The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-05

color. The only unpleasant thing about
flying fish fishing is the bait This is
very oily fish that frequents the steep
shores of Barbados. Its name, accord
ing to the way l heard it pronounced is
peeng. These fish are caught in nets.
None is ever more than pound in weight.
and half of that weight is oil. The fish
are not used for bait until decompos-
ton is well advanced. Forty or fifty OF
them are taken along in the boat and
If ever there was floating Barren island
flying FISH boat on its way to the fish
ing grounds is one. Not much in the way
of tackle is used in catching flying fish
The equipment is a shallow scoop net
with inch meshes, the hoop being three
feet or so in diameter.
THE fishing grounds are from five to
twelve miles from shore. The sea is mar
ed a spot where the fish are likely to be
found sails are taken in and the pre-
liminaries begin. The fisherman leans az
far as he can over the side of the boat.
In one hand he holds the light net by the
hoop, so that it touches the water, and
can be pushed down slantingly beneath
the water and toward the boat when
the time comes In the other hand he
has one of the loud-smelling bait fish.
This he squeeZes, and the putrtd oil
from it falls into the waiter in a noise
less stream. The fish is reduced to frag-
ments at the same time and. sinks. The
oil spreads over the surface and is as
clear as crystal. 1t has the effect or
making the depths visible for fathoms
81 suppose flying fish are partial to de-
cayed fish for if there are any in the VI
cinity when this bait is turned into and
upon the sea they will not be long in max
ing their presence known. Not word is
spoken nor a sound of any kind made
after the boat reaches the fishing ground.
The native l went out with on my nrst
trip objected, judging from the expression
on his face. to the manner in which my
heart beat, and must say that 1t did beat
rather loud The novelty and expectancy
of the occasion excited me. lay with my
face over the gunwale, and forgot even
the malodorous exhalation of the bait
Presently, far down beneath the oily sur
face, l saw myriads of black spots moving:
They rose swiftly, growing larger ana
more numerous, until the sheen of thou
sands of flying. fish, their long black ms,
or wings, moving like a bristling column
of lancers, glistening close to the surface.
A bunch of the advance guard came within
reach, and the fisherman buried his net
in the water with a swift and noiseless
sweep that brought 1t toward the boat.
He drew it to the surface with its opening
against the oiled side of the boat, appar-
emily with ease, although it contained as
many flying fish as a man would care TO
carry. Quickly dumping his catch IN the
boat but with scarcely a sound, he was
ready with his net again. squeezing the
oil out of another bait fish and reducing
II to unsavory pulp. The captured hylng
hsh seemed not to scarcely deserve their
name, for they lay in the boat with scarce
~ a movement and soon died. In TWO
hours that one fisherman filed his boat,
and we sailed back home.
THAT is all there is to flying fish fishing.
but it is exciting and enjoyable, in spite
of the bait fish. You soon get use to that,
and don't notice it. got so I could handle
the net about as well as the natives, and
l landed many a thousand of those queer
fish. l have no doubt flying fish fly. But
they must go far away from the Baroa-
does waters to do their flying. never
saw one of them fly but If I had don't
believe | would have thought it half SO
wonderful a thing as the way ten thou-
utterly from sight, as in the twinkling OF
an eye, in water clear almost as crystal
TO the depth of many fathoms."