Morning journal and courier., 1881-10-18
Long Island BIuefiShing.
Remarkable Season for the Harvesters of the Sea-Recent Discoveries in the Art Of Catching Bluefish.

Remarkable Season for the Rarvesters
 of the sea-Recent Discoveries ia the
 Art of Catching Bluefish.
 From the New York Herald. l
 Trolling for bluefish is ancient sport to Long Islanders, but most of the fish are taken in nets, and the details of the business are little understood by the general public. The "catch" this year is unusually good, and the fish have brought large prices. The season opens about the middle of June for bay fishing, and for outside ocean fishing from the middle to the last of August, and it closes in the last of October, and then the codfishing season begins. One reason why the fishermen have done better this year than formerly is because they have only recently become familiar with the habits of the fish and learned how to find them in deepsswater. Most of the fishing boats now carry fish pilots, who are station ed at the masthead. These men are sharp eyed and often discover fish unnoticed by amateur sportsmen in five fathoms of water. When the fish lie in punches they are asleep and the fishermen row up to them with muffied oars and rowing around them throw the net. As soon as disturbed the fish rise, scatter and run into the net In this way from two to three tons of fish are frequently taken at one haul. When large catches are made the fish are disemboweled as soon as caught, packed in ice and sent to market the same day. Old fishermen say that they often see immense numbers of bluefsh in the water, packed in space no larger than an ordinary dwelling house. and so closely to- gether that it would seem as if knife brought down on the heads of the top row would sever the heads of the whole school to a depth of twenty or thirty feet, the entire mass of fish being like the walls of build ing. Boats trolling for fish pass over doz- en such schools and never get bite. For many years it was the general belief that bluefsh spawned in the bays. Long Island fishermen say it is an error, that they spawn in the deep water of the ocean. They lie close to the bottom, and when the eggs hatch, then the young fish ascend into the bays. If they are about to make a journey they will gather in schools and start for the beach as if they intended to go ashore When the first school reaches the beach they turn and put back to sea, or perhaps swim many miles down the coast, followed by other schools. When they are moving in this way many are taken by throwing squids from the beach.
 Oftentimes several days elapse before any more are seen in these parts. Many fishes are taken by the process known to fishermen as ''chumming." large quantity of '.moss bunkers' (menhaden) are cut into small pieces and thrown abroad. If there are any fish in the vicinity they are attracted by the oily bait and caught with drop line and squid. One of the advantages of bluefshing is that it requires no "hook batting" One of the most successful bluefish trollers IS Henry lr0QS, or the 6aSCeTu 0uu O1 bI10 Aoleillu. During the season he may be seen of Mon tauk alone in a small sailboat, with five lines out, and the waves running high. He has but one arm, but he handles his five lines skillfully and keeps his boat right side up with remarkable ease. When a fish is hooked he holds the tiller between his knees and hauls in the fish by winding the line around the stump of his arm. So long as the fish bite he continues fishing, while amateurs are obliged to run in for the shore. Early in the season many whales are seen off the Long Island coast. It is said that they are attracted by the bluefish, upon which they feed. They seem to know the habits of bluefish, and will follow them long distance while they are following the menhaden. When whales are around the fishermen can do little with their nets, as the fish get badly scattered, and they then use their trolls. Bluefshing is often attended with great dan ger Many of the fishing crews are the best surfmen on the coast, and at the close of the season they are employed in many of the life saving stations.