The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-12-18
GAME AND TOOThSOME SMELT.
As Much Fun TO BE Had in Catching These
Little Fish as IN Eating Them.

Little 4 Ism as In Eating mem.
| With October days opens the season
for catching the small but toothSome
smelt. Comparatively few of the thou
sands who welcome the return of the
smelt to market know what an extern
sive industry smelt fishing has become.
In the first place, the artificial hatch
ing of these fish has grown 10 be one
of the chief undertakings of the United
States fisheries and of some of the state
esta bliShments. just take one small
brook for an illustration. The short
stream that flows past the grounds Of
the New York Fishery commission at
Cold Spring harbor, on Long Island.
has received in live fry and eggs during
the past ten years the enormous num-
Der of %. 500. 900.
The New England waters are the IA.
vorite haunts of this fish. Smells are a
saltwater fish, but they run up streams
and lakes al night 10 spawn. dropping
back again before daylight. They are
a beautiful bright fish, with a silver
stripe running down each side from
mead to tail. At this season they bite
freely. and taken with "A light rod and
line offer the finest OF sport 10 anglers.
They haunt the tideways and creeks,
and hungrily snap at all the shrimp IN
sight. The old hands all use two hooks
with six-inch smells bent on wire
spreader. With this rig il is usual,
when the fish are running freely, to
capture two at once at every haul OF
course, the ma iority of market hunters
do not daily with tackle, but net their
game by thousands at the mouths OF
the rivers. though this is in open viola
tion of state laws Whole car loads
are taken also through holes cut in the
ice in winter, and good days work
sometimes brings in two hundred and
fifty pounds per man.
In Canadian waters smelt are taken
with an artificial fly. They seem 20
fancy CANDY colOrs and bite readily AZ
the scarlet ibis and polka. on Boston
on any sunny dav scores of boats are
anchored near the mouths of harbors
and creeks. of Straw berry Bill. near
Hull, Mass, ia the best fishing in New
England. and hundreds OF fishermen
visit IL in the course Of the season.
From half food tide 10 half ebb il the
favorite period for catching them, for
the hsh are feeding then.
The bait is an expensive item in the
sport. Shrimps cost two dollars and
twenty-five cents quart, and half
days angling viii require about four
dollars worth. 90 course the experts
net their own shrimps ia the shoal
creeks, but no greenhorn can make
profitable attempts at this economy.
Naturally bait so costly is priced. and
many Ingenious devices are used TO
keep il fresh. The best scheme is 70
have q wster-tight box fitted in the
boat under the seat. and this kept full
Of wet sea grass and rockweed makes
a refreshing bait car. The shrimps
are easily torn from the hook. and the
beginner loses most Of his bait before
he learns the knsck 81 running the
point in al the tail. up through the
body. and out al the head dozen
fish would be a good string FOR a novice
20 bring in, and he need not feel badly
II be should Sc a professional who sst
within a rod If him carry home tween.
- pounds. j. comes with experience,
and his big day Will come Il he perss- |
reTes--N. Y. sun