Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-27

asric Fi-herEaan Who IL Too Poor to
Go Into the Country-whzt q Days
oatins Contradictions. Aboard.
L was perfect day The sun bathed
View York bay n golden light JostIing
che pier near Castle GarJien lay the steam
zr Havana L was O'Clock in the morn
ing \ tail German stood on the pier sell
ing excursion tickets 20 rhe Fishing banks
for s=venrv-flve cents apiece To each
ticket was affixed cOapon Ike a seat check
IN tEeater- IL rad Good for one bunch
II bzi--" Two hundred men bought these
tickets The majority OF them were Ger
mans The minority were PAYERS On
strike, mechanics out OF work and small
saloon keepers Each man carriest fishing
rod n bag and a basket with two lids.
The baskets contained several pounds OF
lead cut into chunks weighing from SIX 10
=ignr ounces q large assortment Of hooks,
suellei with gimp or gut and stuck into
CORK. a wooden reel from SIX 20 eight inches
N diameter and some sandwiches
Near the galgway stands table 20 feet
long and wide wiki raised edges. Here
the bait : prepared while the vessel Is en-
ro1re 20 the fishing grounds.
The bais used Is principally clans or
'-zkinauerz, a. they are called by the fish
srm=n- six Of these are tied into a bunch
one bunch go@s with each ticket. But a.
one Danch o. clans would BE- only a mouth
fGl for = hungry Goldfish Or Blacklist the
fishermen invest IN a cigar box full Of
clans, for which they pay fifteen cents
While the boat Is IN motion the fishermen
cut UP the clans On the table into suitable
sizes for bait One clam usually makes
three bats for sea bass Or one bait for cod
Some Of the fishermen prefer mossbuukers
for bait These they procure at the mar
kets before sailing \ sharp shoeknife
removes the flesh from the side OF the
mossbunker The rest Of the fish IS thrown
away. After the bait i cut mp il is saltei
20 make IL tough so that IL will rema.7 on
the hook when the annoying bergalls nib
bic az IL After the bait Is prepared each
fisherman picks out place close to the
rail from which 20 fish This place he Sc
cures by placing his fishing basket On a
stool.
Then he proceeds 20 prepare himself
FOX the days sport II he Is a cIeanly
Sportsman he ties one end OF towel 70 the
rail upon which 20 wipe his hands He
then dons a pair OF overalls and draws an
old hat down over his ears, for the wind
usually blows fresh outside OF Sandy Hook
Most OF the fishermen Use rods These are
OF every kind. according TO the taste OF the
fishermen Now and then split bamboo
can be seen, but these are rare. The rods
a. a rule are made Of Iancewood and ash.
The lines are q varying degrees OF thick
44i---- iJsA-@ LIE 70 4 chalk Inc
The reels are q wood and are fastened 10
the side o: the rod. \ metal reel IS OF little
practical Use on the fishing banks. The
wooden reels VIII retrieve eighteen inches
Of line with one revolution They are also
excellent 70 cast with. As all fishermen
who 20 down 20 the Cholera banks are
fishing for the pot or pan, and not for sport,
the advantage q an apparatus which viii
land fish quickly : apparent. The great
er number of the sinkers used are shaped
Ike AZ elongated bullet. They are about
twice a. Dlg a. a mans thumb i hole
runs lengthwise through the sinker.
Through this hole the line is put, big
knot on the end OF the line keeping il u
place Two hooks are used, one below the
siEker and one above. The rod fishermen
choose the upper decks, while the hand
line men FISH from the main deck.
When the Havana arrived opposite Sea
bright she was anchored about two miles
of shore in fifty feet Of water The An
gler and Schuyler, the opposition fishing
boats, were already there lying within a
pistol shot OF each other. \ fleet OF small
fishing boats was also on the grounds. The
rail OF the Havana was filed with eager
fishermen. The anchor plunged to the
bottom Immediately the boat bristled
with rods. The whirring of reels vas
heard and the PUNK Of heavy sinkers.
The first man to hook a fish was a gray
LdlEeI herman r.LLt-.lFe Years OtQ- A
hundred men watched him reel in The
water parted. and dangling from the end
of the line was a pound seabass wearing a
look Of Amusement. The spikes on its
back stood up like barb wire fence. The
German was on the upper deck. As
the fish came up it swung inward and
''swatted" an earnest payer in the face.
He struck back and the fish fell back into
the deep. \ loud groan arose from all
sides. The German swore with Bismarck
ian force. He threw his line overheard
again and fastened his hooks in New Jer-
sey reef. He tugged on his pole The tip
and the line parted, and seventy feet OF
line. two hooks and an eight ounce sinker
were gone. In an agony Of annoyance the
German shouted:
Move de boat"'
This expression, by the way, is one of
the slogans the fishing banks The
Other slogan is, Get the gaff"' A fishing
bank gaf is n very crude instrument.
Upon cane pole twenty feet long is tied
BIZ means of wire hook smaller but close
ly resembling those used in butcher shop
to hang meat upon. When a big fish such
as a twenty pound cod is hooked there is
always u loud cry for the ga1f. The fish is
toTed TO the top of the water and an inter
ested neiglb Dor is only too eager to gait the
victim
As soon as the excursion boat was an
chored two small boats were launched
from her decks by four muscular young
men. These boats were rovved 200 yards
away from the steamer and anchored.
The men in the small boats catch what
fish they can. and after the days fishing is
over retail them TO those excursionists who
have been unsuccessful. If n passenger
wishes to fish from the small boats he pays
one dollar for the privilege. The men who
handle the small boats are furnished with
fDenlE and Eipanirl. a inns h11f
no salary Is paid them. They earn, how