The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-02
CATCHING LIVELY BURGACCS.
They Arc Not Very Big. but VIII Furnish
Lots of Amuseme nt.

Lots Of Amusement.
The burgalls, or cunners, as the Con-
necticut fishermen call them, are COM
monty considered a nuisance. They
steal the bait from the hooks of bass
and blackfish anglers, and some claim,
drive away the larger fish. But of
late certain knowing anglers have dis
covered that, properly handled, the
burgalls will furnish great fun. They
are plump. active little fish, seldom
attaining weight of more than a
pound and half, and averaging about
half 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 whole shoal is feeding.
Rocky bottom. with plenty of rock
weed and sea moss growth. is their
natural habitat and they feed greedi-
~ on hard or soft CLAIMS, crab meat,
bits of sinner and killie, cut up, and
sand worms.
OF course. a heavy tackle destroys
all the pleasure of catching these
plucky little fish. You want light
trout rod, fine silk line, and snelled
sporat hooks. size No. 4 or 5, about
the size used to take mountain brook
trout. A split buckshot will be a
heavy enough sinker to answer every
purpose. Bait as carelessly as you
may, you will not alarm or disgust the
burgalL He is fish of no epicurean
tastes, and quantity stands before
quality in his eyes. Put bit of bait
on just large enough to cover the bend
of the hook. and let one end hang of
TO tempt the rascals. Fish from boat,
or from n ledge of rocks, or from a
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 a quick mincing nibble will an
nounce the first arrived guest. and a
sharp, strong pull is necessary to hook
HIM These fish have hard. tough
jaws and lips, and gentle pulls VIII
never strike the barb home Some
times the bigger ones, by running un-
der strongly-rooted clump OF rock
weed or sea kale, or under bowlder
Ou the poIlOH. VIII EA't EpN EGEdO
trouble At no time viii they surren-
der without a very eonsiderab bic tuss.e
for freedom
Just before a storm IS the very best
time 20 catch burgalls. When the sky
Is black, and the heavy clouds hang
low over the water. and the sea gulls
skim wildly over the bay. the sturdy
rockdwellers begin TO revel- Al sUcn
a time. with two hooks on your line.
you can land two al time until your
arm aches from the effort. The dead.
low water and rising tide are best for
catching burgalls, for. By the time the
ebb sets ont. these little gluttons have /
SO surfeited themselve" on the food /
that they have no appetite left
They are easy 70 catch, and can he i
found all around New York harbor 4
and adjacent water Barstow-on-the- /
sound is convenien, station on the /
Harlem river branch 81 the New Haven 4
railroad. and there you can take lit !
tie bobtau car 20 City Island Here /
you catch burcslis unnumo e-ed II 4
rocky Pelham hay and Us many iniess-
So. too. you can along the Staten
island shore and OF the Jersey side
What is more. after ron have had the
fun OF catching them there stall re-
mains no incousiGers bic treat for The
burgalls. when trcsn caught are the
snest pan fish that swim The man
who can no; put .least three OF inen