The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
FLUKING IN JAMAICA BAY.
ANGLING TUIT rs UEhL NJ trim TO
LIRGE. nav MiN.

|
| Very few men in Greater New York havcany
| appreciation II the amount Of fishing done in
| Jamaica Bay as an amusement and II bus-
| ness. said a prominent member Of the Cannrsle
! Yacht Club. At Canarsic alone" he COM
| tinued. twenty men own between 500 and
| 700 boats. which arc hircd out mt tho rate ot
! 10 cents a day for fishing purposes. On
| warm Saturday or Sunday In July II frequently
happens that all these boats arc In Use. This is
| equally true OF the other dcpos Of supply on
| the bay. such as Hnmmcls. Seaside. Rockaway
| Park. and the innumcrahle fishing clubs 10
| would he no cXaGgcrntion to hErsthat on Sum
| days during the season at Hf7Rs boats
are in USE and 10000 men an" Ss1,
| gagged in trying to catch fish, the women -.
| no strangers to this form Of amusement. Nor
| does the estimate include the thousands who
| fish from the wharvcs and pier heads
| Probably not more than 10 per cent Of this
| number have any knowledge Of fishing as an
| art and a smaller proportion still ever give
| thought to the varying conditions which make
angling successful. The element of luck is
| associated so much In the popular mind with
| fishing that water. line and hook are the only
| things deemed essential to success.
Now. you are an Intelligent man. continued
| the yachtsman. as his boat Law tugging at her
| anchor in n wide channel in Jamaica BAY be-
| tween two sandbars but you could not
| imagine IN n year = nara guessing what tnS
bottom of this channel looks like. Here. look
through this" he continued. as he handed the
reporter length Of stovepipe which was used
as a sort of waterscope to inspect the bottom OF
the bay Leaning over the side OF the yacht tho
reporter inserted about a foot of the pipe into
the water and looked downward through the
cylinder. The water vas clear and the rays
Of light were rcfractcd go that the bottom was
plainly visible. The sight presented was
|
was covered with innumcrabe patches Of
bright yellow. resembling ono dimension of a
pumpkin. These patches were OF various
sizes. and they covered the sand almost like
carpet
Il had no idea we were fishing over pump-
kin patch" said the reporter as he replaced the
stovepipe upon the deck. What is that queer
growth"
Il do not know the scientific namo Of it." re-
piled the yachtsman. " but it ia some sort of a
vegetable growth. aud weakilsh can usually be
found here when they are in tho bay"
DO the fish eat il? p
"No. but it seems to serve as n hiding place
for the kinds OF food which the Ash like. 1t is
the knowledge o. such facts as these which
makes the intelligent angler superior to tho
tyro. In all the bays along the Atlantic coast
there are various growths on the bottom which
largely determine the character of the fishing.
ldke, lOT instance, INC clllutT DtuS Az IlfSC
thought this term would indicate coal cnders
thrown overheard from steamers furnace.
but in reality it is a species of vegetable some
what resembling coral which completely
covers the bottom In certain portions Of ia
maica and other bays. 1t is Of gritty sub
stance and it crumbes easily in the hand.
These spots are also favorite lurking places for
FISH. To the sharp angles Of this growth cling
certain species of marine life which attract the
Hah IlNn ll.
sent attractions to the flnny tribe of which the
expert angler is cognzant and in nine cases
out of ten you will find his boat moored above
one R of th ibs srotS indicates ~
that il, tie luke. This is ,?bvionsly the Door
rugged appetite. All is food which comes
as rum hungry sharE He cam be caught
at any time on.nny tide n almost any portion
sands OF poor men and tons" tons Of sh are car
ried II home every week by men who have never never
full tug OF striped bass or weakfsh.
On Saturday nights the various troleys and
W s s to 1smSG1 Bay anS
small tradesmen, each intent on a days luke
fishing. Each man carries wicker basket.
and suificlo nt number Of sandwiches to last
for twelve hours. They usually 60 in groups
vide the spoil, The 'asherman goes to his
fhyorte resort near tho fishing ground on Sat
beach or With his Back against S'S Pile pill ' on
breaks he starts OF in search Of the kies.
which comprise his bait These lite Ioh are
watSr laring jack light such as 81 is T used to
dazzle deer in The Adirondaeks, s placed in
picturesque to watch kilIie seine hauled in.
the greedy gre, crabs holding 4 kie in each claw:
the S Ths Knd Of Bait
SO abundant that It brings only 10 cents hun
small perora ti WOODEN box or car Which IS
toned behind the boat, thus enabling the
a %e TO GHSy @ @" to SHy fssH' until "''
H. ing secured his bait the fisherman rows
" hf Sa hot SSg dns os sh6rs
man is unmlndtul Of the heat, There is always
Of the bay and it's breath tempers the rays Of
the sun HxPcriGI il, mas taGght The pks
lace and neck Will prevent the sunDurnt skin
nj" "Fluke fish iil is the lazy angler. elystum.
He does not have to bother his head about the
condition Of the tide. for his HAT victim Gops
mud fiat. cinder bed and pumpkin patch, having.
rerhans. nsliGht preference Tor the sandy lars
reached the middle Of the channel, the angler
ties heavy 9inker 70 his line. hooks 4 kllie
bis hook oyorrToard Wnshirs Ills oars. lights
his pine and away floats his boat on the SUR
lace or lne tlit. just enough mo Is USED 10
enable the sinker to reach the bottom. The
Sfinker and hook drag along thA sand until Mr.
Fluke comes wggling along and grabs the
bait, when lie is Jerk0d into the boat like an
animated slice Of sole leather He is never lost
consistency of rubber blanket.
The mind Of man has never conceived
more comfortable mode Of fishing than this.
unless it is that Of the Southerncr, who lies ona
wharf asleep with the line tied TO his big toe.
Trout fishing is horculean laborcOmpared with
i. The fisherman is banded by the tide
from the Long Island Railroad trcsle to the
point off Rockaway Beach. a distance OF SIX
miles. In this manner he can cover all the iu-
tervcn ing fishing ground without wetting an
oar, And when he caunot 30 further for fear
Of drifting out to sea be drops his mushroom
anchor and tries still fishing until the tide has
turned and is ready TO iloat him back again.
The luke is not tn" kind Of FISH to inspire
poetry concluded tn" yaChtsman. unless
Fivc-FinGercd Jacks paraphraso on an old
angling question can bo Gignine1 hy sHch a
title:
MANY huke in JamArABIv.
Daddy catch EN- every day,
Nanny fry EN- IN de- ian,
Slgtt am d ms