The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-10-27
CATCHING sLUEFlsH.
Sport along the Jersey shore and
at Great South Bay.
New York World


A slight breeze ruffies the ocean. The
vessels scud by under full sail, and the
fishing boats, off on the banks, rise and
fall like logs on the long ground swell.
The surf breaks on the beach in great
combers, which throw themselves high
upon the sand and then rush back to
mngle with the more congenial ele-
ment. On the bluff at Seabright stands
man whose eyes, shaded by his hand,
are bent fixedly upon small dark patch
ON the ocean over which are clustered
excited sch gulls. Now and then the
patch scintillates with silver spots, and
the gulls throw themselves from their
lofty height into the silver Kaleidoscope.
1t seems to be moving nearer shore. The
watcher perceives it to be school of
bluefish. Soon the school is inside of
the breakers and he runs into neigh
boring house.
He comes out carrying long fishing
line, neatly coiled and ending in six
inches or more of stout wire, to which
is attached a lead squid. Removing his
shoes and stockings and rolling up his
trousers the man, carrying the coil Of
line ON his arm, wades into the surf, and
catching hold of the line about six feet
from the squid begins to whirl the piece
OF lead around his head. 1t whirls fast
er and faster. After the retreat of a
wave he finally runs down almost into
the ocean bed and let's go of the line.
The squid flies out straight hundred
and fifty feet or more and settles into
the breakers.
FISHING FROM THE SHORE.
Then the fisherman hauls it in hand
over hand as rapidly as he can. A blue
fish jumps from the water and the line
assumes marked rightly. The fisher
man hauls yet faster, and pulls up on the
beach six pound beauty. He unhooks
the long, powerful bodied, blue backed,
white bellied fish very gingerly, for he is
mindful of the razorlike teeth and does
not care to lose a finger. He throws the
fish high up on the beach and begins his
efforts afresh. In half an hour the blue
fish, which have been in chase of school
of menhaden, head for the deeper ocean,
and the fisherman picks up his catch of
dozen or more and walks back to the
house. Such is bluefshing on the Jersey
coast.
Would you see the sport on Great
South Bay, go to any of the bordering
towns, and engage fora small sum sail
boat and captain to take you out. If
you do not become seasick and there is a
reefng breeze you will have grand sport
A squid and line can be used, or a rod
and reel with squid The boat keels
well over on its side and rushes through
the water with an exhilarating motion.
Several long lines troll out from the
boat, and the squids of bone or metal fly
through the water. Now the fish strikes
one line, now another, until fingers, pro-
tected as they are by mitts, are sore and
arms ache A mornings sport will often
yield enough fish for u large hotel
Another method frequently practiced
here is known to fishermen as chum-
ming. Several hundred menhaden. or
'bunkers," are secured, portion Of
which are ground or chopped up into a
kind of mush, and literally scattered
over the surface of the water where the
boat is anchored.
THE OUTFIT.
An oily stick is thus formed which
floats rapidly to leeward, and often at
tracts the bluefsh within a radius of a
mile. A slice from the nenhaden's back
is put on large hook and the line is
thrown overheard and as it drifts away
the bait Is seized by the voracious fish
which swarm about the boat.
Bluehsh tackle is exceedingly cheap
A dollar will purchase all that is neces-
sary for hard fishing while an outlay of
SO or 81 will buy stout casting rod, a
cheap, stout reel and line, and the nee
essary hooks and squids With this out
fit the most fastidious can fish
Small snappers of two pounds weight
are quite abundant at Broad channel and
the inlet of Jamaica bay and also at Sea-
warren, Princes bay, the Horse at Sandy
Hook and at Barnegat. The large fish
running from six to fifteen pounds have
been found in great quantities all along
the Long Island and Jersey coasts. The
season is usually from the middle of July
to the first of October.
To be sure of good fishing and big fish
one should go aboard one of the stanch
little smacks that supply Fulton market
with its Fridays bluefish. A little tact
and the judicious use of four or five dol
lars will secure berth. These boats go
out to the banks of the Jersey or Long
Island shore and sail around until fish
are sighted. Then they anchor.
Small hand mills are brought on deck
and menhaden are ground up Dories to
the number often of dozen, each car
rying man and nlenhaden, mush and
bait, put off from the smacks and anchor
within a radius of half mile. At the
end of the day each dory will bring in
two or three hundred large fish, AS the
smacks remain out from week to ten
days, and meat, fish and fresh vegetables
comprise the bill of fare, an enjoyable
sea voyage offers its attractions in add
ton to the fishing