The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-12-04
FISHING WAS EASY.
ITHE OLD KNlckERsockERs HAD THE
SPORT At THEIR DOORS.

IThe 6lden Tlmes When Manhattan Island
Had It's Ponds Filled With the Shining
Beauties Of the Finny Tribe--How They
Captured Swapping Turtles.
A well TO do fisherman who was satu-
rated with the angling craze built few
years ago on q. lake not many miles from
this city 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-
pected some so feet over the lake. Here
lon his back porch, this old angler flshsd
from morn to night until his lines yycre
least on the waters Of Lethe Had this man
llivsd In tho city of New York so years ago
Tho would have found more than one dwell.
ling built to his liking and so constructed
that his hobby OF fishing could have had
full sway without spending penny for
tits indulgence. Tho old Kniokerbockcrs
had daily fishing bouts at their back gates,
land fruitful ones they always turned out
to be.
A section Of this city which is now
great manufacturing and distributing CEN
ter was in 1916 covered by large pond,
Extending from Pearl street on the south
ito Canal street on the north, and the pres
lent Center street passes from north to
south through the center of the old site of
this pond. 1t was called Collect pond, and
its outlet ran into the North river by way
lof what Is now known as Canal street.
Near its mouth and running southwest q
Ibranch of the outlet made its way into tho
North river, forming the eastern boundary
Iof large tract of salt meadows. The river
Iside of these meadows gave, on the incom.
ling tide, great sport to the old timers who
went afshing for wcakflsh, striped bass
land white perch as they came In to feed on
Ithe low lying flats when covered by the
flood lido, which, in the spring, overfiowed
tho meadows and came nearly UP to Broad
Iway.
The water Of Collect pond was fresh, It
lbeing fed from springs. Perch, sunflsh,
FEELS and catfish, all of largo size and of
delicious flavor, lived In it's waters, and
prolific were the catches made by the old
tknickerbockers with their primitive tao
lklc, which usually consisted of reed pole
about ten feot long homemade line of
brown linen thread, Limerick hooks-no
lothers were used in America mt that time
"a small piece of lead as sinker and a box
Iof garden worms With such tackle and
THE muscular overhead jerk of tho victim
Ito so fish in n few hours.
There was another large pond, called
tSunfsh pond, existing some 70 years ago
lon site now embraced In the area covered
Iby Twenty-fifth and Twenty sixth streets
land Fourth and Fifth avenues. 1t covered
about three acres and had neither outlet
lnor inlet, being fed from bottom springs
Iof very cold water. It contained the same
species of fish as lived In Collect pond,
with the addition of great numbers Of
Swapping turtles, which were greedily
lfshed for by the old timers. As their
Imethod OF catching snappers was unique
land doubtless would be found today to be
hlluring to these delicious fresh water tur-
tiles, 1t is worth while to mako note of
the manner in which thoy were captured.
fIhe old Knickerbocker would SMELL with
linen thread 10 the end of a piece of cop
lper WIRE 10 to 10 inches long, a medium
l.sized hook, being careful to wax tho thread
with shoemaker'e wax. Tho other end of
lthe wire was then bent to form an eye, to
(which was tied a strong line. The hook
twas then baited with a young frog, the
line tied to stake on the edge of the pond
land tho frog cast into the water. This
WAS a very effective layout line, as the
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. II tho batracian Of those days
fwas up to snuff, like the fin de steele
species of the present era, the fisherman
would often find when he went to take up
his catch the knowing amphibian sitting
lcomplaccntly and perhaps cross legged up
ION the stake to which the line was tied
Tho cream of the angling outings of tho
old residents was had on the brnckish
tidal waters Of tho East river, and the
hnost frequonted fishing grounds extended
Ioyer n district now represented as being
opposite Fifth street north to Twenty
Fourth street and Bandamula point. The
river end of tho last named street was the
most fruitful. Here, with headquarters
ht the old Vanrast tavern, the anglers of
so years ago would gather, and, unlike
their modern congeners, had no cause to
pnake exaggerated statements as to SCORES
hnd weight Of fish caught. The latter
were abundant, consisting of weakfish,
Founders. striped bass, kingflsh, blackfish
and sen 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
hnd weakilsh are never taken now in tho
East river. Kingfish, now almost exter-
minated In water area of so 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 tho New York
side Of the river from Fifth street north.
Wenkfish four and five pounds In weight
fed In great shoals on every incoming tide.
Striped bass were caught everywhere in
tho water district described, founders
were ubiquitous In their presence, and
BLACK drum of great size and weight were
bitten caught by the hand liners, a class of
Fishermen very greatly In the majority in
those days. A stretch of fat rocks EXTEND
ed over an area which Is now opposite
Twentieth and Twenty first streets and
First avenue and Avenue b, and hero
many anglers gathered ut every high wa
ter, in season, for striped bass fishing, and
success attended them at all times
With this wealth OF fishing at their door
kteps who can wonder that tho early resi-
dents Of this city did not roam far to ex-
flore other pasturesp These were almost
within arms reach. Above the Harlem
river every stream, especially the Bronx,
teemed with trout, the red spotted beauty
of the brooks. Across in New Jersey there
was no tributary to the Hackensack river
which did not have its quota of these
jumping beauties, and every rill or brook
That flowed into the Hudson from either
side Of the river held Its share, and large
ono, of these fish. All around Bedlows
and Governors Islands great striped bass
Of 40 to 80 pounds were daily feodlng and
might bo caught, hand casting, from the
foot OF the Battery rocks. Tho north and
south shores OF Station Island, Grayesend
bay, tho beach Of Coney Island and the
thousand and ono choice spots Ia Jamaica
bay in each of which tho devastating net
was not, were swarming with choice game
fish The old knlcksrbocker had his full
Of fishing from his back porch and went