The Springdale news., 1889-10-04
CATCHING BLUEEtSH.
Great Sport Requiring 8 Steady Nerve an,
 Quick Haud.

n Quick Haud.
 The angler must have steady nerve and quick hand to make success of trolling for bluefish. The fish must be hauled in as quickly as possible. Such thing as playing with him is entirely out of the question. The slightest bit of slack line or delay, and in nine in- stances out of ten the fish wilt break away. It is not an unusual thing to catch them with lacerated jaws. thus showing evidence of previous battles with'anglers. To the amateur there is a good deal of downright hard work about the sport. In time however he becomes accustomed to the work of constantly hauling in his line to re- move the ever-troublesome sea-tangle with which the hook becomes clogged, in which condi tion the nimble bluefish could not see the shimmering squid. He must also become accustomed to an occasional sore finger, caused by the strain upon the line. These annoy ances, however, are trivial in compari- son to the sport and the delightful sail. There are no mosquitoes or black flies to make one's life a burden, as in trout and salmon fishing. Expensive fishing tackle is not at all necessary. It is a pleasure which may be indulged in by every individual wealthy enough to hire a saiI-boat.
 Cumming for bluefish is slightly l,,,+ | ss. more exciting. The captain of the safl-boat must be notified in advance to secure a few hundred menhaden. On the eyentful day he sails out with his party to his particular favorite spot and anchors. An improvised fish, grinder is placed on one side of the boat and the menhaden are ground up into what is called chum. This is gradually thrown overboard then the captain baits each anglers hook with good-sized piece of the fish, and the sport begins. The anglers pay out their lines, allowing the bait to float away with the chum. The fine chum simply aggravates the blue fish, and they dash through it, looking for more substantial food, which they invariably find enyeloping a copper snelled hook. This is the supreme moment when the anglers skill is test ed. It is the moment when he needs all the presence of mind he possesses. to lose his prize An advantage in  chumming is that either hand lines or rods and reels may be used. Sportsmen prefer the latter. In both cases the line must be paid out as rapidly as the tide is running; when nearly out, it must be reeled or hauled in again, the bait examined, the seaweed removed and the line paid out again. One is as likely to get a strike reeling in as in paying out; and, as in trolling, one must be ever on the lookout for the sudden, savage strike of the fish, When the rush comes, if you have not the rcd and reel under perfect control, you will not only lose the fish, but you may return with a broken rod or the loss of hundreds of feet of line.
 bldcAISH tttti OEt ttiC SCHbDiS Oi iHon- haden and other small fish with which the bay abounds. 1t is a grand sight to see them at feeding time. Whole regiments of them may be seen to leap from the water in their wild rushes after their unfortunate prey They lash the water into foam in their mad charges, and often bite each other dur ing their deliious efforts in procuring food. Even when not hungry they will wantonly rush upon schools of other fish and snap and bite right and left, killing and maiming merely for the sport it affords them. These canni. bals act as though they were not afraid of any thing above or below the water, An occasional shark gets among them. however, and brings them to their senses. Another peeuliarity of the fish is that they may be caught as freely during a thunderstorm as on pleas ant day. It is said that they are tho only fish which have no respect for the battles of the elements. Almost all others seek deep water as soon as thunder is heard. They are at all times an interesting study, but, as one captain aptly put it: "The more you study them the less you know about them. n-Harper' Weekly.