutianus jocu._ The Dog Snapper. Body comparatively deep and
+ compressed; the back elevated and profile straight; head 2-1/2;
+ depth 2-1/2; eye 4-3/4; scales 8-56-15; D. X, 14; A. III, 8;
+ mouth rather large, jaws subequal, maxillary reaching front of
+ orbit; upper jaw with a narrow band of villiform teeth, a
+ single series of larger ones, and 4 canines in front, 2 of them
+ very large; lower jaw with a narrow, villiform band in front
+ only, and a series of larger teeth outside, some almost
+ caninelike; tongue with a single patch of teeth; an
+ arrow-shaped patch on vomer; preopercle finely serrate above,
+ coarser teeth at angle; gill-rakers short and thick, about 9 on
+ lower arch.
+
+ _Lutianus apodus._ The Schoolmaster Snapper. Body comparatively
+ deep, moderately compressed, the back elevated and profile
+ straight; head 2-1/2; depth 2-1/2; eye 4-1/3; scales 6-43-13;
+ D. X, 14; A. III, 8; mouth large, maxillary reaching front of
+ orbit; snout long and pointed; interorbital space flattish;
+ upper jaw with a narrow band of villiform teeth, a single
+ series of larger ones outside, and 4 canines in front, one on
+ each side very large; lower jaw with a narrow, villiform band
+ in front, an enlarged series outside; tongue with a large,
+ single patch; an arrow-shaped patch on vomer; preopercle finely
+ serrate above; gill-rakers short and thick, about 9 on lower
+ part of arch.
+
+
+THE YELLOW-TAIL
+
+(_Ocyurus chrysurus_)
+
+The yellow-tail is a very handsome fish, and one of the favorite
+pan-fishes at Key West. It was named _chrysurus_, or "gold-tail," by
+Bloch, in 1790, from its description by Marcgrave in his "Fishes of
+Brazil." Its habitat is from southern Florida to South America. It is
+abundant in the vicinity of Key West in the channels between the reefs
+and keys.
+
+The yellow-tail is well proportioned, compressed, and elliptical, being
+regularly curved from head to tail. Its head is as long as the depth of
+the body, with a pointed snout; the mouth is rather small, with the
+lower jaw projecting. The color above is olivaceous, or bluish, below
+violet; a broad, deep yellow stripe runs from the snout, through the
+eye, and along the middle of the body to the caudal fin; above this
+stripe there are a number of deep yellow blotches, as if made by the
+finger tips; below the broad yellow stripe are quite a number of narrow,
+parallel yellow stripes, with violet interspaces; the iris of the eye is
+scarlet; the very long caudal fin is entirely deep yellow, and the other
+fins are bordered with yellow.
+
+The yellow-tail associates with the grunts and porgies about the
+coralline rocks in the channels, feeding on small fishes and
+crustaceans. Its average size is ten or twelve inches in length and
+nearly a pound in weight, though it sometimes is taken up to two feet,
+and three or four pounds. It is quite a good game-fish and very
+voracious, eagerly taking sea-crawfish, crab, conch, or small fish bait.
+Some of the large conchs, as _Pyrula_ and _Strombus_, will furnish bait
+for an entire outing, the animal being as large as a child's forearm.
+Black-bass tackle, with hooks Nos. 1 to 1-0 on gut snells, will answer
+for the yellow-tail.
+
+
+THE LANE SNAPPER
+
+(_Lutianus synagris_)
+
+The lane snapper is another beautiful fish common about the reefs and
+keys. It was named by Linnæus, in 1758, who called it _synagris_, as it
+resembled a related fish of Europe (_Dentex dentex_), whose old name was
+_synagris_. Catesby mentioned the lane snapper in his "History of
+Carolina," in 1743. It is abundant from the Florida Keys to South
+America, and not uncommon on the west coast of Florida, as far north as
+Tampa Bay, and west to Pensacola.
+
+The lane snapper resembles very much the yellow-tail in the shape of its
+body, which is semi-elliptical in outline, compressed, with the back
+regularly curved from the snout to the tail; its depth is a little more
+than a third of its length. Its head is as long as the depth of the
+body; the mouth is large, and the snout pointed. It is rose color,
+tinged with silver below, with a narrow bluish or greenish border on the
+top of the back; the belly is white, tinged with yellow; there are deep
+yellow stripes along the sides, with indistinct, broad, rosy cross bars;
+the iris of the eye and the lips are scarlet; the cheeks and gill-covers
+are rosy, with blue above; the pectoral fins are pink, the lower fins
+yellow, the soft dorsal pink, the spiny dorsal translucent, with yellow
+border, and the caudal fin scarlet; there is a large and conspicuous
+dark blotch just below the front part of the soft dorsal fin. The lane
+snapper feeds on small fishes and crustaceans about the keys and reefs,
+in rather shallow water. It grows to a foot in length, though usually
+about eight or nine inches, and is a free biter at the same baits as the
+yellow-tail.
+
+While it is freely conceded that the highest branch of angling is
+casting the artificial fly on inland waters, and that the fullest
+measure of enjoyment is found only in the pursuit of the salmon,
+black-bass, trout, or grayling, it must be admitted that salt-water
+angling likewise has joys and pleasures that are, as Walton says,
+"Worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man." And nowhere does
+salt-water angling offer more charms to the appreciative angler, or
+appeal to his sense of the curious and beautiful in nature, than along
+the keys off the southern extremity of the peninsula of Florida. The
+palm-crowned islets are laved by the waters of the Gulf Stream, as clear
+and bright and green as an emerald of the purest ray serene. Through
+their limpid depths are seen the lovely and varied tints of coral
+polyps, the graceful fronds of sea-feathers and sea-fans in gorgeous
+hues, and the curious and fantastic coralline caves, amid whose
+crannies and arches swim the most beautiful creations of the finny
+tribe, whose capture is at once a joy and a delight.
+
+
+THE RED SNAPPER
+
+(_Lutianus aya_)
+
+The red snapper was named _aya_ by Bloch, in 1790, that being the
+Portuguese name for it in Brazil, according to Marcgrave. It was
+described by Goode and Bean as a new species, in 1878, and named
+_blackfordi_, in honor of Eugene G. Blackford, of New York, in
+consideration of his eminent services and interest in fishculture. The
+red snapper, while not a game-fish, is one of the best known of Florida
+fishes, inasmuch as it is shipped all over the country as a good dinner
+fish, its fine, firm flesh bearing transportation well. It is especially
+abundant in the Gulf of Mexico, in water from ten to fifty fathoms deep,
+on the "snapper banks," from ten to fifty miles offshore, and thence
+south to Brazil, occasionally straying north on the Atlantic coast to
+Long Island.
+
+The depth of its body is a little more than a third of its length, being
+rather deep and compressed, the back elevated and regularly arched from
+the eye to the tail. The head is large, its length equal to the depth
+of the body, with a pointed snout, large mouth, and straight profile.
+The color of the red snapper is a uniform rose-red, paler on the throat;
+fins all red, the vertical fins bordered with dusky blue; there is a
+dark blotch under the front of the soft portion of the dorsal fin,
+except in the oldest and largest fish; the iris of the eye is scarlet.
+
+The red snapper, being a deep-water fish, is seldom found along the
+shores, and is of no importance to the angler. It is a bottom fish,
+feeding in company with the large groupers on small fishes and
+crustaceans. It grows to twenty or thirty pounds, but its usual size is
+from five to ten pounds. It spawns in summer.
+
+The commercial fishing for the red snapper is done on the "snapper
+banks" in very deep water. Strong hand-lines and codfish hooks are used,
+with cut bait. By the time the fish is brought to the surface from the
+bottom it is almost exhausted, and would afford no sport to the angler.
+The bringing of the fish from depths where the pressure of the water is
+so great, to the surface, where it is comparatively so much less, causes
+the fish to swell up, and the air-bladder to be so filled that the fish
+would float; it is therefore pricked with a sharp awl to let out the
+air, as otherwise the fish would not sink in the well of the vessel in
+which it is carried alive to port.
+
+
+THE DOG SNAPPER
+
+(_Lutianus jocu_)
+
+The dog snapper is very similar in shape to the red snapper, but is much
+smaller and of different coloration. It was named _jocu_ by Bloch, in
+1801, from Parra's description, in 1787, _jocu_ being the Cuban name of
+the fish. It is called dog snapper, owing to its large canine teeth. Its
+range extends from the South Atlantic coast to Brazil. It is abundant
+along the Florida Keys, and very rarely strays along the Atlantic coast
+northward, but has been taken on the Massachusetts coast in summer.
+
+It has a robust, somewhat compressed body, its depth a third of its
+length, and the back elevated over the shoulder. Its head is large,
+somewhat longer than the depth of the body, with a straight profile and
+a rather long and pointed snout. The ground color of the body is dull
+red or coppery, dark olivaceous or bluish on the back, with about a
+dozen lighter-colored vertical stripes across the body; the cheeks and
+gill-covers are red, with a pale area from the eye to the angle of the
+mouth; there is a row of small, round blue spots from the snout to the
+angle of the gill-cover, also a bluish or dusky stripe; the upper fins
+and the caudal fin are mostly orange in color; the lower fins are
+yellow, and the iris of the eye red.
+
+The dog snapper, like the other snappers, feeds on small fishes and
+crustaceans. It grows to a foot in length and to a pound or two in
+weight. It is a good food-fish, selling readily in the markets. It is
+quite gamy and voracious, and with light tackle is worthy of the
+angler's skill. Hooks No. 1-0 or 2-0 on gut snells, and sea-crawfish, or
+a small minnow, are good baits.
+
+
+THE SCHOOLMASTER
+
+(_Lutianus apodus_)
+
+The schoolmaster snapper was named by Walbaum, in 1792, based on
+Catesby's description and figure of the schoolmaster in his "History of
+Carolina," but in his figure he omitted the pectoral fins, for which
+reason Walbaum named it _apoda_, meaning "without a foot." Its range
+extends from the Florida Keys to Brazil, and is abundant in the vicinity
+of Key West, where it is seen daily in the markets. Under favorable
+conditions of temperature it has been taken on the Massachusetts coast.
+
+The schoolmaster is very similar to the dog snapper in its general form,
+but differs greatly in coloration. Its body is rather deep and
+compressed, its depth being more than a third of its length, and the
+back is more elevated than in the dog snapper. The head is large, as
+long as the depth of the body, with a large mouth; the profile is
+straight from snout to the nape, thence regularly arched to the tail;
+the snout is long and pointed. The predominating color is orange,
+olivaceous on the back and top of the head, with eight or nine vertical
+bars across the body, equidistant, of a pale or bluish white color, the
+wider interspaces being red; the cheeks and gill-covers are red, with a
+row of small blue spots from the snout across the cheeks, just below the
+eye; all of the fins are yellow, more or less shaded with red.
+
+The schoolmaster grows to about the same size as the dog snapper,
+usually from eight to ten inches, sometimes to a foot in length, and a
+pound or two in weight. It feeds on small fishes, crabs, and other
+crustaceans, and is a good food-fish. It is a fairly good game-fish,
+and on light tackle fights with vigor and considerable resistance.
+Sproat hooks Nos. 1-0 and 2-0 are quite suitable, and should be tied on
+gut snells. A sinker adapted to the strength of the tide must be used in
+the deep-water channels. Sea-crawfish, anchovies, or whirligig mullets
+are good baits.
+
+The mangrove snapper (_Lutianus griseus_) and the mutton-fish (_Lutianus
+analis_) are larger snappers and better game-fishes. They are described
+in another volume of this series.
+
+
+THE PORGY FAMILY
+
+(_Sparidæ_)
+
+The porgies of Florida belong to the family _Sparidæ_ previously
+described, but not to the same genus as the northern porgy, as the scup
+is sometimes called. They are characterized by a deep, compressed body,
+humpbacked, with a large head and deep snout, and with a knob in front
+of the eye. The mouth is small, with strong, caninelike teeth and
+molars.
+
+ _Calamus bajonado._ The Jolt-head Porgy. Body oblong,
+ compressed and elevated over the shoulders; head 3; depth
+ 2-2/5; eye 3; scales 7-54-17; D. XII, 12; A. III, 10; anterior
+ profile evenly curved; mouth moderate, maxillary not reaching
+ front of eye; snout long and pointed; teeth strong, conical; anterior
+ teeth enlarged, 2 or 3 on each side in the upper jaw, and 3 or
+ 4 on each side in the lower; molars in 3 series in the upper,
+ and 2 in the lower jaw; dorsal fin single with slender spines.
+
+ _Calamus calamus._ The Saucer-eye Porgy. Body oblong, elevated
+ more than the other porgies; head 3-1/3; depth 2; eye 3-3/4;
+ scales 9-54-16; D. XII, 12; A. III, 10; anterior profile steep;
+ outline of snout slightly curved; mouth small, maxillary not
+ reaching front of eye; outer teeth strong, 10 or 12 in number,
+ the outer one in each jaw, on each side, caninelike; dorsal
+ spines rather strong.
+
+ _Calamus proridens._ The Little-head Porgy. Body oblong and
+ much elevated; head 3-1/4; depth 2-1/3; eye 4; scales 9-58-16;
+ D. XII, 12; A. III, 10; anterior profile steep and straight;
+ mouth moderate, maxillary scarcely reaching front of eye;
+ anterior teeth of outer series slightly longer and more robust
+ than those of the cardiform band; on each side of the upper jaw
+ one of these teeth becomes much enlarged, caninelike, directed
+ obliquely forward and downward, and strongly curved, the upper
+ surface concave; there are usually 7 teeth of the outer series
+ between these two canines; no evident accessory series of
+ molars; dorsal spines slender and high.
+
+ _Calamus arctifrons._ The Grass Porgy. Body oblong, but little
+ elevated; head 3-1/4; depth 2-2/5; eye 4-1/2; scales 6-48-13;
+ D. XII, 12; A. III, 10; anterior profile unevenly curved, very
+ convex before the eye; head narrow above; dorsal outline not
+ forming a regular arch; a rather sharp angle at nape;
+ preorbital deep; canine teeth, 8 in upper jaw and 10 in lower.
+
+
+THE JOLT-HEAD PORGY
+
+(_Calamus bajonado_)
+
+This is the largest and most abundant of the porgies. It was described
+by Bloch, in 1801, who named it _bajonado_, after the Cuban name given
+by Parra in his "Natural History of Cuba."
+
+[Illustration THE JOLT-HEAD PORGY]
+[_Calamus bajonado_]
+
+[Illustration THE LADY-FISH]
+[_Albula vulpes_]
+
+[Illustration THE COBIA]
+[_Rachycentron canadus_]
+
+It is not certain what the name is intended to signify. It may allude to
+the "bayonet-like," interhæmal bones, or to _bajio_, meaning a
+"sandbank" or "shoal," in allusion to its habitat. The jolt-head is
+abundant along the Florida Keys, especially in the vicinity of Key West,
+where it is one of the commonest market fishes; its range extends to the
+West Indies.
+
+It has a short, deep body, compressed, its depth being half its length;
+its back is more regularly arched than in the other porgies, or not so
+humpbacked. The head is large, with a long, pointed snout, and mouth
+moderate in size; the profile is more regularly curved than in the other
+porgies.
+
+The predominating color is dusky or bluish, with brassy reflections; the
+upper fins are pale or bluish, more or less mottled with darker shades;
+the lower fins are plain; the cheeks are coppery in hue.
+
+The jolt-head resorts to the rocks and reefs, as well as to hard, sandy
+shoals, feeding on small fishes, crustaceans, and soft-shelled mollusks.
+It grows usually to eight or ten inches, but often to two feet in
+length, and six or eight pounds in weight. It is a good food-fish, much
+in favor with the people of Key West, and is always one of the
+commonest fishes in the markets. It spawns in the summer. It is very
+voracious, taking almost any kind of bait greedily. It is caught in
+company with the grunts and snappers, and on the same tackle, which
+should be light. Hooks Nos. 1 to 2 are large enough, Sproat-bend
+preferred on account of its short barb with cutting edges and strong
+wire. Sinkers adapted to the tide and depth of water must be used.
+
+While catching porgies at a lively rate one day I asked my boatman, a
+Bahama negro, why the big porgy was called "jolt-head." He answered in
+the cockney dialect peculiar to Bahama fishermen: "Vell, you see, sir,
+'e 'as a big 'ed and an 'ump back, and 'e butts the rocks like a
+billy-goat, a-joltin' off the snail-shells and shrimps, and 'e goes
+a-blunderin' along like a wessel that 'as a bluff bow and a small 'elm.
+'E 'as more happetite than gumption, and swallers anythink that comes
+'andy, like the jolt-'ed or numbskull that 'e is. 'E is werry heasy to
+ketch and werry good to heat."
+
+
+THE SAUCER-EYE PORGY
+
+(_Calamus calamus_)
+
+This porgy is called "saucer-eye," owing to its having a larger eye than
+the other porgies. It was first described by Cuvier and Valenciennes,
+in 1830, from the West Indies. They named it _calamus_, meaning
+"quill" or "reed," from the quill-like bones (interhæmal) that articulate
+with the spines of the anal fin. It is abundant in the West Indies, and
+is common about the Florida Keys, but not so plentiful as the
+jolt-head or little-head porgies.
+
+[Illustration TAKING BONITO BY TROLLING OFF BLOCK ISLAND]
+
+It is very similar in conformation to the jolt-head, but is more
+humpbacked, being quite elevated above the shoulder. The body is short,
+its depth about half its length. Its head is short and deep, with a thin
+and gibbous profile, and small mouth. Its color is silvery with bluish
+reflections; the scales golden, forming longitudinal stripes, with
+pearly-bluish interspaces; the cheeks and snout are purplish, with round
+brassy spots; the fins are pale, blotched with orange; the iris of the
+eye is golden.
+
+The saucer-eye grows to twelve or fifteen inches in length, and is
+considered a good pan-fish at Key West, commanding a ready sale. It is
+found in the same situations as the other porgies, grunts, and snappers,
+and is equally voracious, taking the proffered bait eagerly. The tackle
+for this porgy is the same as for the others, consisting of a light
+rod, multiplying reel, braided linen line, size F or G, three-foot
+leader, Sproat-bend hooks. No. 1 or 2, on gut snells, with sinker in
+accordance with the depth of the water and the strength of the tide.
+Almost any bait will answer, as sea-crawfish, cut conch, or fish.
+
+
+THE LITTLE-HEAD PORGY
+
+(_Calamus proridens_)
+
+This species was first described by Jordan and Gilbert, in 1883, from
+Key West. They named it _proridens_, meaning "prow tooth," owing to its
+projecting canines. It is abundant in the West Indies, and is quite
+common about Key West and the neighboring keys. It is one of the
+smallest and prettiest of the porgies, and is called little-head in
+contradistinction to the jolt-head or big-head porgy. It is almost
+identical in shape to the saucer-eye porgy, both in head and body.
+
+It is brighter in color than the other porgies, being quite silvery with
+iridescent reflections; the scales of the upper part of the body have
+violet spots, forming longitudinal streaks; those on the lower part have
+pale orange spots; the sides have several dark bands; the snout and
+cheeks have horizontal, wavy stripes of violet-blue; the dorsal fin is
+violet, with orange border; the anal fin is blue; the caudal fin has an
+orange band. It is of similar habits to the other porgies, and found
+with them, but is less common. It is a good pan-fish, growing only to
+six or eight inches in length.
+
+The little-head porgy, though small in size, is equally as voracious as
+the other porgies, and is well worth catching if only to admire its
+beauty. The same tackle will answer as for the others, or more
+especially that mentioned for the saucer-eye, and the same baits can be
+employed.
+
+My Bahama negro boatman, alluded to under the jolt-head, continued his
+dissertation on the porgies somewhat in this wise: "Now, sir, the
+little-'ed porgy is a cute little chap; 'e gits to vind'ard o' the
+big-'ed, hevry time. 'E doesn't butt 'is 'ed aginst the rocks,
+a-knockin' the shells, but 'e 'as two long teeth like gouge-chisels, and
+'e jist scoops hoff the crawlin' things from the rock-patches as
+'andsome as you like. Little-'ed little wit; big-'ed not a bit!"
+
+
+THE GRASS PORGY
+
+(_Calamus arctifrons_)
+
+This pretty porgy was first described by Goode and Bean, in 1882, from
+Pensacola, Florida. They named it _arctifrons_, meaning "contracted
+forehead," owing to the narrow forehead. It has a more extended range in
+the Gulf of Mexico than the other porgies, being common in grassy
+situations from Pensacola to Key West; it is not known from the West
+Indies.
+
+The general outline of the grass porgy is very similar to that of the
+saucer-eye and little-head porgies, though the back is not quite so
+elevated; the profile is unevenly curved, being quite convex in front of
+the eye. The mouth is slightly larger than in the saucer-eye. Its color
+is olivaceous, with dark spots, and several dark vertical bars across
+the body; many of the scales have pearly spots; there are several yellow
+spots along the lateral line; the cheeks are brownish, with yellow
+shades; the upper fins are barred or spotted; the lower fins are paler.
+
+It is the smallest of the porgies, but one of the prettiest. It grows to
+six or eight inches in length. It is mentioned incidentally with the
+others of its family in order that it may be known to anglers who are so
+fortunate as to catch it and admire it. The same tackle and bait
+employed for the others are suitable. It is found usually in grassy
+situations.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+MISCELLANEOUS FISHES
+
+
+THE LADY-FISH
+
+(_Albula vulpes_)
+
+ _Albula vulpes._ The Lady-fish. Body rather elongate, little
+ compressed, covered with rather small, brilliantly-silvery
+ scales; head naked; snout conic, subquadrangular, shaped like
+ the snout of a pig, and overlapping the small, inferior,
+ horizontal mouth; head 3-3/4; depth 4; scales 9-71-7; D. 15; A.
+ 8; maxillary rather strong, short, with a distinct supplemental
+ bone, slipping under the membraneous edge of the very broad
+ preorbital; premaxillaries short, not protractile; lateral
+ margin of upper jaw formed by the maxillaries; both jaws, vomer
+ and palatines, with bands of villiform teeth; broad patches of
+ coarse, blunt, paved teeth on the tongue behind and on the
+ sphenoid and pterygoid bones; opercle moderate, firm;
+ preopercle with a broad, flat, membraneous edge, which extends
+ backward over the base of the opercle; gill membranes separate;
+ no gular plate; a fold of skin across gill membranes, its free
+ edge crenate; belly flattish, covered with ordinary scales, not
+ carinate; eye large, with a bony ridge above it, and almost
+ covered with an annular adipose eyelid.
+
+The lady-fish, or bone-fish, is the only representative of the family
+_Albulidæ_. It has long been known to science through the early voyagers
+to the southern coasts of America. It was first described by Marcgrave
+in his "History of Brazil," in 1648, and afterward by Catesby, in his
+"History of the Carolinas," in 1737, and named _vulpes_, or "fox," by
+Linnæus, in 1758, from a specimen taken at the Bahamas.
+
+It inhabits the sandy shores of all warm seas and is, perhaps, the most
+cosmopolitan of all game-fishes, being known from Asia, Arabia. North
+and South America, the Pacific Islands, etc. It is common on the coasts
+of the Atlantic and Pacific in the United States, and is especially
+abundant in Florida waters, occasionally straying in summer as far north
+as Long Island.
+
+The lady-fish is allied to the herring tribe. It has a long,
+gracefully-shaped body, nearly round, or but little compressed; its
+depth is a fourth of its length; it has a long head with a projecting,
+piglike snout, overlapping the small mouth, which is well armed with
+teeth; both jaws and the roof of the mouth in front have bands of
+brushlike teeth, with patches of coarse, blunt, paved teeth on the back
+of the mouth and tongue. Its color is bluish green above, with metallic
+reflections; the sides are very bright and silvery, with faint streaks
+along the rows of scales; the belly is white, and it feeds on small
+fishes and crustaceans.
+
+Its spawning habits are not well understood, though the young pass
+through a metamorphosis, being band-shaped, with very small head and
+loose, transparent tissues. I have found them abundant on the Gulf coast
+of Florida. The lady-fish grows to a length of from one to three feet,
+and to a weight of from one to twelve pounds, though it is usually taken
+from two to five pounds. It is a good food-fish, highly esteemed at Key
+West and in the Bermudas by those who know it best.
+
+For its size it is one of the gamest fishes of the seacoast. When hooked
+it fights as much in the air as in the water, continually leaping above
+the surface like an animated silver shuttle, to which I likened it more
+than twenty years ago. It is now becoming better known to anglers who
+visit Florida in the winter season, who recognize in it much more
+enjoyable sport on light tackle than they can obtain with the heavy
+tools required for the tarpon and jewfish.
+
+A black-bass rod, or the Little Giant rod of eight ounces, is light
+enough, as a heavier fish than the lady-fish is apt to be hooked. A good
+multiplying reel and fifty yards of braided linen line, size F, and
+Sproat hooks, No. 1 or 2, on gut snells, will be found eminently
+suitable. No sinker is needed, as the fishing is done on the surface,
+though a small brass box-swivel may be used to connect the snell and
+line, as in black-bass fishing. A leader is not necessary, but it may be
+used if thought best.
+
+The bait may be a beach-flea, or a very small, silvery fish, as a
+sardine, pilchard, or mullet, though a small shell squid, or a
+trolling-spoon of the size of a nickel, with a single hook, may be
+employed in lieu of live bait, and is quite successful if kept in
+constant motion. The minnow is to be hooked through the lips and cast as
+in black-bass fishing, reeling it in slowly on or near the surface.
+
+The fishing may be done from any convenient place near a pass or inlet
+on the flood tide. A sand-spit at the entrance, or a boat anchored just
+within the inlet, are desirable places, though good fishing is sometimes
+available from the end of a pier in a tideway. Fine fishing may also be
+had at other stages of the tide about offshore reefs and shoals. I have
+taken the lady-fish, with both fly and bait, in Biscayne Bay, in Cards
+and Barnes sounds, along the keys to Key West, and at nearly every inlet
+on the Gulf coast, as far north as Pass-a-Grille, above Tampa Bay, and
+usually found it associated with the ten-pounder.
+
+The lady-fish, when hooked, will probably astonish the angler who is
+attached to one for the first time, by its aërial gyrations and quick
+movements. But the rod must be held at an angle of forty-five degrees,
+so as to maintain a taut line, notwithstanding its constant leaping; for
+if any slack line is given, it is almost sure to shake out the hook. And
+as the leaps are made in such quick succession, the only safe plan is to
+keep the rod bent, either in giving or taking line, or when holding the
+fish on the strain of the rod.
+
+The lady-fish will often take a gaudy black-bass fly, in which event a
+black-bass fly-rod or a heavy trout fly-rod will come handy, with
+corresponding tackle. A heavy braided linen line, size D, is better
+suited for salt water than the enamelled silk line, and will cast a fly
+nearly as well. The flies advised for the Spanish mackerel will answer
+as well for the lady-fish, though I have found the silver-doctor and
+coachman both very taking toward dusk, which is the most favorable time
+for fly-fishing, though the first half of the flood tide and the last
+half of the ebb are usually both favorable times about the inlets.
+
+Twenty years or more ago I called the attention of northern anglers to
+the lady-fish, or bone-fish, and the ten-pounder, or bony-fish, as
+game-fishes of high degree, and accorded equal praise to both species as
+to gameness. I have never been able to convince myself as to which is
+entitled to the palm; but they are both good enough, and comparisons are
+indeed odious as between them. I am glad to note that they are coming to
+the front and their merits at last recognized. Of late years northern
+anglers are having great sport with the lady-fish on Biscayne Bay; but
+judging from their communications in the sportsman's journals, they are
+confusing the lady-fish with the ten-pounder. This is easily accounted
+for, inasmuch as they are usually of about the same size, and have very
+much the same general appearance in form and bright silvery coloration;
+and moreover there is a confusion attending their vernacular names, as
+the lady-fish is sometimes known as bony-fish. It should be remembered
+that the lady-fish has an overhanging, piglike snout and larger scales,
+while the ten-pounder has a terminal mouth with the jaws about equal,
+and smaller scales. Moreover, the bony-fish, or ten-pounder, has a bony
+plate under the lower jaw, like the tarpon, which is absent in the
+lady-fish. Both are cosmopolitan, inhabiting the warm seas of both
+continents. They have been known to science for a century and a half,
+and have been described by many naturalists from different parts of the
+world. The current specific names were both bestowed by Linnæus.
+Catesby, in 1837, called the lady-fish (_Albula vulpes_) of the Bahamas
+"bone-fish," while Captain William Dampier, one of the early explorers,
+called the bony-fish (_Elops saurus_) of the Bahamas "ten-pounder." The
+fishermen of Key West usually know the lady-fish as bone-fish, and the
+ten-pounder as bony-fish. The best plan for anglers is to adopt the
+names lady-fish and ten-pounder for them, and relegate or ignore the
+names bone-fish, bony-fish, and skip-jack.
+
+
+THE TEN-POUNDER
+
+(_Elops saurus_)
+
+ _Elops saurus._ The Ten-pounder. Body elongate, covered with
+ small, silvery scales; head 4-1/4; depth 6; eye 4, large;
+ scales 12-120-13; D. 20; A. 13; dorsal fin slightly behind
+ ventrals, its last rays short, depressible into a sheath of
+ scales; anal fin smaller, similarly depressible; pectoral and
+ ventral fins moderate, each with a long, accessory scale;
+ opercular bones thin, with expanded membraneous borders; a
+ scaly occipital collar; gular plate 3 to 4 times as long as
+ broad; pseudobranchiæ large; lateral line straight, its tubes
+ simple.
+
+The ten-pounder, or bony-fish, belongs to the same family, _Elopidæ_, as
+the tarpon, and both are allied to the herring tribe. The ten-pounder
+was first described by Linnæus, in 1776, from specimens sent to him from
+South Carolina by Dr. Garden. He named it _saurus_, or "lizard," but
+there is nothing lizard-like about the ten-pounder. I imagine that Dr.
+Garden sent the fish under the name of "lizard," from hearing it called
+by its Spanish name of "lisa," which is pronounced much like lizard. The
+ten-pounder was mentioned by some of the old voyagers to the West Indies
+and Carolinas. Like the lady-fish, the ten-pounder is a cosmopolitan,
+existing in the warm seas of both hemispheres. In the United States it
+is common to the southern portions of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
+and the Gulf of Mexico.
+
+In the general aspect and contour of its silvery body the ten-pounder
+has much the appearance of the lady-fish, and has been often confounded
+with it by anglers. Its body, however, is more slender than that of the
+lady-fish, with smaller scales and a very different head and mouth; the
+lady-fish has a piglike, overhanging snout, while the lower jaw of the
+ten-pounder projects slightly. The depth of the body of the ten-pounder
+is only about a sixth of its length, and the body is not much
+compressed, being nearly round. The head is long and pointed, with a
+very wide mouth, with upper and lower lips nearly equal, or terminal.
+The eye is large, hence one of its names, big-eyed herring. There are
+many series of small and sharp cardlike teeth on the jaws, tongue, and
+roof of the mouth. There is a bony plate beneath the lower jaw.
+
+The color on the back is greenish or bluish, the sides silvery and
+bright, and belly white; the top of the head is greenish, with bronze
+reflections; the cheeks have a golden lustre; the lower fins are tinged
+with yellow, the others dusky.
+
+Its habits are not unlike those of the lady-fish, and they often
+associate. It feeds principally on crustaceans and also on small fishes.
+It frequents sandy shoals and banks in shallow water at high tide, also
+grassy situations where its food abounds. Its breeding habits are not
+well understood, though, like the lady-fish, its young pass through a
+larval form, and are ribbon-shaped. It grows to a length of two feet or
+more, and weighs several pounds, sometimes ten or more. It is quite
+bony, and is not considered a good food-fish, but excels as a game-fish,
+being equal to the lady-fish in this respect.
+
+The same tackle as that recommended for its congener, the lady-fish,
+answers just as well for the ten-pounder, and it can be fished for in
+the same locations. It frequents shallow water on the grassy banks and
+sandy shoals rather more than the lady-fish, and can be sought there
+accordingly, as well as at the inlets when the tide is making.
+
+Both the ten-pounder and the lady-fish are warm-water fishes. They are
+to be found in Biscayne Bay and along the neighboring keys during
+winter, and as the water becomes warmer they extend their range
+northward on both coasts. After the disastrous frosts that occurred
+during the winters of 1886 and 1895 in Florida, I saw windrows of dead
+ten-pounders, lady-fishes, and tarpon on the beaches about Charlotte
+Harbor. They had become chilled from the sudden lowering of the
+temperature. I have caught both the ten-pounder and lady-fish as far
+north as Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida, and Indian River Inlet
+on the east coast. My fishing was mostly done from the points of inlets
+and passes, on the flood tide, and usually with the artificial fly, in
+shallow water, the time and places mentioned being the most favorable
+for fly-fishing. At other times I have fished on the shallow bars and
+grassy banks, using such crustaceans as fiddlers, beach-fleas, and
+shrimps for bait, alternated with small minnows. When beach-fleas are
+used a fly-rod is preferable and the hook should be smaller than where
+other bait is employed; No. 4 is about right, if of the Sproat or
+O'Shaughnessy pattern, they being of larger and stronger wire than other
+patterns. If beach-fleas are used with a bait-rod, a small sinker must
+be added to give weight to the cast.
+
+The ten-pounder snaps at the bait or fly in the manner of most fishes,
+and is off immediately in a wild whirl, skimming through the water, if
+shallow, in a way to astonish the angler who hooks one for the first
+time. Then follows a series of brilliant leaps and aërial contortions
+that commands the admiration of the coldest-blooded fisher. The
+lady-fish, however, owing to the position of its mouth, being underneath
+its projecting snout, does not at first take the bait with the vim and
+snap of the ten-pounder, but apparently nibbles or mouths it for a
+while, but when hooked displays the same energy and desperate efforts to
+escape as its congener. The consistent angler may truly exclaim with
+Pope:--
+
+ "How happy could I be with either.
+ Were t'other dear charmer away."
+
+
+THE SNOOK, OR ROVALLIA
+
+(_Centropomus undecimalis_)
+
+ _Centropomus undecimalis._ The Snook. Body elongate, with
+ elevated back and straight abdomen; head 3; depth 4; eye 7;
+ scales 9-75-16; D. VIII-I, 10; A. III, 6; head depressed,
+ pikelike, the lower jaw projecting; villiform teeth in bands on
+ jaws, vomer, and palatines; tongue smooth; dorsal fins well
+ separated; preorbital faintly serrated; subopercular flap
+ extending nearly to dorsal fin; maxillary to middle of eye;
+ gill-rakers 4 + 9.
+
+The snook belongs to the family _Centropomidæ_, which embraces a dozen
+or more species, most of which inhabit the West Indies and the southern
+Pacific coast, and are all good game-fishes. The snook was first
+described by Bloch from Jamaica, in 1792; he named it _undecimalis_, or
+"eleven," as the soft dorsal fin has eleven rays. The name snook was
+mentioned as the name of this fish by the early explorers, among whom
+was Captain William Dampier, who also mentioned several others, as
+"ten-pounders," "cavallies," "tarpoms," etc. Snook is derived from
+"snoek," the Dutch name for the pike, which it resembles slightly in the
+shape of the head, though it is more like the pike-perch in its
+structure and appearance. On the east coast of Florida this fish is
+known as the snook, and on the Gulf coast as rovallia, the latter name
+being a corruption of its Spanish name _robalo_, by which it is known in
+Havana. It is sometimes called sergeant-fish, from the black stripe
+along its sides. It is common along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico,
+from Texas to the West Indies, and is especially abundant in the bays
+and lagoons of both coasts of Florida, often ascending the rivers to
+fresh water.
+
+It has a long, robust, and nearly round body, its depth being a fourth
+of its length; the back is slightly elevated and arched. The head is
+long and depressed, or flat, and is more than a third of the total
+length of the body; the mouth is large, with a projecting lower jaw; the
+gill-cover is very long; there are brushlike teeth on the jaws and the
+roof of the mouth, but no sharp or conical teeth as in the pike or
+pike-perch.
+
+The color of the back is olive-green, the sides silvery, and the belly
+white; there is a distinct and very black stripe along the side,
+following the lateral line from the head to the caudal fin; the dorsal
+fins are dusky; the lower fins are yellowish.
+
+The snook is a very voracious fish, feeding on fishes, crabs, and other
+crustaceans, and resorts to sandy shoals and grassy flats where its
+food is found. It grows to a length of two or three feet, and a weight
+of twenty or thirty pounds. It is a fair food-fish, though not held in
+much favor in Florida where so many better food-fishes are common. It is
+better flavored if skinned instead of scaled.
+
+It is a strong, active game-fish, that, when hooked, starts off with a
+rush that is dangerous to light tackle, and its subsequent manoeuvres
+require very careful handling when it is of a large size. It has smashed
+many light rods in the hands of anglers who were not aware of its
+pugnacity. It will take any kind of natural bait, and rises well to the
+artificial fly.
+
+A rather heavy black-bass rod or a light striped-bass rod is required
+for the large fish of the bays and estuaries, though ordinary black-bass
+tackle will answer for those of less weight at the mouths of streams, or
+in fresh water, to which it often resorts. A good multiplying reel and
+fifty yards of braided linen line are sufficient, though one hundred
+yards will not be amiss, as large fishes of other species are very apt
+to be hooked in Florida waters. Sproat or O'Shaughnessy hooks, Nos. 1-0
+to 3-0, on heavy gut snells are required, with a brass box-swivel to
+connect the snell with the reel line; a sinker may be used or not,
+depending on the strength of the tide, though the fishing is usually
+practised in quiet water, and not in the tideways.
+
+A small fish, mullet or sardine, or fiddler-crab bait, will prove very
+enticing to the snook, though the minnow is better adapted for casting.
+The fishing is much like black-bass fishing in fresh waters, and the
+snook takes the bait in its mouth in much the same way as a bass,
+starting off at once with a great commotion if near the surface. Its
+desperate and vigorous spurts and rushes are apt to put one's tackle in
+jeopardy if the fish is large, and it must be handled with caution and
+skill.
+
+For fly-fishing, a rod of nine or ten ounces is not too heavy where the
+fish run large. A heavy braided linen line, size D or E, is best for
+casting the fly in salt water. Black-bass flies of showy patterns, on
+hooks No. 1 or 2, as coachman, silver-doctor, polka, oriole, red ibis,
+professor, etc., will answer. The most favorable time is on the flood
+tide near the inlets, or toward evening if in quiet coves or lagoons.
+The fly should be repeatedly cast and then allowed to sink a foot or
+two. If fishing from a boat, it must be kept in the deeper water, and
+the casts made under the mangroves, or to the edges of sand-spits,
+shoals, or mud-flats, which abound in all bays on the west coast of
+Florida.
+
+The snook is easily captured by trolling with hand-line and the spoon or
+minnow, though it is a questionable style of sport at best. Along the
+edges of shoals and mud-flats and over grassy banks the snook will be
+found at home. A landing-net should always be used for any kind of
+fishing with the fly.
+
+
+THE TRIPLE-TAIL
+
+(_Lobotes surinamensis_)
+
+ _Lobotes surinamensis._ The Triple-tail. Body oblong, deep,
+ compressed and elevated; head 3; depth 2; scales 47; head
+ small; snout short; mouth moderate, oblique, with thick lips;
+ profile of head concave; upper jaw very protractile; the lower,
+ the longest; maxillary without supplemental bone; jaws with
+ narrow bands of villiform teeth, in front of which is a row of
+ larger conical teeth, directed backward; no teeth on vomer or
+ palatines; preopercle strongly serrate; maxillary reaching
+ middle of orbit; scales around eyes small, those on opercles
+ large; eye small; small scales running up on the base of soft
+ dorsal, anal, and caudal fins; caudal rounded; D. XII, 15; A.
+ III, 11; soft rays of dorsal and anal fins elevated, of nearly
+ equal size, and opposite each other; anal spines graduated;
+ branchial rays 6.
+
+The triple-tail belongs to the family _Lobotidæ_. It is allied to the
+snapper family, but differs in having no teeth on the roof of the mouth.
+It was first described by Bloch, in 1790, from Surinam. South America.
+He named it _surinamensis_, from the name of the locality whence his
+specimens were procured. There is another species on the Pacific coast,
+_Lobotes pacificus_, that is quite abundant at Panama, where it is known
+as berrugate.
+
+The triple-tail is known in all warm seas. Its range on the Atlantic
+coast extends from South America north to Cape Cod, though it is not
+abundant. I have taken it on both the east and west coasts of Florida.
+At Tampa it is called black snapper, and in South Carolina it is known
+as black perch. I have never heard it called flasher, which is said to
+be its name in the markets of New York.
+
+It is a short, thick, robust fish, nearly half as deep as long, with an
+elevated back, and with the ventral outline corresponding with its
+dorsal curve. The head is a third of the length of the body, its profile
+concave, the snout prominent, and the lower jaw projecting; the mouth is
+of moderate size, with thick lips.
+
+The color of the back is dark, or greenish black, the sides silvery
+gray, sometimes blotched and tinged with yellow; the fins are dusky gray
+or yellowish. In life these colors are very bright, but after death
+they become almost black.
+
+It feeds on small fishes, mussels, and crustaceans and grows to a length
+of two or three feet, weighing from ten to fifteen pounds, though its
+usual size is not more than one-half of this length and weight. Its
+breeding habits are unknown. It is found in northern waters only during
+the summer months, but from South Carolina to Florida it is common all
+the year.
+
+It is a strong and vigorous fish, but rather slow and sluggish in its
+movements, and not remarkable for game qualities, though it pulls
+steadily and strongly when hooked. It will take shrimp, clam, fiddler,
+or small fishes as bait.
+
+A light striped-bass chum rod is very suitable for the triple-tail when
+of good size. A multiplying reel and fifty yards of braided linen line,
+hooks No. 1-0 or 2-0, on heavy gut snells, and a brass box-swivel, make
+up the rest of the tackle. A sinker will probably not be needed as it is
+usually found in quiet coves about sandy shoals or grassy flats. I have
+taken it on both coasts of Florida, though it is more common on the east
+coast. I have also caught it in Chesapeake Bay and near Charleston,
+South Carolina, but never over five pounds in weight, though I have
+seen it taken in nets up to about ten pounds. Its short and rounded
+caudal fin, with the soft portions of the dorsal and anal fins,
+together, give the appearance of three tails, hence the name
+triple-tail, by which it is generally known.
+
+
+THE COBIA
+
+(_Rachycentron canadus_)
+
+ _Rachycentron canadus._ The Cobia. Body elongate, fusiform,
+ subcylindrical, covered with very small, smooth, adherent
+ scales; head 4-1/4; depth 5-2/3; D. VIII-I, 26; A. II, 25; head
+ broad, low, pikelike, the bones above appearing through the
+ thin skin; mouth wide, nearly horizontal, the maxillary
+ reaching front of eye; both jaws, vomer, palatines, and tongue
+ with bands of short, sharp teeth; lower jaw longest;
+ premaxillaries not protractile; preopercle unarmed; two dorsal
+ fins, the spines of the first depressible in a groove; soft
+ dorsal long and low, somewhat falcate, similar to, and nearly
+ opposite, the anal; caudal fin strongly forked; no caudal keel;
+ no finlets; gill-rakers short and stout; pectorals broad and
+ falcate.
+
+The cobia, or sergeant-fish, is the only fish of its family,
+_Rachycentridæ_. It was first described by Linnæus, in 1766, from a
+specimen sent to him by Dr. Garden from South Carolina; it is allied to
+the mackerel tribe, and is found in all warm seas in the old and new
+worlds. On the Atlantic coast it is common from the Chesapeake Bay to
+Florida, but occasionally strays north to Cape Cod in the summer. It is
+rather rare on the west coast of Florida, but common on the east coast.
+
+It is a long and round-bodied fish, quite gracefully formed, with a
+depth of about one-fifth of its length. The head is broad and flat,
+something like that of the pike, with a wide mouth, and with jaws, roof
+of mouth, and tongue armed with bands of short, sharp teeth; the lower
+jaw projects. The back is olive-brown, or dusky, the sides lighter and
+silvery, and the belly white; a distinct broad and very dark stripe
+extends from the upper jaw and through the eye to the caudal fin, with
+an indistinct one above and below, and parallel with it. Owing to this
+dark stripe the cobia is sometimes called sergeant-fish, thus
+confounding it with the snook.
+
+The habits of the cobia are not unlike those of the pike, or mascalonge,
+of fresh waters, in that it is solitary and lies in wait for its prey,
+and is almost as rapacious. It lies under the mangroves and cocoa-plum
+bushes along Indian River and other streams of the east coast of
+Florida, watching for stray fishes and crabs on which it feeds. It is
+commonly seen of a length of two or three feet, but grows considerably
+longer, with a weight of fifteen to twenty pounds. The largest I have
+seen was at Key West; it was fully five feet long. It is not uncommon in
+the Chesapeake Bay, and like most of the mackerel tribe it is a fairly
+good food-fish. It spawns in summer, but its breeding habits are not
+fully understood.
+
+As might be imagined from its shape and habits, it is a good game-fish,
+and quite strong and vigorous on the rod. It requires all of the
+angler's skill to land it safely, especially when it is taken about the
+mangroves, among whose arching and numerous roots it is sure to take
+refuge if it can do so. It will take a small fish bait or a crab, going
+for it with a pikelike rush. I once took one on Indian River with a
+large red ibis fly, but never succeeded in catching another with the
+same lure.
+
+A strong, rather heavy rod is necessary for the cobia, which the Key
+West fishermen call cobi-ó. A striped-bass chum rod of natural bamboo is
+a good and serviceable tool for the work, with multiplying reel and
+braided linen line, to which is affixed a Sproat hook, No. 3-0, on gimp
+snell, by a brass box-swivel. A sinker should not be used about the
+mangroves.
+
+A fiddler-crab, a mullet, or other small fish is hooked through the
+lips, and is cast from a boat to the edge of the mangroves or other
+bushes, in the same way as in casting for mascalonge in northern waters.
+I have never tried casting with a spoon, which might be successful, but
+a minnow is better by far. The cobia takes the bait with a fierce lunge,
+and turning quickly endeavors to return to his lair, a proceeding that
+must be thwarted by the angler at all hazards to his rod or tackle, for
+once under the arching roots of the mangroves he is as good as gone. The
+boat must be rowed to open water at once, while a strong strain is
+maintained by the rod on the fish. With open water the angler can play
+his fish with leisure, though he will be severely taxed by the struggles
+of as game a fish as he is likely to meet during a winter's sojourn in
+Florida.
+
+
+THE SPOTTED WEAKFISH
+
+(_Cynoscion nebulosus_)
+
+ _Cynoscion nebulosus._ The Spotted Weakfish. Body rather
+ elongate, compressed; head 3-1/2; depth 4-1/2; scales 10-70-11;
+ D. X-I, 26; A. II, 10; eye 7; snout long and acute; mouth
+ large, maxillary reaching to posterior edge of eye; lower
+ pharyngeals narrow, each with 7 or 8 series of short teeth, the
+ inner enlarged; maxillary, preorbital, and lower jaw naked;
+ canines in upper jaw strong; lower jaw without canines, other
+ teeth in narrow bands, sharp, but closely set; membrane of
+ preopercle serrate, the bone entire; pseudobranchiæ well
+ developed; caudal lunate; soft rays of dorsal and anal
+ scaleless; gill-rakers short and thick, 4 + 7.
+
+This fish is closely allied to the northern weakfish, and belongs to the
+same family, _Sciænidæ_. It is known very generally in Florida as trout,
+salt-water trout, or sea-trout, owing to its spots. It is, of course,
+not a trout at all, and these names should be set aside; moreover, the
+name sea-trout is preoccupied by the sea-run brook-trout of the Gulf of
+St. Lawrence. Its present specific name, _nebulosus_, or "clouded," was
+bestowed by Cuvier and Valenciennes, in 1830, displacing the earlier and
+better name _maculatus_, or "spotted," conferred by Dr. S.L. Mitchill,
+in 1815, for reasons that it is unnecessary to refer to here. It is
+abundant from Virginia to Florida, and along the Gulf coast to Texas. It
+occasionally strays as far north as New Jersey.
+
+It is almost the counterpart of the common weakfish in the form of its
+body, the depth of which is about a fourth of its length, and with a
+similar head, eye, and mouth, but with somewhat smaller scales, and a
+few less rays in the second dorsal fin. Its mouth is large, with narrow
+bands of sharp teeth on the jaws, and two long canine teeth in the upper
+jaw.
+
+Its color is bluish gray on the back, with steely reflections, the sides
+are silvery and the belly white. The upper half of the body has
+numerous black spots, as large as the pupil of the eye, with smaller
+ones on the soft dorsal and anal fins; the other fins are plainer, and
+the anal fin is dusky.
+
+The spotted weakfish is a better food-fish, and also a better game-fish,
+than its northern cousin. It is abundant in the bays of Florida during
+the entire year, often ascending the streams to fresh water. Its usual
+weight is from two to four pounds, often of six to eight, and sometimes
+of even ten pounds or more. It appears in schools in March and April,
+often in company with the Spanish mackerel, and runs into brackish water
+for the purpose of spawning. It spawns in the spring; the eggs are
+buoyant, quite small, about thirty to the inch, and hatch in two days.
+It feeds on small fishes and crustaceans.
+
+All things considered, it is one of the best game-fishes of Florida. It
+is a surface feeder and takes the artificial fly eagerly, as well as
+natural bait, or the artificial squid and trolling-spoon. With light
+tackle it affords good sport, being a strong and determined fighter. It
+is a great favorite with all anglers who are acquainted with its merits.
+
+When of the usual weight of from two to four pounds, black-bass tackle
+is very suitable and serviceable in rod, reel, line, hooks, or flies,
+though a rather heavy braided linen line is better adapted for salt
+water than a silk one. To be more explicit, an eight-ounce rod,
+multiplying reel, line size F, Sproat hooks Nos. 2-0 to 3-0 on gut or
+gimp snells, will be found to be just about right for bait-fishing.
+
+For fly-fishing, a rod of eight ounces, click reel, braided linen line,
+size E, leader of three or four feet, single gut, and black-bass flies
+such as silver-doctor, red ibis, Abbey, soldier, oriole, coachman, etc.,
+on hooks Nos. 1 to 2, will be found to answer in skilful hands. A
+heavier rod may be used when the fish run larger, and also flies on
+hooks a size or two larger. Very small phantom minnows, spoons, or
+squids may be often used with success when the fish are running in
+schools in the spring.
+
+Fishing, either with fly or bait, can be practised with good results at
+flood tide from the end of long piers that extend to deep water, or at
+the points of inlets during the running season. The piers at Port Tampa
+and St. Petersburg, on Tampa Bay, also at Mullet Key and Egmont Key, or
+Pass-a-Grille, in the same vicinity, are famed fishing resorts in March
+and April. I prefer to fish from a boat moored to the pier, rather than
+from the pier itself, as the fish are not so likely to see one, and they
+are more conveniently landed.
+
+During the winter the best fishing will be found in the bays and bayous,
+or in the streams, in the vicinity of sand-shoals or mud-flats, at
+almost any stage of the tide, which usually rises but a foot or two in
+the bays of the west coast. At the inlets and passes, at the first of
+the flood and last of the ebb tide, the fishing is also good during the
+winter months.
+
+The spotted weakfish takes its prey at the surface with a snap of its
+jaws that is quite audible, especially at night when one's yacht is at
+anchor. It takes the angler's fly or bait in the same way. It will
+remind him forcibly of the bite of a large brook-trout, and its manner
+of resistance when hooked is very much the same as with that fish--one
+reason for the name sea-trout.
+
+The fishing is especially good in Tampa and Sarasota bays, and the upper
+portion of Charlotte Harbor, on the west coast; and on the east coast at
+the mouths of streams entering Halifax River. Mosquito Lagoon, or Indian
+River.
+
+
+THE DEEP-SEA WEAKFISH
+
+(_Cynoscion thalassinus_)
+
+This species was first described by Dr. Holbrook, in 1859, from the
+coast of South Carolina. He named it _thalassinus_, or "pertaining to
+the sea," from its supposed habit of living in deep water. It is either
+a rare fish or it has been confounded with the common weakfish. It has
+been recorded from several places on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts,
+in Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and Mississippi. It is supposed to
+inhabit the deep water of the sea and Gulf, though this is by no means
+certain.
+
+Its form is very similar to the spotted weakfish, with a more pointed
+snout and somewhat larger eye; otherwise it is much the same. Its color
+is brownish above, lighter below; the middle of the sides is marked with
+many dark dots; there is a dark blotch on the upper part of the cheek;
+the first dorsal fin is black, the second dorsal and anal fins are
+dusky, and the other fins pale. The same remarks as to fishing for the
+spotted weakfish will apply as well to this species, if the opportunity
+should occur to the angler. It is a doubtful species at best, and may
+eventually prove to be an aberrant form of the spotted weakfish.
+
+
+THE BERMUDA CHUB
+
+(_Kyphosus sectatrix_)
+
+ _Kyphosus sectatrix._ The Bermuda Chub. Body ovate, somewhat
+ compressed; head 3-3/4; depth 2-1/8; scales 10-55-16; D. XI,
+ 12; A. III, 11; head short, with blunt snout; mouth small,
+ maxillary reaching front of eye; each jaw with a series of
+ narrow incisors, implanted with compressed conspicuous roots
+ posteriorly; behind these a narrow band of villiform teeth;
+ fine teeth on vomer, palatines, and tongue; teeth 35 to 40 on
+ each side; preopercle weakly serrate; top and sides of head
+ finely scaled; interorbital region gibbous, below which point
+ snout is truncate; soft dorsal and anal very low; second anal
+ spine highest; caudal well forked, the lower lobe longest;
+ gill-rakers long; dorsal spines depressible in a groove of
+ scales; small ctenoid scales entirely covering the soft
+ portions of the vertical fins, and extending up on the paired
+ fins.
+
+The chub belongs to the family of rudder-fishes, _Kyphosidæ_. It was
+noticed as _sectatrix_ by Catesby in his "History of the Carolinas," in
+1738, and was so named by Linnæus in 1758. _Sectatrix_ is the feminine
+of _sectator_, meaning "one who follows," in allusion to its habit of
+following vessels. Its range is along the South Atlantic coast to the
+West Indies, sometimes straying as far north as Cape Cod in the summer.
+It is common on the west coast of Florida.
+
+It has an oblong, elliptical body, its depth being more than a third of
+its length. The head is short, with a blunt snout and small mouth, and a
+curved profile. There are well-developed incisor teeth in each jaw,
+with peculiar horizontal bases. Its color is bluish-gray, with steely
+lustre; the sides have numerous narrow, indistinct, yellowish or brassy
+stripes, alternating with bluish ones; there is a pale stripe below the
+eye, and a yellowish one above and below it; the fins are dull grayish.
+
+The chub feeds on barnacles and other small mollusks, and is found
+wherever they abound, sometimes in rather deep water. Its usual size is
+six to ten inches, weighing from one to three or four pounds, but it
+occasionally grows to fifteen or eighteen inches in length in favorable
+locations. Its spawning habits have not been studied. It is an excellent
+pan-fish. Light tackle is needed for the chub and pin-fish, both being
+usually found together. The hook should be small but strong, with gimp
+snell; Sproat hooks, No. 1 or 2, are very suitable. The best bait is
+fiddler-crab or hermit-crab. It is quite a game little fish.
+
+I was once staying for a few days' fishing at the Quarantine Station on
+Mullet Key, in Tampa Bay. The station is built on piles in water twenty
+feet deep. There was a trap-door in the floor of one of the rooms,
+through which many kinds of fish could be seen swimming about in the
+very clear water. These fishes could be readily taken with the hook or
+the spear, as they were unable to see any one in the dark room above. I
+was much interested watching the chub and sheepshead pinching off the
+barnacles from the piles with their chisel-like teeth. A dozen could be
+easily taken in as many minutes with fiddler bait, and the table was
+kept well supplied with chub, which was the favorite food-fish during my
+sojourn.
+
+
+THE ANGEL-FISH
+
+(_Chætodipterus faber_)
+
+ _Chætodipterus faber._ The Angel-fish. Body much elevated and
+ compressed, its outline nearly orbicular, the anterior profile
+ nearly vertical; head 3; depth 1 to 1-1/2; scales 60; D.
+ VIII-I, 20; A. III, 18; jaws about equal; no teeth on vomer or
+ palatines; teeth on jaws slender, somewhat movable; preopercle
+ finely serrate; two dorsal fins, somewhat connected; vertical
+ fins falcate in the adult; first soft ray of dorsal
+ filamentous; ventral fin with a large accessory scale.
+
+There are a number of angel-fishes in Florida, remarkable for their
+bizarre and beautiful coloration, but of no importance to the angler as
+they do not often take the baited hook, their very small mouths and weak
+teeth being only adapted for feeding on the minute organisms about the
+coral reefs. The common angel-fish, or spade-fish, is more sombre in
+hue than the others, and belongs to a different family, _Ephippidæ_;
+it has a somewhat larger mouth, and is more widely distributed. It was
+described by Broussonet, in 1782, from Jamaica, who named it
+ _faber_, or "blacksmith," though why is difficult to imagine, except
+that it is dark in its general hue, with smutty cross bars. It is very
+abundant from the South Atlantic coast to South America, and is
+not uncommon, occasionally, as far north as Cape Cod. It
+is very common on the east and west coasts of Florida.
+
+[Illustration THE ANGEL-FISH]
+[_Chætodipterus faber_]
+
+[Illustration THE TURBOT]
+[_Balistes carolinensis_]
+
+It has a short, very deep body, nearly round in outline, and very much
+compressed; it is almost as deep as long. Its head is short and deep,
+with its profile nearly vertical. The mouth is small, with slender,
+movable teeth, on jaws only; the soft dorsal and anal fins are quite
+large and winglike, extending far backward nearly to the tail; they are
+quite scaly, which adds much to their thickness and stiffness; the
+caudal fin is broad and nearly square.
+
+The general color is usually gray or slate color, often bluish with
+iridescent tints; there are several dusky, broad vertical bars across
+the body, becoming obsolete or faint with age.
+
+It feeds on small marine organisms, and grows to a length of two feet,
+occasionally, though its usual size is ten or twelve inches, and average
+weight from one to three or four pounds. It is an excellent food-fish,
+though its good qualities in this respect are not generally known. It
+spawns in the spring.
+
+It is usually taken in seines in the bays of the Gulf coast, and salted
+with mullet and sheepshead by the fishermen. It can be caught by the
+angler with a very small hook, No. 5 or 6, and cut clam or conch bait.
+It is a fair game-fish on light tackle, which may be the same as advised
+for the Bermuda chub.
+
+
+THE PIN-FISH
+
+(_Lagodon rhomboides_)
+
+ _Lagodon rhomboides._ The Pin-fish. Body elongate, elliptical;
+ head 3-1/5; depth 2-1/2; eye 4; scales 10-65-17; D. XII, 11; A.
+ III, 11; mouth moderate, maxillary not reaching front of orbit;
+ head flattened; snout pointed; profile not very steep; 4
+ incisors in each jaw, all deeply notched; two series of molars
+ in each jaw; dorsal fin single, with high spines; caudal fin
+ deeply forked.
+
+The pin-fish, also called sailor's choice and bream in some localities,
+belongs to the family _Sparidæ_, and is closely related to the
+sheepshead of that family, having incisor and molar teeth. It differs
+from it in the conformation of the skull.
+
+The pin-fish was first described by Linnæus, in 1766, from specimens
+sent to him by Dr. Garden from South Carolina. He named it _rhomboides_,
+meaning "rhomboid," from the shape of its body. It is abundant on the
+South Atlantic and Gulf coasts, extending south to Cuba, and
+occasionally north to Cape Cod. It is found in all bays on the east and
+west coasts of Florida.
+
+Its body is symmetrical, being rather evenly curved on both dorsal and
+ventral lines, and rather deep; its head is large, with a depression in
+front of the eye. Its color is olivaceous, darkest on the back, with
+bluish silvery sides, and narrow horizontal stripes of blue and gold,
+alternating, and six faint, broad vertical bars; it has a dark spot on
+the shoulder at the top of the gill-cover; the dorsal fin is bluish with
+gilt edge; the anal fin is bluish with yellow band; the caudal fin is
+yellow, faintly barred; the ventral fins are yellowish; the pectoral
+fins are plain.
+
+It is a pretty fish, and is usually abundant wherever found. It feeds on
+small mollusks and barnacles, resorting to old wharves and about the
+mangroves where such food abounds. It grows to a length of six or eight
+inches, and though small, it is a good pan-fish. It spawns in the
+spring. The same light tackle used for the pig-fish and pork-fish can be
+utilized for the pin-fish, with small, strong hooks, as Sproat bend, No.
+4 or 5, on gut snells. The ends of piers and wharves, in comparatively
+shallow water, are favorable localities for fishing.
+
+
+THE SQUIRREL-FISH
+
+(_Holocentrus ascensionis_)
+
+ _Holocentrus ascensionis._ The Squirrel-fish. Body oblong,
+ moderately compressed, the back a little elevated; head 3-2/3;
+ depth 3-2/5; eye 3; scales 5-50-7; D. XI, 15; A. IV, 10; head
+ compressed, narrowed forward; opercle with a strong spine
+ above, below with the edge sharply serrated; preopercle with a
+ strong spine at its angle; mouth small, little oblique, with
+ the lower jaw projecting somewhat; eye excessively large; upper
+ lobe of caudal fin the longest; soft dorsal fin pointed, as
+ high as the body; third anal spine very strong, as long as
+ longest anal ray.
+
+The squirrel-fish belongs to the family _Holocentridæ_, the species
+comprising that family having very rough or spinous scales, a single
+dorsal fin, deeply divided, with the spines very tall; the caudal fin
+deeply forked; the anal fin with four spines; and a very large eye.
+
+The squirrel-fish belongs to the West Indian fauna, ranging from the
+Florida Keys to South America. It was first described by Osbeck, in
+1771, from Ascension Island, who named it for that locality. It is not
+uncommon along the reefs, where I have taken it a number of times. Its
+body is oblong, moderately compressed, its depth about a third of its
+length, with the back slightly elevated, and the ventral outline nearly
+straight. Its mouth is small, the eye enormously large, and the caudal
+fin deeply forked. Its color is bright crimson, with a darker shade on
+the back, and a somewhat lighter tint below, with silver streaks along
+the sides. The fins are also red, some bordered with olive; the head is
+red above, with an oblique white bar running back and down from the eye.
+It feeds about the reefs on small fishes and marine invertebrates, and
+grows to two feet in length, occasionally, but is usually found smaller.
+It is a good food-fish and sells at sight in the market. It is a
+remarkably handsome and attractive fish in appearance.
+
+In one of Stockton's stories, John Gayther, the gardener, tells of the
+curious and beautiful things to be seen on a coral reef in the tropics,
+with the aid of a long box with a glass in the end. His description
+applies just as well to the vicinity of the Dry Tortugas, where I have
+often viewed the wonders of the sea-floor through a sponge-glass, a
+wooden pail with a glass bottom:--
+
+"Where the water is so clear that with a little help you can see
+everything just as if it were out in the open air,--bushes and vines and
+hedges; all sorts of waving plants, all made of seaweed and coral,
+growing in the white sand; and instead of birds flying about among their
+branches, there were little fishes of every color: canary-colored
+fishes, fishes like robin-redbreasts, and others which you might have
+thought were blue jays if they had been up in the air instead of down in
+the water."
+
+
+THE TURBOT
+
+(_Balistes carolinensis_)
+
+ _Balistes carolinensis._ The Turbot. The fishes comprising the
+ family _Balistidæ_ are characterized by an ovate body, much
+ compressed; small and low mouth, with separate incisor teeth;
+ eye very high; gill opening a small slit; the absence of
+ ventral fins; the dorsal fins widely separated, the first with
+ but 1 to 3 spines. The turbot has a very deep compressed body,
+ covered with thick, rough plates or scales; head 3-1/4; depth
+ 1-3/4; eye small; scales about 60; about 35 scales in an
+ oblique series from vent upward and forward; D. III, 27; A. 25;
+ third dorsal spine stouter than the second and remote from it;
+ plates on head similar to those on body; caudal lobes produced;
+ soft dorsal high; ventral flaps large, supported by several
+ pungent spines; lateral line very slender, undulating, and very
+ crooked, showing only when scales are dry; a groove before the
+ eye; larger plates behind the gill opening.
+
+The turbot, or leather-fish, belongs to the family _Balistidæ_, or
+trigger-fishes. It was first described by Gmelin, in 1788, from
+Carolina, from one of Dr. Garden's specimens, Gmelin being a coadjutor
+of Linnæus, to whom the specimen was sent. The locality from which the
+type specimen was sent accounts for its name.
+
+The turbot, as it is called by the Key West fishermen, is an inhabitant
+of tropical waters, and is abundant on the South Atlantic coast and
+along the Florida Keys; it is known also from the Mediterranean Sea.
+Like all of the trigger-fishes it has a curious form and appearance. It
+is as deep as long, and slants both ways from the dorsal fin above and
+from the ventral flap below, presenting somewhat of a diamond shape. The
+head is triangular, and the fins are thick and leathery. The first
+dorsal spine is locked when erect by the second, or "trigger." The soft
+dorsal and anal fins are opposite each other, and are of similar size
+and shape. The color is olive-gray, or slate color, with some purplish
+spots on the back; two obscure cross bars are under the second dorsal
+fin; a ring of blue spots alternating with greenish streaks are about
+the eye; there are violet marks on the sides of the snout; the first
+dorsal is spotted and clouded with bluish; the second dorsal has pale
+yellowish spots, with rows of blue ones, separated by greenish
+reticulations; the anal fin is colored like the second dorsal; the
+pectoral fins are bluish with olive spots.
+
+The leather-fish, or turbot, resorts to rocky shoals and coral reefs,
+feeding on the small marine organisms that are abundant in such
+localities. Nothing is known of its breeding habits. It grows to a foot
+in length and is considered a good food-fish by the people of Key West.
+The thick skin and rough scales are pared off together with a sharp
+knife by the fishermen when delivered to a customer. It is caught, with
+the grunts, porgies, etc., in the channels among the keys and reefs with
+the baited hook, and also in wire traps. Very small hooks must be used
+for the turbot, as it has a very small mouth. Cut crawfish, conch, or
+barnacles are good baits.
+
+
+
+
+CONCLUSION
+
+In closing this account it occurs to me to say that the angler who has a
+genuine love for the finny tribe, and who has never visited the sunny
+waters of Florida, has in store an experience of joy and delight in the
+wonderful variety of its fishes. Some idea may be formed of their number
+from the fact that I have collected nearly three hundred species in the
+fresh and salt water of that sub-tropical wonderland. And the fishing
+lasts the year round, and is always good, except when an unusually cold
+"norther" is blowing. The warm-water species, like the tarpon,
+lady-fish, and ten-pounder, are more plentiful, and extend their range
+farther northward in the summer. At that season all of the inlets and
+passes of both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts abound with them; but the
+winter visitor will find them in Biscayne Bay, Barnes Sound, Cards
+Sound, and south-west along the keys to the Dry Tortugas. The brackish
+water species will be found all winter in the bays and estuaries of
+either coast.
+
+A just idea of the fishing resources of Florida twenty years ago--and it
+is much the same today--may, perhaps, be gathered from the following
+excerpts from my "Camping and Cruising in Florida":--
+
+"At flood-tide the channels under the mangroves teem with redfish,
+groupers, and snappers, while near the beds of coon oysters are schools
+of sheepshead and drum. In fact, all of the passes and inlets of the
+Gulf coast are fairly alive with fishes, from the mullet to sharks and
+sawfish. While lying in his bunk, one can hear all night long the voices
+of the deep, under and around him.
+
+"The hollow, muffled boom of the drumfish seems to be just under one's
+pillow; schools of sparoid fishes feeding on shell-fish at the bottom,
+sounds like the snapping of dry twigs on a hot fire; while a hundred
+tiny hammers in the hands of ocean sprites are tapping on the keel. Then
+is heard the powerful rush of the tarpon, the blowing of porpoises, and
+the snapping jaws of the sea-trout among the swarms of mullet, which,
+leaping from the surface by thousands, awake the watery echoes like
+showers of silvery fishes falling in fitful gusts and squalls.
+
+"Sanibel Island, at the entrance of Caloosa Bay and opposite Punta
+Rassa, is renowned for its fine fishing. The angler can here fairly
+revel in piscatorial abandon and cover himself with piscine glory and
+fish scales. If ichthyc variety is the spice of the angler's life,
+Sanibel and its sister keys are the Spice Islands. Sharks, rays, and
+devil-fish, tarpon and jewfish, redfish, snappers and groupers, Spanish
+mackerel and kingfish, sea-trout, bonito and cavallies, ladyfish and
+sergeant-fish, sheepshead and drum, a host of smaller fry--spots,
+grunts, and porgies, and the ever-present and ubiquitous catfish--can
+here be jerked, and yanked and snaked, and pulled and hauled, until the
+unfortunate angler will lament that he was ever born--under the last but
+not least of the zodiacal signs."
+
+ * * * * *
+
+The foregoing excerpts relate to fishing on the Gulf coast, but on the
+east coast, while the variety of fishes is not so great, the angler will
+find enough and to spare, and many that are worthy of his best efforts.
+Large-mouth black-bass are plentiful in Tomoka River, near Ormond on the
+Halifax, and in Elbow Creek, Turkey Creek. Sebastian River, Taylor's
+Creek, and the St. Lucie River, all tributaries of Indian River. At the
+mouths of these streams, brackish-water fishes will be found in more or
+less abundance, comprising most of the species inhabiting the Gulf
+coast. Some of the best localities are at Daytona. New Smyrna, Rock
+Ledge, Indian River Inlet, Gilbert's Bar, and Jupiter Inlet. Still
+farther south the fishing is much better, notably at Lake Worth, and on
+Hillsboro' and New rivers. Mangrove snappers, bluefish, amber-jacks, and
+barracudas are especially abundant south of Indian River Inlet, more so
+than on the Gulf coast. In all of the fresh-water lakes in the interior
+of the state the angler will be amply rewarded, as large-mouth
+black-bass, calico bass, warmouth perch, and bream are in most of them.
+As a matter of fact, one can hardly go amiss for some kind of fishing in
+Florida, wherever there is water, salt or fresh, provided one proceeds
+with patience and intelligence, and with a due regard for the amenities
+of the gentle art.
+
+Perhaps the queer descriptions and homely comparisons of some of the
+fishes as given by my negro boatman from the Bahamas, whom I have before
+mentioned, may not be uninteresting. I always employed him when
+possible, for he was a good fisherman and sailor, and had a
+never-ending fund of anecdotes; and being a close observer, he had a
+good general idea of the fishes of the locality. I always encouraged him
+in his quaint and original remarks about fishes, and in this way
+obtained considerable knowledge of their habits from this faithful
+Achates. Some of his observations, as I remember them, and which seem
+very odd in his Bahamian lingo, were as follows:--
+
+"Vell, sir, it's curious 'ow some fish is made; but w'atever their model
+in length, beam, and draft, there is some good reason vy they is built
+so."
+
+"Yes," I would answer, "they are all endowed by Nature with the shape
+best fitted for their mode of life and environment."
+
+"Vell, 'wironment or not, as you say, and I'm not gainsayin' it, there's
+as much diff'rence in their model as atween a man-o'-war 'awk and an
+'ummin'-bird. Now, sir, just look at the stingaree and the wipporee;
+they is flat as pancakes, and goes a-skimmin' along like a turkey
+buzzard, or a-wabblin' like a jolly-boat in the breakers, and then they
+flops down on a sandbank like a flounder, when feedin', 'cause their
+mouth is hunderneath like a shark. And they crawls along on their belly
+a-gobblin' hup the periwinkles and fiddlers, and crounches 'em vith a
+set of teeth like a pair o'mill-stones."
+
+"Yes," I assented, "the rays are curious creatures, and have very
+remarkable teeth."
+
+"Now, on the hother 'and, sir, look at the moonfish. They is all length
+and draft and no beam, like the 'ind weel of a vaggon; it couldn't cast
+a shadder if it was facin' the sun. And the angel-fish 'aven't much more
+beam to swear by. Now, sir, hall these slimjims 'ave small mouths and
+pinchers for teeth, and goes a-nosin' 'round the rocks, and a-vorkin' of
+theirselves thro' the narrow crannies, and a-pinchin' hoff the
+coral-bugs and sea-lice. Now, sir, a flounder is wicey wersy from a
+moonfish, it 'asn't hany draft, and don't carry any sail to speak of,
+and so it 'ides in the sand a-waitin' for sumpthin' to turn hup in the
+vay o'grub."
+
+"That's true," I would say, "they lead a very lazy, humdrum life, and
+don't hustle much for a living."
+
+"But for a real racin' yacht," he would continue, "give me the kingfish,
+or Spanish mackerel, or boneeto; they ketches their food on the run and
+jump; and speakin' o'jumpin', sir, look at the tarpon, and bone-fish,
+and skipjack; they is the kankeroos o' the sea."
+
+"Many fishes," I would observe, "have their analogues; that is, they
+seem to bear some fancied resemblance, either in habits or appearance,
+to some object or animal of the land."
+
+"Vell, sir, it's as true as gospel; a man is like a fish out o' water;
+'e puffs like a porpus and drinks like a fish. And the butterflies are
+the yellow grunts and pork-fish and little snappers and cockeyed pilots;
+and the red snappers and squirrel-fish are the fillimingoes and pink
+curlews; and the nigger-fish and conies is the le'pards; and the
+blowfish and puffers is the 'edge'ogs and porkupines. And then there's
+the poll-parrots, red, blue, yellow, and green, from the puddin'-wife to
+slippery-dick; if they'd vings like the flyin'-fish, we'd put 'em in
+cages."
+
+"True, enough," I would assent; "and up north we have fish that go into
+hiding and sleep all winter, like the bears; and some that make nests
+for their eggs, and guard them, and take care of their young ones like a
+hen broods her chicks. And in some countries there are fish that crawl
+out on the land, and climb trees like squirrels."
+
+He listened to this apparently very doubtfully, and frowned fiercely,
+but kept silent until he filled and lighted his pipe; then, after
+scanning the horizon, he said meekly:--
+
+"I think we'll be goin' 'ome, sir; it looks werry squally in the sou'
+east."
+
+
+
+
+INDEX
+
+ _Albula vulpes_, ladyfish, 355, 361.
+
+ _Ambloplites rupestris_, rock-bass, 2, 52.
+
+ Anchovy, banded, 320,
+ big, 320,
+ silver, 320.
+
+ Angel-fish, 384,
+ description, 385,
+ tackle and fishing, 386.
+
+ Angling, fresh-water, 341.
+ salt-water, 341.
+
+ _Anisotremus virginicus_, pork-fish, 323, 334.
+
+ _Aplodinotus grunniens_, fresh-water drum, 232.
+
+ _Archoplites interruptus_, Sacramento perch, 2, 57.
+
+ _Archosargus probatocephalus_, sheepshead, 251, 252.
+
+ Arctic grayling, 176.
+ coloration, 177, 178.
+ description, 177, 178.
+
+ _Argyrosomus artedi sisco_, cisco, 204, 207.
+
+ Artificial flies, 20, 21.
+ rules for, 21.
+
+ Artificial key to pike species, 121, 122.
+
+
+ Bachelor, 80.
+
+ _Balistes carolinensis_, turbot, 390.
+
+ Banded pickerel, 121,
+ description, 154.
+ tackle and fishing, 155.
+
+ Bank lick bass, 73.
+
+ Barb, 221.
+
+ Bar-fish, 80.
+
+ Bass, bank lick, 73.
+ big-fin, 74.
+ black, large-mouth, 30.
+ black, small-mouth, 3.
+ brassy, 90.
+ calico, 73.
+ family, 85.
+ fresh-water striped, 86.
+ grass, 73.
+ Lake Erie, 74.
+ rock, 52, 115.
+ sea, 115.
+ sea, Gulf, 119.
+ sea, southern, 118.
+ silver, 73.
+ strawberry, 73.
+ striped, 96.
+ white, 86.
+ white lake, 86.
+ yellow, 90.
+
+ Bastard margaret, 330.
+
+ Bastard weakfish, 221.
+ description, 221.
+ habits and habitat, 222.
+
+ Beach-fleas, 321.
+
+ Bermuda chub, 382.
+ description, 382.
+ tackle and fishing, 383, 384.
+
+ Besugo, 231.
+
+ Big-fin bass, 74.
+
+ Bitter-head, 74.
+
+ Black-bass, small-mouth, 3.
+ description, 1-6.
+ gameness, 10-15.
+
+ Black-bass [_continued_]
+ habits and habitat, 7-9.
+ tackle and fishing, 15-29.
+
+ Black-bass, large-mouth, 30.
+ description, 31.
+ gameness, 34, 35.
+ habits and habitat, 32-43.
+ spawning and nesting, 33-43.
+ tackle and fishing, 36-52.
+
+ Blackfish, 115.
+
+ Black grunt, 323.
+ description, 323.
+ tackle and fishing, 326.
+
+ Black harry, 115.
+
+ Black sea-bass, 115.
+
+ Black sunfish, 58.
+
+ Black will, 115.
+
+ Blue bream, 62.
+
+ Bluefish, 115.
+
+ Blue gill, 62.
+
+ Blue perch, 264.
+
+ Blue sunfish, 62.
+ description, 62.
+ tackle and fishing, 64.
+
+ _Bodianus fulvus_, nigger-fish, 287, 300.
+
+ Bone-fish, 355, 361.
+
+ Bonito, 282.
+ description, 282.
+ tackle and fishing, 283.
+
+ Bony-fish, 361.
+
+ Boy and tobacco-box, 67.
+
+ Boyhood days, 72.
+
+ Bream, blue, 62.
+ copper-nosed, 62.
+ red-breast, 68.
+
+ Bridge perch, 74.
+
+ Bubbler, 232.
+
+ Burgall, 264.
+
+
+ _Calamus arctifrons_, grass porgy, 348, 353.
+
+ _Calamus bajonado_, jolt-head porgy, 347, 348.
+
+ _Calamus calamus_, saucer-eye porgy, 348, 350.
+
+ _Calamus proridens_, little-head porgy, 348, 352.
+
+ Calico-bass, 73.
+ description, 74.
+ habits and habitat, 75.
+ tackle and fishing, 75-78.
+
+ Campbellite, 80.
+
+ _Cancer_, common crab genus, 320.
+
+ Cape May goody, 231.
+
+ _Carangidæ, cavalli_ family, 306.
+
+ _Carangus crysos_, runner, 306, 307.
+
+ _Carangus latus_, horse-eye jack, 306, 310.
+
+ Carp, German, 236.
+ leather, 237.
+ mirror, 237.
+ scale, 237.
+
+ Catfish, blue, 247.
+ channel, 244.
+ chuckle-head, 247.
+ eel, 247.
+ family, 244.
+ forked-tail, 247.
+ white, 245.
+ willow, 247.
+
+ Cavalli family, 306.
+
+ _Centrarchidæ_, sunfish family, 1.
+
+ _Centropomus undecimalis_, snook, 366.
+
+ _Centropristes ocyurus_, Gulf sea-bass, 119.
+
+ _Centropristes philadelphicus_, southern sea-bass, 118.
+
+ _Centropristes striatus_, sea-bass, 96, 115.
+
+ Cero, 278.
+ description, 278.
+ habits and habitat, 278, 279.
+ tackle and fishing, 279-281.
+
+ _Chænobryttus gulosus_, warmouth, 2, 58.
+
+ _Chætodipterus faber_, angel-fish, 384.
+
+ Channel catfish, 244.
+ description, 245.
+ tackle and fishing, 245-247.
+
+ Channel fishes, 316.
+ tackle and bait, 317, 318.
+
+ Chincapin perch, 74.
+
+ Chogset, 264.
+
+ Chopa blanca, 231.
+
+ Chub, 231.
+
+ Cisco, 207.
+ description, 208.
+ tackle and fishing, 209, 210.
+
+ _Clupeidæ_, herring family, 319.
+
+ Cobia, 373.
+ description, 374.
+ tackle and fishing, 375, 376.
+
+ Cobió, 375.
+
+ Commercial fishing, Key West, 316, 317.
+
+ Common sunfish, 69.
+ description, 70.
+ tackle and fishing, 71-73.
+
+ Conchs, 318.
+
+ Conclusion, 393.
+
+ Coney, 286, 299.
+ description, 299.
+ tackle and fishing, 300.
+
+ Copper-nosed bream, 62.
+
+ Coral fishes, 328.
+ polyps, 328.
+ reefs, 327, 389, 390.
+
+ Coralline formation, Florida reefs, 316.
+
+ _Coregonus williamsoni_, Rocky Mountain whitefish, 203, 204.
+
+ _Coregonus williamsoni cis-montanus_, 204, 205.
+
+ Crab, common, 320.
+ fiddler, 320.
+ hermit, 320.
+ lady, 320.
+ mud, 320.
+ spider, 320.
+ stone, 320.
+
+ Crappie, 73, 79-80.
+ description, 80, 81.
+ tackle and fishing, 82, 83.
+
+ Croaker, 226, 232.
+ description, 226, 227.
+ tackle and fishing, 228.
+
+ Crocus, 227.
+
+ Croppie, 73, 80.
+
+ Cunner, 263, 264.
+ description, 264.
+ tackle and fishing, 265, 266.
+
+ _Cynoscion nebulosus_, spotted weakfish, 376.
+
+ _Cynoscion nothus_, bastard weakfish, 221.
+
+ _Cynoscion regalis_, weakfish, 214, 215.
+
+ _Cynoscion thalassinus_, deep-sea weakfish, 381.
+
+ Cypress trees, giant, 61, 62.
+
+ _Cyprinidæ_, minnow family, 236.
+
+ _Cyprinus carpio_, German carp, 236.
+
+
+ Darky and catfish, 248.
+
+ Deep-sea weakfish, 381.
+ description, 381.
+ tackle and fishing, 381.
+
+ Diplectrum formosum, sand-fish, 287, 303.
+
+ Dog snapper, 344.
+ description, 344.
+ tackle and fishing, 345.
+
+ Drum family, 213, 232.
+ fresh-water, 232.
+
+
+ Eastern pickerel, 149.
+ description, 149, 150.
+ tackle and fishing, 151, 152.
+
+ _Elops saurus_, ten-pounder, 361.
+
+ _Engraulididæ_, anchovy family, 319, 320.
+
+ _Epinephelus adscensionis_, rock hind, 286, 295.
+
+ _Epinephelus guttatus_, red hind, 286, 297.
+
+ _Esocidæ_, pike family, 120.
+
+ _Esox americanus_, banded pickerel, 121, 154.
+
+ _Esox lucius_, pike, 121, 137.
+
+ _Esox nobilior_, mascalonge, 120, 121, 122.
+
+ _Esox reticulatus_, eastern pickerel, 121, 149.
+
+ _Esox vermiculatus_, western pickerel, 121, 153.
+
+ _Eupagurus_, hermit crab genus, 320.
+
+ _Eupomotis gibbosus_, common sunfish, 3, 69.
+
+
+ Fascination of the float, 71.
+
+ Fishes not sensitive to pain, 114.
+
+ Fishing through ice, 145, 146.
+ with the cork, 72.
+
+ Flasher, 371.
+
+ Flatfish, 266.
+
+ Float, fascination of, 71.
+
+ Florida Keys, 341.
+
+ Flounder, 263, 266.
+ description, 266, 267.
+ tackle and fishing, 268.
+
+ Fresh-water drumfish, 232,
+ description, 232, 233.
+ tackle and fishing, 234, 235.
+
+ Frozen fish reviving, 78, 79, 147.
+
+
+ Gag, 285, 287.
+ description, 288.
+ tackle and fishing, 289-290.
+
+ _Gammurus_, shrimp genus, 321.
+
+ Gaspergou, 232.
+
+ _Gelasimus_, fiddler crab genus, 320.
+
+ Generals Sheridan and Stager, 77.
+
+ German carp, 236.
+ description, 236-238.
+ tackle and fishing, 238-243.
+
+ Giant cypress trees, 61, 62.
+
+ Goggle-eye, 53.
+ perch, 74, 80.
+
+ Goody, 228.
+ Cape May, 231.
+
+ Grass-bass, 73.
+
+ Grass porgy, 353.
+ description, 353.
+ tackle and fishing, 354.
+
+ Grayling, Arctic, 176.
+ description, 176, 177.
+ fishing, 178.
+
+ Grayling, English, 174.
+ fishing, 191, 197-201.
+
+ Grayling, Michigan, 178.
+ fishing, 179.
+ scarcity of, 179-181.
+
+ Grayling, Montana, 181.
+ description, 184, 185.
+ gameness, 185, 186.
+ propagation of, 194, 195.
+ tackle and fishing, 188-193.
+
+ Gribble, 321.
+
+ Grouper family, 285.
+ yellow-finned, 286, 294.
+
+ Grunt, black, 323.
+ boar, 327.
+ common, 321, 323.
+ family, 321.
+ French, 331.
+ gray, 331.
+ margate, 329.
+ sow, 324.
+ white, 329.
+ yellow, 322, 326.
+
+ Gulf sea-bass, 119.
+ description, 119.
+ habits and habitat, 119.
+
+ Gymnosarda pelamis, oceanic bonito, 283.
+
+
+ Hæmulidæ, grunt family, 321.
+
+ Hæmulon album, margate-fish, 322, 328.
+
+ _Hæmulon flavolineatum_, French grunt, 331.
+
+ _Hæmulon macrostomum_, gray grunt, 331.
+
+ _Hæmulon parra_, sailor's choice, 322, 330.
+
+ _Hæmulon plumieri_, black grunt, 321, 323.
+
+ _Hæmulon sciurus_, yellow grunt, 322, 326.
+
+ Hannahills, 115.
+
+ Hard-tail, 309.
+
+ Henshall rod, 25.
+
+ Hind, brown, 296.
+ John Paw, 296.
+ red, 286, 297.
+ rock, 286, 295.
+ spotted, 296.
+
+ _Hippa_, sand-bug genus, 321.
+
+ Hog-fish, 331, 333.
+
+ _Holocentrus ascensionis_, squirrel-fish, 388.
+
+ Horse-eye Jack, 306, 310.
+ description, 310.
+ tackle and fishing, 310.
+
+ Hybrids, 309.
+
+
+ Ichthyophagous dog, 284.
+
+ _Ictalurus anguilla_, eel-cat, 247.
+
+ _Ictalurus furcatus_, chuckle-head cat, 247.
+
+ _Ictalurus punctatus_, channel-cat, 244.
+
+
+ Jack, horse-eye, 310.
+
+ Jack salmon, 157.
+
+ Jolt-head porgy, 348.
+ description, 348, 349.
+ tackle and fishing, 350.
+
+ Jurel, 309.
+
+
+ Key to pike species, 121, 122.
+
+ Kingfish, 221.
+ description, 222-224.
+ tackle and fishing, 224, 225.
+
+ Kingfish-mackerel, 279, 280.
+
+ Knot, for leader, 19.
+ jam, for eyed hook, 19.
+
+ _Kyphosus sectatrix_, Bermuda chub, 382.
+
+
+ Lady anglers, 148, 149.
+
+ Lady-fish, 355.
+
+ Lafayette, 228.
+ description, 229.
+ tackle and fishing, 230, 231.
+
+ _Lagodon rhomboides_, pin-fish, 330, 386.
+
+ Lake Erie bass, 74.
+
+ Lake-herring, 207.
+
+ Lake-sheepshead, 232.
+
+ Lamplighter, 74.
+
+ Lane snapper, 339.
+ description, 340.
+ habits and habitat, 341.
+
+ Large-mouth black-bass, 30.
+
+ Leather-fish, 390.
+
+ _Leiostomus xanthurus_, Lafayette, 214, 228.
+
+ _Lepomis auritus_, red-breast sunfish, 67.
+
+ _Lepomis megalotis_, long-eared sunfish, 65.
+
+ _Lepomis pallidus_, blue sunfish, 62.
+
+ Lewis and Clark, 181-183.
+
+ _Libinia_, spider crab genus, 320.
+
+ _Limnoria_, gribble genus, 321.
+
+ Little Giant rod, 101, 102.
+
+ Little-head porgy, 352.
+ description, 352.
+ tackle and fishing, 353.
+
+ _Lobotes pacificus_, berrugate, 371.
+
+ _Lobotes surinamensis_, triple-tail, 370.
+
+ Long-eared sunfish, 65.
+ description, 65.
+ tackle and fishing, 66.
+
+ Lucky stones, 233.
+
+ _Lutianidæ_, snapper family, 336.
+
+ _Lutianus analis_, mutton-fish, 347.
+
+ _Lutianus apodus_, schoolmaster, 338, 345.
+
+ _Lutianus aya_, red snapper, 337, 342.
+
+ _Lutianus griseus_, mangrove snapper, 347.
+
+ _Lutianus jocu_, dog snapper, 337, 344.
+
+ _Lutianus synagris_, lane snapper, 337, 339.
+
+
+ Mackerel family, 272.
+ kingfish, 279.
+ Spanish, 273.
+
+ Margate fish, 328.
+ description, 328, 329.
+ tackle and fishing, 330.
+
+ Mascalonge, 122.
+ coloration, 127-129.
+ description, 126, 127.
+ distribution, 126.
+ nomenclature, 122-126.
+ tackle and fishing, 132-135.
+
+ Maskinonge, 124.
+
+ _Menippe_, stone crab genus, 320.
+
+ _Menticirrhus americanus_, whiting, 225.
+
+ _Menticirrhus littoralis_, silver whiting, 225.
+
+ _Menticirrhus saxatilis_, kingfish, 221.
+
+ Michigan grayling, 178.
+
+ _Micropogon undulatus_, croaker, 214, 226.
+
+ _Micropterus dolomieu_, small-mouth
+ black-bass, 1, 3.
+
+ _Micropterus salmoides_, large-mouth
+ black-bass, 2, 30.
+
+ Minnow family, 236.
+
+ Minnow gangs, 143.
+
+ Montana grayling, 181.
+
+ _Morone americana_, white-perch, 95, 110.
+
+ _Morone interrupta_, yellow-bass, 90.
+
+ Mud-dab, 266.
+
+ _Mugil cephalus_, common mullet, 319.
+
+ _Mugil curema_, white mullet, 319.
+
+ _Mugil trichodon_, fan-tail mullet, 319.
+
+ _Mugilidæ_, mullet family, 319.
+
+ Mullet, common, 319.
+ fan-tail, 319.
+ whirligig, 319.
+ white, 319.
+
+ Multiplying reel, invention of, 13.
+
+ Muskellunge, 125.
+
+ _Mycteroperca falcata phenax_, scamp, 286, 291.
+
+ _Mycteroperca microlepis_, gag, 285, 287.
+
+ _Mycteroperca venenosa_, yellow-fin grouper, 286, 294.
+
+
+ Newlight, 80.
+
+ Nigger-fish, 287, 300.
+ description, 300, 301.
+ tackle and fishing, 302.
+
+ Not all of fishing to fish, 92-94.
+
+
+ Oceanic bonito, 283.
+
+ _Ocyurus chrysurus_, yellow-tail, 336, 338.
+
+ _Orchestia_, beach-flea genus, 321.
+
+ _Orthopristis chrysopterus_, pig-fish, 322, 330, 331.
+
+ _Osmerus mordax_, smelt, 263, 269.
+
+ Osprey on the fly, 64.
+
+
+ _Palinurus_, sea-crawfish genus, 318.
+
+ _Palæmonetes_, prawn genus, 321.
+
+ _Panopeus_, mud crab genus, 320.
+
+ _Perca flavescens_, yellow-perch, 165.
+
+ Perch, black, 371.
+ blue, 264.
+ bridge, 74.
+ chincapin, 74.
+ family, 156.
+ goggle-eye, 74, 80.
+ pike, 157.
+ raccoon, 166.
+ red-bellied, 68.
+ ringed, 166.
+ Sacramento, 57.
+ warmouth, 58.
+ white, 110, 234.
+ yellow, 165.
+
+ _Percidæ_, perch family, 156.
+
+ Permit, 312.
+
+ _Petrometopon cruentatus_, coney, 286, 299.
+
+ Pickerel, banded, 154.
+ brook, 154.
+ eastern, 149.
+ great northern, 137.
+ Long Island, 154.
+ reticulated, 149.
+ western, 153.
+
+ Pig-fish, 322, 330, 331.
+ description, 331, 332.
+ tackle and fishing, 333.
+
+ Pike, 137.
+ description, 137-140.
+ fishing through ice, 144-146.
+ tackle and fishing, 141-147.
+
+ Pike family, 120.
+ glass-eyed, 157.
+ gray, 164.
+ rattlesnake, 164.
+ sand, 164.
+ wall-eyed, 157.
+ yellow, 157.
+
+ Pike-perch, 157.
+ description, 157-160.
+ night fishing, 162.
+ tackle and fishing, 161-163.
+
+ Pikes, key to, 121, 122.
+
+ Pin-fish, 386.
+ description, 386, 387.
+ tackle and fishing, 387.
+
+ Piscatorial polemic, 44.
+
+ _Platyonichus_, lady crab genus, 320.
+
+ _Pomoxis annularis_, crappie, 3, 79.
+
+ _Pomoxis sparoides_, calico-bass, 3, 73.
+
+ Pompano, 311.
+ description, 311-314.
+ best of food-fishes, 312, 314.
+ tackle and fishing, 313, 314.
+
+ Pompano, common, 307, 311.
+ gaff top-sail, 312.
+ permit, 312.
+ round, 312.
+
+ Porgy, 259.
+ big-head, 347, 348.
+ family, 347.
+ grass, 348, 353.
+ jolt-head, 348.
+ little-head, 348, 352.
+ saucer-eye, 348, 350.
+
+ Pork-fish, 323, 334.
+ description, 334, 335.
+ tackle and fishing, 335.
+
+ Prawn, 321.
+
+ _Pseudopleuronectes americanus_, flounder, 263, 266.
+
+ Pumpkin-seed, 69.
+
+ _Pyrula_, mollusk genus, 318, 339.
+
+
+ _Querimana gyrans_, whirligig mullet, 319.
+
+
+ Razor back, 74.
+
+ Record fly-casting, 16.
+
+ Red-bellied perch, 68.
+
+ Red-breast bream, 68.
+
+ Red-breast sunfish, 67.
+
+ Red-eye, 53.
+
+ Red hind, 286, 297.
+ description, 297.
+ tackle and fishing, 298.
+
+ Red snapper, 342.
+ description, 342.
+ tackle and fishing, 343, 344.
+
+ Red sunfish, 67.
+
+ Reel, click, 17.
+
+ Reel, multiplying, 13.
+
+ Roach, 231.
+
+ _Roccus chrysops_, white-bass, 86.
+
+ _Roccus lineatus_, striped-bass, 95, 96.
+
+ Rock, 96.
+
+ Rock-bass, 52.
+ description, 53.
+ tackle and fishing, 54-57.
+
+ Rockfish, 96.
+
+ Rock hind, 286, 295.
+ description, 295, 296.
+ tackle and fishing, 297.
+
+ Rocky Mountain whitefish, 204.
+ description, 204.
+ tackle and fishing, 205, 206.
+
+ Rod, Henshall, 25.
+ Little Giant, 101, 102.
+
+ Rovallia, 366.
+
+ Rules for artificial flies, 21.
+
+ Runner, 306, 307.
+ description, 307.
+ tackle and fishing, 308.
+
+
+ Sac-a-lait, 80.
+
+ Sacramento perch, 57.
+ description, 57.
+ tackle and fishing, 58.
+
+ Sailor's choice, 330, 331, 386.
+ description, 330.
+ tackle and fishing, 331.
+
+ Salmon family, 203.
+
+ _Salmonidæ_, 203.
+
+ Sand-bug, 321.
+
+ Sand-fish, 287, 303.
+ description, 303.
+ tackle and fishing, 304.
+
+ _Sarda sarda_, bonito, 273, 282.
+
+ Sardine, silver, 319.
+ striped, 319.
+
+ _Sardinella humeralis_, silver sardine, 319.
+
+ _Sardinella sardinia_, striped sardine, 319.
+
+ Saucer-eye porgy, 350.
+ description, 351.
+ tackle and fishing, 352.
+
+ Sauger, 164.
+ description, 165.
+ tackle and fishing, 165.
+
+ Scamp, 286, 291.
+ description, 292.
+ tackle and fishing, 293.
+
+ Schoolmaster, 345.
+ description, 345, 346.
+ tackle and fishing, 347.
+
+ _Sciænidæ_, drum family, 213, 232.
+
+ _Scomberomorus cavalla_, kingfish, 279, 280.
+
+ _Scomberomorus maculatus_, Spanish mackerel, 272, 273.
+
+ _Scomberomorus regalis_, cero, 272, 278.
+
+ _Scombridæ_, mackerel family, 272.
+
+ Scup, 259.
+ description, 260.
+ tackle and fishing, 261.
+
+ Scuppaug, 259.
+
+ Sea-bass, 115.
+ description, 115, 116.
+ tackle and fishing, 117, 118.
+
+ Sea-bass, family, 95, 285.
+ black, 115.
+ Gulf, 119.
+ southern, 118.
+
+ Sea-crawfish, 318.
+
+ Sergeant-fish, 366, 374.
+
+ _Serranidæ_, bass family, 85, 95, 285.
+
+ Shad, 80.
+
+ Sheepshead, 252.
+ description, 252-254.
+ tackle and fishing, 255-259.
+
+ Sheepshead family, 251.
+ lake, 232.
+
+ Sheridan and Stager, 77.
+
+ Shrimp, 321.
+
+ _Siluridæ_, catfish family, 244.
+
+ Silver-bass, 74.
+
+ Small-mouth black-bass, 3.
+
+ Smelt, 263, 269.
+ description, 269.
+ tackle and fishing, 270, 271.
+
+ Snapper, black, 371.
+ dog, 337, 344.
+ family, 336.
+ lane, 337, 339.
+ red, 337, 342.
+ schoolmaster, 338, 345.
+
+ Snook, 366.
+ description, 366, 367.
+ tackle and fishing, 368-370.
+
+ Southern sea-bass, 118.
+ description, 118.
+ habits and habitat, 119.
+
+ Spade-fish, 385.
+
+ Spanish mackerel, 273.
+ description, 273-275.
+ tackle and fishing, 276-278.
+
+ _Sparidæ_, porgy family, 251, 347.
+
+ Speckled perch, 74, 80.
+
+ Spot, 228.
+
+ Spotted weakfish, 376.
+ description, 377, 378.
+ tackle and fishing, 379, 380.
+
+ Squeteague, 215.
+
+ Squirrel-fish, 388.
+ description, 388.
+ tackle and fishing, 389.
+
+ _Stenotomus chrysops_, scup, 251, 259.
+
+ _Stenotomus aculeatus_, fair maid, 259.
+
+ _Stizostedion canadense_, sauger, 156, 164.
+
+ _Stizostedion vitreum_, pike-perch, 156, 157.
+
+ _Stolephorus brownii_, big anchovy, 320.
+
+ _Stolephorus mitchilli_, silver anchovy, 320.
+
+ _Stolephorus perfasciatus_, banded anchovy, 320.
+
+ Strawberry-bass, 73.
+
+ Striped-bass, 96.
+ description, 96-100.
+ fly-fishing, 109.
+ still-fishing, 101.
+ surf-fishing, 104-108.
+ tools and tackle, 101-105.
+
+ _Strombus_, mollusk genus, 318, 339.
+
+ Sunfish, black, 58.
+ blue, 62.
+ common, 69.
+ family, 1.
+ long-eared, 65.
+ red-breast, 67.
+
+ Susquehanna salmon, 157.
+
+
+ Tally-wag, 119.
+
+ _Tautogolabrus adspersus_, cunner, 263, 264.
+
+ Ten-pounder, 361.
+ description, 361, 362.
+ tackle and fishing, 363-365.
+
+ Thunder-pumper, 233.
+
+ _Thymallidæ_, grayling family, 173.
+
+ _Thymallus montanus_, Montana grayling, 173, 181.
+
+ _Thymallus signifer_, Arctic grayling, 173, 176.
+
+ _Thymallus tricolor_, Michigan grayling, 173, 178.
+
+ Tip-ups, 146.
+
+ Tobacco-box, 65.
+
+ Toboggan episode, 92-94.
+
+ _Trachinotus carolinus_, common pompano, 307, 311.
+
+ _Trachinotus falcatus_, round pompano, 312.
+
+ _Trachinotus glaucus_, gaff top-sail pompano, 312.
+
+ _Trachinotus goodei_, permit pompano, 312.
+
+ Triple-tail, 370.
+ description, 370, 371.
+ tackle and fishing, 372.
+
+ Trolling-spoon, 141-143.
+
+ Turbot, 390.
+ description, 390, 391.
+ habits and habitat, 392.
+
+
+ Wall-eyed pike, 157.
+
+ Warmouth perch, 58.
+ description, 58, 59.
+ tackle and fishing, 60-62.
+
+ Weakfish, 215.
+ description, 215-217.
+ tackle and fishing, 218-220.
+
+ Weakfish, bastard, 221.
+ deep-sea, 381.
+ northern, 214.
+ spotted, 376.
+
+ Western pickerel, 153.
+ description, 153.
+ tackle and fishing, 154.
+
+ White-bass, 86.
+ description, 86.
+ tackle and fishing, 87-89.
+
+ Whitefish, Rocky Mountain, 204.
+
+ White lake-bass, 86.
+
+ White-perch, 110, 234.
+ description, 110, 111.
+ tackle and fishing, 112, 113.
+
+ Whiting, 221.
+
+ Wonders of the sea, 327, 389, 390.
+
+
+ Yellow-bass, 90.
+ description, 90, 91.
+ tackle and fishing, 92.
+
+ Yellow-finned grouper, 294.
+ description, 294.
+ habits and habitat, 295.
+
+ Yellow grunt, 326.
+ description, 326.
+ tackle and fishing, 327.
+
+ Yellow-perch, 165.
+ description, 165-167.
+ tackle and fishing, 168-172.
+
+ Yellow-tail, 338.
+ description, 338.
+ tackle and fishing, 339.
+
+ Youthful angling, 72.
+
+
+
+
+AMERICAN SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY
+
+Edited by CASPAR WHITNEY
+
+To be completed in ten volumes, with numerous illustrations
+
+Each of these volumes will be prepared by a writer, or group of writers,
+thoroughly in sympathy with the work, and fitted for his special
+subject. The series will be under the editorial supervision of Mr.
+Caspar Whitney, the editor of _Outing_, and for many years sporting
+editor of _Harper's Weekly_.
+
+
+=THE DEER FAMILY.= By =Hon. Theodore Roosevelt=, =T.S. Van Dyke=, and
+=H.G. Stone=. Illustrated by CARL RUNGIUS. _Now ready._ =Price $2.00,
+net.=
+
+=UPLAND GAME BIRDS.= By =Edwyn Sandys=. Illustrated by LOUIS AGASSIZ
+FUERTES, A.B. FROST, and J.O. NUGENT. _Now ready._ =Price $2.00, net.=
+
+=SALMON AND TROUT.= By =Dean Sage= and =William C. Harris=. Illustrated
+by A.B. FROST and others. _Now ready._ =Price $2.00, net.=
+
+Further volumes will include articles on the Bear Family. Water Fowl,
+Wild Fowl, Taxidermy, etc., Cougar, Wild Cat. Wolf, Fox, etc., Tuna,
+Tarpon, etc., Bass, Perch, Pickerel, etc.
+
+
+THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
+
+66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK =AMERICAN SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY=
+
+
+=The Water-fowl Family=
+
+ By LEONARD C. SANFORD, L.B. BISHOP, and T.S. VAN DYKE.
+ Illustrated by L.A. FUERTES, A.B. FROST, and C.L. BULL.
+
+Bass, Pike, Perch, and Pickerel
+
+ By JAMES A. HENSHALL, M.D. Illustrated by MARTIN JUSTICE and
+ others.
+
+
+IN PREPARATION FOR EARLY ISSUE
+
+Big Game Fishes of the United States
+
+ By CHARLES F. HOLDER. Illustrated by CHARLES F.W. MILLATZ and
+ others.
+
+Guns, Ammunition, and Tackle
+
+ By A.W. MONEY, W.E. CARLIN, A.L.A. HIMMELWEIGHT, and J.
+ HARRINGTON KEENE. Illustrated.
+
+The Bison, Musk-ox, Sheep, and Goat Family
+
+ By GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL, OWEN WISTER, and CASPAR WHITNEY.
+ Illustrated by CARL RUNGIUS and others.
+
+Photography for the Sportsman Naturalist
+
+ By W.E. CARLIN. Illustrated.
+
+Further volumes will include articles on The Bear Family; The Cougar.
+Wild Cat, Wolf, and Fox; The Sporting Dog; American Race Horse and
+Running Horse; Trotting and Pacing; Riding and Driving; Yachting, Small
+Boat Sailing, and Canoeing; Baseball and Football; Rowing, Track
+Athletics, and Swimming; Lacrosse, Lawn Tennis, Wrestling, Racquets,
+Squash, and Court Tennis; Skating, Hockey, Ice Yachting, Coasting, and
+Skate Sailing.
+
+
+THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
+
+66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK
+
+
+ * * * * *
+
+
+Transcriber's Notes
+
+Italic text is denoted by _underscore_ and bold text by = sign
+
+Obvious spelling and punctuation errors repaired.
+
+To preserve the flow of this text, all illustrations are
+hyperlinked.
+
+Index added to Table of Contents.
+
+The oe and ae ligatures in the text has been left as it appears in the
+original book.
+UTF-8 coding.
+
+Both "black-bass" and "blackbass" used in this text. Both "lady-fish" and
+"ladyfish" used in this text. Both "skipjack" and "skip-jack" used in this
+text. Both "subtropical" and "sub-tropical" used in this text.
+
+In ambiguous cases, the text has been left as it appears in the original
+book. In particular, the following have not been changed:
+Double punctuation
+End quote missing punctuation
+No punctuation at para end
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others, by
+James Alexander Henshall
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40018 ***
generated by cgit v1.2.3 (git 2.25.1) at 2026-01-22 19:00:22 +0000