Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-01
FISHING WAS EASY.
THE OLD KNIcKEReocKERs HAD THE
 SPORT AT THEIR DOORS.

The Olden Times When Manhattan Island
 Had It's Ponds Filled With the Shining
 Beauties of the Finny Tribe-How They
 Captured snapping Turtles.
 A we'll to do'fisher1nan who was satu- rated with the angling craze built few years ago on d 1ako not many miles from this city a palatial mansion with all the appointments that wealth could devise or support, but his hobby of fishing cropped out when building the rear end of his house, which was placed on piles and pro jected some 50 fcot over the lake. Here, on his back porch, this old angler flshed from morn to night until his lines were cast oh the waters of Lethe. Had this man lived in the'cityof New York 80 years ago he would have found more than one dwell ing built to his liking and so constructed that his hobby of fishing could have had full sway without spending penny for it's indulgence The old Knickerbockers had daily fishing bouts at their back gates, and fruitful ones they always turned out to be.
 section of this city which is now great manufacturing and distributing cen ter was in 1915 covered by a large pond extending from Pearl street on tho south to Canal street on the north, and the pres ent Center street passes from north to south through the center of tho old site of this pond, It wcs called Collect pond, and its outlet ran into the North river by way of what is now known as Canal street. Near its mouth and running southwest branch of tho outlet made its way into the North river, forming the eastern boundary of large tract of salt meadows. The river side of these meadows gave, on the incom- ing tide, great sport to the old timers who went a-fshing for weakflsh, striped bass and whitoporch as they came in to feed on the low lying flats when covered by the flood tide, which, in the spring, overfowod the meadows and camo nearly up to Broad way.
 The water of Collect pond was fresh, it being fed from springs. Perch, sunflsh, cells and catfish, all of large size and of delicious flavor, lived in its waters, and prolific were the catches made by the old Knickerbockers with their primitive tao- 'klc, which usually consisted of reed pole about ten feet long, homemade line of brown linen thread, Limerick hooks-no others were used in America at that time "a small piece of lead as sinker and box of garden worms With such tackle and the muscular overhead jerk of the victim it was not unusual to make a score of T5 to so fish in few hours.
 There was another large pond, called Sunfish pond, existing some 75 years ago on site now embraced in tho area covered by Twenty-fifth and Twenty sixth streets and Fourth and Fifth avenues. It covered about three acres and had neither outlet nor inIct, being fed from bottom springs of very cold water It contained tho same species of fish as lived in Collect pond, with the addition of great numbers of snapping turtles,5 which were greedily flshed for by the old timers. As their method of catching snappers was uniquc and doubtless would be found today to be alluring to these delicious fresh water tur- ties, it is worth while to mako note of the manner in which they were captured. The old Knickerbocker would shell, with linen thread to the end of piece of cop per wire 10 to 12 inches long, a medium sized hook, being careful to wax the thread with shoemaker's wax. The othersend of the wire was then bent to form an eye, to which was tied strong line. The hook was then baited with a young frog, tho line tied to stake on the edge of the pond and tho frog cast into the water. This was a very effective layout line, as tho frog would live for several days. Our gossipy and interesting informant, who lived in those old days, does not, however, tell us how the festive frog was kept in the water If the batracian of those days was "up to snuff," like the fin de siecle species of tho present era, the fisherman would often find when he went to take up his catch the knowing amphibian sitting complacently and perhaps cross legged up on the stake to which tho line was tied.
 The cream of the angling outings of the old residents was had on the brackish tidal waters of tho East river. and the most frequented fishing grounds extended over district now represented as being opposite Fifth street north to Twenty. fourth street and Bandamula point. The river end of the last named street was the most fruitful. Here, with headquarters at the old Vanrast tavern, the anglers of 80 years ago would gather, and, unlike their modern congeners had no cause to make exaggerated statements as to scores and weight of fish caught The latter were abundant, consisting of weakfish, founders, striped bass, kingflsh, blackflsh and sea bass A struggling striped bass is all that is left to remind us of the har- vest days of tho old anglers, and sea bass and weakf1sh are never taken now in the East river. Kingnsh, now almost exter- minated in water area of 50 miles around this city, actually swarmed in the East river between the points named above and along the mud flats which extended out for some distance all along the New York side of the river from Fifth street north. WeakfSh fer arl five pounds in weight