The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-09-14
CATCHING LIVELY BURGALLS.
They Arc Not Very Big. but VIII Furnish
Lt,to OF "A n1uselnene.

They Arc Not Very Big. but WIZ Furnish
LOts OF a n,useHlene.
The burpalls, or cunners, as the Con-
necticut fishermen call them, arc com
monty considered nuisance. IheJ
steal the bait from the hooks OF bass
and black fish anglers, and, some claim
drive away the larger fish. But OF
late certain knowing anglers have dis
covered that, properly handled, the
burcalls will furnish great fun. They
are a plump, active little fish. seldom
attaining weight of more than a
pound and = half, and avera ging about
half a pound. Their coloring is very
beautiful, showing in different lights
all the rainbow tints. They are gre
garious, and where one bites you may
know that a whole shoal is feeding.
Rocky bottom. with plenty of rock
weed and sea moss growth. is their
natural habitat anu they feed greedi-
ly ON hard or soft clans, crab meat,
bits Of sinner and iillie, cut up, and
sand worms.
OF course. n heavy tackle destroys
all the pleasure Of catching these
trout rod, a fine silk line. and sneiled
sporat hooks, size No. or 5, about
the size used to take mountain brook
trout. A split buckshot will be Il
heavy enough sinlxer to answer every
purpose. Bait rs carelessly as you
".
burgull. lie is fish Of no epicurean
tastes, and quantity stands before
quality in his eyes. Put Il bit OF bait
on just large enough to cover the bend
Of the hook. and let one end hang OIL
to tempt the rascals. Fish from n boat,
or from II ledge of rocks, or from n
pier. and select 4 spot where the tide
does not set too sharply, for these fell
lows are too lazy to battle with very
strong tides.
Soon Il g:,iclz niHcing nibble Will an
nounce the Arst arrived guest. and Il
sharp, strong pull is necessary to hook
MIN. These fish have hard, tough
jaws and lips, and gentle pulls will
never strike the barb home. Some
times the bigger ones, by running I'M
der IL strong! y-rooted clump OF rock
weed or sea kale, under Il bow1der
on the bottom, will give you great
trouble. At no time will they s"rren-
der without very considerable tusslc
for freedom.
time to catch burgalls. When he Sky
is black, and the heavy clouds hang
low over the water, and the sea gulls
skim wildly over the bay, the sturdy
rockd wcllers lcgin to revel. At such
a time. with two hooks on your line,
YOU can land two at time until your
aru, aches from the effort. The dead.
catching burralls, for, by the time the
cbb Sc is out. these little giuttons have
so s,rfeitetl themselves Oh the flood
that they have no appetite left.
They are easy to catch, and can be
found all around New York narbor
and adjacent water. Barstow-on-the-
sound is a convenient station on the
Harlem river branch of the New Haven
railroad, and there you can take a lit
tic hobtail car to City Island. Here
you catch burgalls unn1mbered in
rocky Pelham bay and its many inlets.
So, too, you can along the Staten
island shore and on the Jersey side.
What is more, after you have bad the
fun Of catching them there still re-
mains no inconsitle III BILE treat, for the
burgails. when fresh caught. are the
finest pan fish that swim. The man
who can not put at least three of them,
crisp and hot, under his vest at brea k
fast has failed prope: ly to appreciate
his opportunities N. Y. journal.