Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-05-27
FISHERMEN OF THE SEA.
FAVORITE HAUNTS OF TIE
TARTOO AND GUNNER.
Deep-Sea Angling and It's Drawbacks
Racing In Yachts for Game
Strange Submarine and Arn-
phibious Creatures.

III weather 10 60 a-hShlng when he
looks oct of the wind beaten windo vs.
of the ses-side hotel and sees the
dawn break white and angry on "a
stormy wintry horizon. says the New
York Tribune. But men who have
gone Il fishing often necessarily have
a hardened conscience. and after they
have protested to others with tears in
their voice that they caught the fish
which bear the mark OF the Fulton
Market but too plainly on their brows,
IL would go hard if they could not
make themselves believe almost any
thing. 80 they go out and cast their
lines into all sorts of unpleasant
places. In the face of high winds
tossed by curling seas. whose green
heads break unpleasantly over them,
they row out for miles to the fishing
grounds and SILVER while they fish for
the fiat fish called the founder which
for few weeks to come will be the
only game for salt water anglers
around New York.
But soon, when warmer sun shines
on the waters, and when the seaweeds
and submarine grasses take on more
brilliant hues. there comes gam
Ter and more worthy fish, mighty of
jaw and fin. and heavy and massive
body, requiring strong tackle TO hold
him. This is the biackfs or tautog.
He is the bulldog of salt water obstin-
ate and massive of build with teeth
that can often snap the stoutest steel
book He lacks the ga,niness. the
force and fierceness of the blueblooded
bluefish and weaktish. which will
come later in the season. for his fight
is confined to mighty surges toward
the bottom; but when n particularly
large specimen makes up his mind to
run downward when hooked IL is no
weak wrist and no fimsy tackle that
can check his headlong rush toward
the wreckage or rocks below. where
instinct tells the fish that he can tan
gle the line and snap it.
The conditions OF capture vary with
the localities and the bait alone re.
mains the same everywhere The
best bait is q small land crab. known
as fiddler" and only the china
back variety OF this species is good as
rule The dark blue variety is not
generally so attractive. and is often
entirely useless. The big sea clam.
the skinner is also good. as i, the
hard clam. What will tempt the black
fellows when everything else fails. is
the hermit crab but it is not Plentiful
ana the fiddler" is used mostly.
The largest tautogs are 10 be caught
In the deep waters OF the ocean off
the coast They congregate wherever
there is an old wreck or rocky reef
for there they find clinging many
varieties of shellfish and small crusta-
cea which furnish abundant food.
Famous places near the city are the
.Black Warrior" and old Spanish"
wrecks, oil Rockway Shoals; wreck
of Norton's Point Coney Island; the
Monument in the lower bay and
the "cinder" bottoms of Seabright
N. j. Fish there generally run from
three to five and seven pounds in
weight but specimens weighing from
ten to fifteen pounds are often
taken. Naturally, for SUCH heavy fish
the tackle must be enormously strong.
the hooks make OF thick and hard
STEEL while the rod must be stiff. not
only on account of the weight OF the
fish, but in order to allow the angler
to fix the hook firmly when he strikes.
for the tautogs mouth is leathery and
hard, with extremely thick lips The
fish makes for a wreckagc as soon as
he is struck. and in deep sea fishing.
therefore, 1T is best to use only one
hook. SO that il the fish in his first
plunge. gets among the wreckage.
there will be no danger of another
hook being caught
The waters over any OF the famous
wrecks or reefs present an exhilarat-
ing sight when blacktshlng is good.
Rocking gracefully in the heavy
groundswell. great sloops and yachts
are anchored as near as possible to
.he wreck. often ten or fifteen OF
them. as many as can possibly be
crowded together. and hundreds of
lines and rods are busy. The BLACK
Warrior wreck is great favorite.
and there are exciting races in the
morning between the different boats
10 get there first. for the first yacht
70 reach the place anchors immediate.
ly over the wreck, and anchors at bow
and stern. can hold her position
despite wind and tide. insuring good
port for her passengers throughout
The entire day.
But deep-sea fishing has it's draw
backs Angling is essentially a soli-
ary art. 10 the sportsman. the
whispering winds the glory OF the
mn. the fash OF emerald waves are
company sufficient. 10 the deep sea
be cannot 60 alone. for the srrges are
Too heavy for small craft. and he
must GO in company with others. The
true angler is therefore content with
The prizes hidden in the calmer chan
,es Of the bay. guarded from storm
by the long sheltering bar. He may
,atch fewer fish. and mono so large as
hose which hide beyond the inlet
But his is the perfect dreaminess OF
till-sea days
A striking Resemblance.