Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-19


| and quietly. reach the end Of the wharf. have
good bait and good string of fish will be your
| rward. Later In the day fish with the tides,
| always using shsdder or soft crab for bait
Inc fsh are Of such variety that one may
make feast one meal Of spot and the next OF
| rock, tailor, trout and 30 on through an in
cious.
The rock or striped bass is considered one
OF the best OF our fishes, flesh firm and Of good
navor, good REFER and genuine game fish.
The hrst dash after seizing the bait 10 terrific
20 one unaccustomed to such business and .
run OF from 10 to 100 feet often follows before
check can be made. The line must be strong,
hooks OF Virginia or sproat pattern. bait either
menhaden or soft crab, and when fishing from
on the pier drop the line on the leeside in ed
dies, and II 1t Is about half dood-look out
THE PERCH,
q small pan fish and friend of the rock fish, is
taken on ebb tide in deep water and on food
tide along the shore and in the creeks among
the long grass For this fishing a light rod
fine silk line, gut leaders and two hooks are
used. Almost any kind Of bait will answer
and If the line is kept taut they will hook
themselves at the first pass at the bait Cut of
the heads and tails fry brown and they become
decidedly palatable, but are hardly to be men,
toned the same day with
THE SPOT aooDY OR LAFAYETTE,
which is the best and sweetest Of pan fishes az
well one of the most plentiful-two and
three at time pulling in different directions
is both interesting and exciting. They bite
vigorously and at either fish or crab The
croaker. its cousin, il similar in many respects,
and both are called ''crocus" by the natives
but the spot is far the better to eat
Salt water trout embrace two distinct
species. the weak fish or saueteague and the
spotted or salmon trout. The former are
more plentiful and the latter more gamey;
both have dog-like teeth and are beautiful fish
as regards color and proportions. Sometimes
they are called the big mouth denizens of the
bay. The mouth is very tender and steady
pulling is necessary, as stacking Of line allows
the hook to be thrown from the mouth. They
bite freely and are of good size. but to be fully
appreciated must reach the table soon after
leaving the water.
THE BLUE FISH,
saltwater tailor skjpjack, is the fish of hsh,
however, the body oblong and clear cut always
active and hungry, the best jumper and fastest
swimmer, his sharp teeth play havoc among
the fish he chances to fall in with. As to size.
they run about two to four pounds, the larger
ones remaining outside When hooked the fun
beglns-the line whizzes out the other fish
scatter and he fights until landed, and even
then look out for his jaws. They drive all
other fsh ahead OF them, and 1t is no unusual
thing to hear them cutting and slashing
mile away Carnivorous beyond description,
they are the most destructive OF the marine
animals and are often compared to q chopping
machine. Travelling in large schools, they move
along like wolves, destroying everything that
comes in their path. blue fish IA inches
long weighs one pound; 10 inches two pounds;
I'll inches, three pounds, and one Of 80 inches
eight pounds.
THE SPANISH MAcKEREL
is one OF the most graceful and brilliant Of
fishes, rugged to 60 with propeller and out
riggers, but unfortunately rather scarce at
present and seldom caught with hook and line.
They are the very best food fish and in former
years were very plentiful. They are frequently
taken by the fish boats. sold for anything from
twenty-five cents up, but are more frequently
dumped i'll with the other fish and consigned to
the factories, where they are made into oil,
fertilizers. DC. Some have been taken by
trolling in this neighborhood
Our friend the sheephead must not be over
looked, for he is one of the earliest arrivals
and generally stays till the ball closes. He IL
probably the most distinctive, hardest pulling
and most sought after Of all the fishes. Gray
ish i'll color with heavy black stripes, arched
back, compressed and stout. four to six in
clsors in his jaws besides large molars. and
averaging from ten to fourteen pounds, he is q
formidable competitor for supremacy and the
angler or hand liner who secures one has q
prize indeed. Their food consists Of mollusks,
and oysters, which they crush with their power
full teeth. Different modes are used in fishing
for this wary fellow, but the most common
practice ID to drive down stakes among which
rocks. &C., are sunk and to which different
species of mollusks soon attach themselves
The fisher quietly approaches, anchors his
boat close enough to throw near the stakes,
and when Mr.. Sheephead bites 1t is with few
slight jerks, followed by steady pull, and
when strike is assured the fish must be
worked carefully, the approach to the boat
closely observed, for then the struggle COM
mences. quick plunge downward is apt to
break line and hook unless carefully played,
and even then his desperate lunges are enough
to try the most experienced. Its excellencies
are 80 universally conceded, whether boiled or
baked, either whole or split, that nothing re-
mans to be said in it's favor. The Quitting of
asheephesd party is always an occasion of ex-
cltement and expectation, and the capture Of
one occasions more pleasure than the posses
sion of any other kind of fish.
The sailors choice, or pig fish, is one Of the
most deliciously favored of the smaller fish
1t generally accompanies the sheephead and
Is taken to weigh from One-half to three-quar.
ter pounds with shrimp bait
The striped mullet is a bottom fish of rare
qualities both as a bitter and food fish. When
strike is made a downward plunge is sure to
follow, and a fish OF one pound will make a
good tight. most excellent bait is a piece of
banana. or perhaps a batter is made from q
combination OF hour and cotton
Gar fishes are plentiful and afford an inter-
esting sight as they swim along the surface of
the water seizing with their long jaws small
fish and other food. The word gar is the Saxon
for needle. and they are sometimes called
needle fish, They frequently run up the Poto-
mac to Washington. Its movements are rapid
and aim sure. As an edible fish, however, il is
OF no account.
THE DRUM
is one Of the largest fishes. sometimes weigh
ing IS to 100 pounds, and when caught it makes
drumming noise, caused by certain actions of
the air bladder, and from this habit takes
its name. The flesh is coarse, but much e.
teemed. The drum il generally caught in
seines in the neighbOrhood of oyster beds and
their destruction of the oyster has become q
serious question.
Pompano, a Spanish word meaning grape
leaf, Is the name given to beautiful though
rather scarce siver-sided fish with elongated
body and small head. They run from one to
three pounds and are powerful swimmers,
feeding on mullusks and softer crustaceans.
Carney when hooked.
Butter fish, harvest or dollar fish, the COM
paniOn Of the jelly fish or sea nette, is about
six inches long and is much valued as a pan
Is very handsome, of brilliant, irridescent
color, and its queer shape gives it considerable
distinction.
THE MENHADEN
has fully thirty names.-mossbunker and ale
wife being the most common ON the Chesa-
peake and by some they are called bug fish,
because Of the parasitic crustacean found in
the roof Of its mouth. They appear early in