The herald., 1893-05-19
PISCATORIAL PARADISE.
THE BAY OF SANTA M0wxwA AND
ITS FISHING.
A Mecca for the Disciples of Izaak'
Walton and Such Sport rs
the LATEST Would
Appreciate.

The writer of this article grew up in
the great manufacturing city Of Newark,
N. T., where there was no fishing nearer
than Belleville. some six miles up the
Psssaic river Every summer the en-
lire family were huddled off to Babylon,
long Island, where there was no end OF
good fishing. There were trout in few
lakes hidden away in the dim recessss
OF the pine woods; and as for salt water
fishing, nothing could beat the great
South bay, with Fire island on one side
of it and Babylon, Patchegue and Islip
on the other. There were 'splungers''
there. capable of carrying from to 20
people, which could sail from seven to
eight miles an hour without q lib on
them. The owners of these sloops were
men who were clever with the fowling
piece and shot ducks in winter for the
New York market. In summer time
they earned their living at 50 per day in
sailing "Yorkers'' around the bay. The
chief fsh caught were weakfish at the
mouths of the small fresh-water creeks,
and bluefsh all around the bay, the
latter fish being taken by trolling.
But the great South bay" would not
be ''in it'' With the bay of Santa Monica.
which lies about l6 miles from our own
doors. The breezes OF the South bay
usually were full of flaws, which rem
dered capsizes quite frequent and neces-
STATED greater caution in sailing boat.
Here, on the contrary, the winds are al
ways uniform though never very strong.
The best wind for trolling is one that
sends your boat along from four to five
miles per hour. Anything stronger than
that so roughens the face of the water
as TO make your bait almost.invisible to
the game fish OF this southern sea,
which are as follows:
l. The Jewish, or tarpon, frequently
caught at weight of over $50 pounds.
2. TIE sea bass, which has been known
to run above 200 pounds.
3. The bonifo, or yellow-tail, often ap-
proximating 20 pounds in weight.
A. The barracuda, or sea pike, which
varies from to 20 pounds in weight and
is the most common of the four.
The catches have been unusually large
this year. Early in April some gentle
men from Boston made large catches at
Redondo, while the rods and hand lines
from the great Santa Monica wharf took
in ton of fish daily Scores. of poor
families make good living there by
catching enough for meals and selling
what may be left over. Last Sunday
and Monday Nhe catch was very big all
along the bay. There were three boats
out from Redondo about am, and
they skittered up and down the bay
for four hours without success. Just
about l 80 p.m., as they were giving it
up in disgust, they began to roll into
big school of barracuda, and there was
fish on every line. One boat, in which
councilman Pessell was a passenger,
took 36 barracuda. Another boat took
30 and yellowtail that weighed AZ
pounds. while each of the other boats
got over 80 barracuda.
The fab never bit better than during
the fore part of this week, and the
takes have been unusually large Sew.
eral gentlemen from New York and
Boston have been out on the bay dur
ing the week and pronounce the fishing
far ahead of anything seen by them in
Atlantic waters.
The barracuda Is best baked. Stuff
the fish with bread crumbs, sage, salt,
pepper and one onion chopped fue
Then put dozen thin slices of bacon
over the fish before setting him into the
oven. When baked about fifteen min
utes, make sauce consisting of one
wineglass each of black coffee and port
wine, one tablespoonful each of salt and
cayenne pepper, the peel OF two lemons
and q tablespoonful OF Worcestershire
sauce, The writer wishes you good
appetite.