The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-03
TINE TO TAKE BLACKFISH.
VERY COOP SPORT TO me HAD HHSA
THEY I'M WEAR NEW YORK.


Hsunts Or ,he T.utoe Hsresbouts-Ths
hest Tackle. and che Bait they frss
ner-Ths Use or the Rssi-How 60 eeos
the F~ish-Ttme for Their Arrival.
Although a good many many old sayings have
been brought into dlsrepute under the searcn-
light of modern timcs, the old one. y When the
chestnut leaves are as long as your thumb, then
the blackhsh begin to come" still holds GOOD
May Ia scarcely hero before fishermen learn
with glee that all along the New England shore
the blaokhsh or tautog are out in shoals. Plenty
Of them are TO be caught In nearby places.
OF late years some very good nsh have bsen
taken OF the south shore Of Staten Island, neas
the Orchard Shoal Light. Further In. just on
the point OF Crooks sand bar OF the Great Kills.
there 10 q spot known to a few fishermen whore
some years ago a vessel was wrecked. Here
among her decaying timbers tho blackhsh love
to Turk even better than around the rocks. stin
another point, half q mile or more up the coast.
nearer New Dorp. 10 Of the extreme end OF Pete
ler's dock. where within the memory Of cons
perativoly young men, there stood a house and
garden. When the land was washed away by
the tides the stone foundations Of the house
remained TO be a haunt for blackfsh.
Still another plnoe 10 tho Monument, tive
miles or more out In the bay from this point.
midway TO Sandy Hook; but to get there a boas
is needed, and IL should DO In charge of COM
pUtohb y" c"N SSFO Sbs'"h ~ sN1N
warning, dangerous to those unused TO see
rowing or sailing. Away over to the northeast.
of tho Oriental Hotel at Coney Island, are the
remains Of an old breakwater, and here there 10
splendid ground for blackhsh; but here also Q
keen eye must be kept to windward and at the
fret signs OF q squail tho fisherman must make
for the shore; It Is no place for q boat in q blow.
nor Ia II q place for squeamish stomachs. Going
further up the coast Irish Crock is found. Just
outside OF Sheepshead Bay. and here also
is . good spot. Boats for fishing here
are obtainable at Canarsie. on Canarsie
is another good place known as the Break water.
only q short row from the shore. At Long
Beach some very large blackfsh were ceught
last year, the fish being attracted by q large
bed of "oinders,'' as tho worms or annelids
living on . lime formation are called. For
those who have the timo and cash. however.
there are no better spots than along the New
England shores. the cream Of them being the
rock bottom around Greenwich, while at Bus
cards Bay the blackfsh caught by President
Cleveland are almost q household word with
anglers. Martha's Vineyard. Edgartown, and
Nantucket are all choice spots.
1t should be remembered that the blacknsh
are essentially bottom feeders, following the
tide as it runs In. poking their noses into the
tiny bays and channels. feeding all the time,
and then running out with the Obj to deeper
water. In the natural caves and terrace work
under the great boulders. where the ockweed
hangs in clusters from the stone lodges or from
the sunken tlmbers of a wreck. they feed slowly
and methodically. as hogs roofing in . garden.
perts to be the old fashioned hand drop line,
About ono hundred feet Of good braided &C"
s% reel. Is the BEST 5 tic the line to tho Stick
and then II a big fish snstches It. the
end Of the line Is a " sinker, heavy according to
the water and the depth, and the hooks should
.s : :nsllf 4G Ss plsn i s'p prsi ysFS ssfi II in vl Hssfs OF ,s:
unavoidable friction Of the rocky bottom. and
hook. on thick wire are needed. for tho hard
% eSsn h. Of s,t ths 1 S,n, ssRd soo en- U oTd,na ,S.I hook.
smaller than will admit of a cent being lifted
IThe best bait is said to DO soft CLANS. and this
VIII be taken at ALI times; The only objection
busy By stealing the bait until the biackash
come along; then the parasites vanish. II ths
the mud banks can be obtained. they makes
good bait, and one which will not be stolen.
before fishing commences. Then when the
blackfsh swim is struck, a change can be made
are expensive and do not last. winflss are alsss
good. but must DO obtained fresh from the
Use q good sized bait about half an inch
square. and do not bother II the shank Of the
the ground Just before dead low water. and. liz
stranger. try to lucate a boulder or stump under
the water, one which in an hour will be out OF
sight, making sure by the sinker that you are
on hard ground. When you strike q good place
take the bearings of 1t by objects on shore for
next time.
some people now use a short fishing rod, which
prolongs the fight II one Is very expert with
the reel. but the reel generally does not gather
In the slack fast enough 70 suit the sold tImsrs
as the blacklist will overrun like a bluefsh, and
II II once gets ahead Of the line. good-by to it.
slower than the old drop line fisherman using
his hands only. Fast as they run. BLACKLIST are
not game. They will mako u tremendous bluff
for a few minutes and then give right up. They
vary IN weight according TO the depth they are
in; Fish caught In from two to two
and one-half fathoms of water seldom scale
more than from two to four pounds. while those
caught in from three to four fathoms on ths
reefs will weigh up to fourteen pounds. and then
the angler has a picnic.
A tip we'll worth knowing is that they should
be immersed In vinegar before trying to scale
hem. while the very big ones should be skinned.
er ones should be split and quickly broiied with
> piece of fat salt pork, and the larger ones
baked with a dry stufing of stale bread crumbS
\ little finely chopped beef suet, salt oayennS
pepper. finely rubbed aromatic thyme. n,arios
,um. and = s~uspicion OF chopped lemon peel
With plenty OF cayenne pepper. II boiled they
'houid he served with a Rich drawn butter. into
which has been stirred q teaspoonful OF inS
inchovy sauce. A blackhsh never tastes het.
er. however. than when tho fisherman has 4
lying pan along. and either on the boat, II Il Il
he hsh In salt pork Juice before the life IL we'll
tut OF II. 10 "oA
The BunAio's Debt to the FIaniuxo.