The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-10-22
Great Sport With the Fishermen Of Bar
negat Bay.
LIKE HAULING A CANAL BOAT
Parade of Yachts in the Narrow En-.
Iet-YOU DOn't Always Got 'Em
Bonita wakes You Think He
Weighs n Ton or More.

lou uuu your particular craft, step on
board, your captain takes tho helm,
friendly captain on the wharf--nll tho
male inhabitants of tho place are captains
-shoves her of, and AWAY you Co. 1t Is
o'clock In the morning. Tho air has the
brncing freshness of the now day. The
sun shines with that SOFT warmth which Is
30 gratifying TO the senses and so unpro-
phetio OF tho heat TINT is to develop Inter
There Is Just hreoze enough to I'LL the sail
md send your trim little vessel merrily
over the ripping water, and as you glide
along you begin to realize tho poet g dream
of being waited by balmy breezos over
summer sens
You arc going blueflshing The captain,
who hns now become your guide, counselor
and friend, has saved you the trouble Of
deciding that, and ho heads for the inlet
six miles across tho bay, where the blues
were biting freely yesterday He does not
commit himself to tho assurance that they
will bite freely today, for no knowns that,
except the weather, there Is nothing SO un.
certain as school Of bluefsh. Tho fact
That they hayo been chasing silver fish
about Barnegat bay for the last three
weeks Is no guarantee TINT they are not,
every FIN of them, hundred miles up the
coast this morning. This cccentricity on
their part gives the charm Of hazard to
" your pursuit OF them, increases the thrill
OF anticipation with which you await the
vigorous signal that announces the arrival
OF n fish ut tho other end of your 100 feot
Oh line and heightcns the triumph of your
return home with we'll filled basket.
UP and down the narrow waters Of the
Inlet go the yachts in disorderly yet or
derby parade. Their course is only half n
mile long and scarcely half "a wide, for
this is where the bluefish nre feeding, and.
us IL Is necessary to keep moving In order
thnt the bone and metal ''squibs" trailing
lar behind mny appear to be small fishes
swimming on the surface the yachts must
tack back and forth in this small space
continually. There are couple Of dozen
OF them.
But you have not much timo to admire
tine parade, beautiful as it Is Your can
tain losses squid overheard, lots 100 feet
OF SO OF heavy line trial after IL and makes
the END OF the same fast on board the
!acne TO prevent your letting the whole
business go overheard in tho excitement of
the coming contest Then he gives Won
the line, with instructions to wait for n
strike,' and haul In as soon ms YOU ret
IT, You may be u novice. but Won need no
further instruction You will have no
iurther difficulty in recognizing the signal
by which bluensh announces that he has
put himself in communication with Won
Two sharp witches and heavy null indi
cate his desire not TO speak TO Won. and
your share Of tho performances is to ger him
on BOARD before he succeeds in shaking the
nook out OF his mouth, which no will do ~
he has half II chance and is very mt to do
With less than that. You pull in your limo
hand over hand, with long, s,eady strokes
ard arc particularly careful to avoid miss.
ing your hold ut any time as that would
Involve momentary Stacking of tho line
ana give corresponding advantage to tho
captive dancing and fluttcring at the other
end, following quietly for a time, then
uashlng out OF water, performing a series
OF somersaults and dashing from side to
slde IN tho effort to escape the strain that
10 constantly drawing him nearer to his
doom. Sometimes he succeeds. Some.
times he tears loose just when you think
victory is certain, and the captains cool
let him CO. sounds to you very ironical
as you realize that you cannot possibly do
anything else, but If it is idle to cry for
spilled milk 1t Is doubly SO to lament for n
lost Gsh. Spit on your hook and trv It
again.
BY and by, as you look out along your
line beyond the point where it loses itself
Ia wave, you SEQ tho water suddenly
break into foam, as IL there had been a
small explosion beneath its rippline sur.
fnce, and the next instant feel q tug ut
your limo littlo more emphatic than the
witches you havo become accustomed to.
Yea begin to haul In and succeed In start
Ing something toward the boat, but 1t
comes very slowly, and 1t Is like hauling a
ca.c-rr llss1Et 70 make 1t move at oil. Ths