The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09

The Outfit Required and the Secret OF Ang-
ling for Them with Sucocss.

ling for Them with Success.
Upon the walls of the Uncle Sam House at
Canarsie hang nifty fishing rods. They average
ten ounces in weight and nine feet in length
They are made OF single pieces OF bamboo. and
there Is not jointed rod in tho collection. II
is the belief at Canarsie that metal joints de-
stroy the hcxibility Of n rod. Aflxed to each
OF these rods is q reel. varying according to
the taste or wealth Of the owner. from the
small click trout reel to the heavy salt water
balance carrying 800 feet Of line. The rods
are inexpensive. averaging about 81 30, while
the reels run all tho way from 81 to $40. The
lines, as Il rule. are made OF twclNc-thrcad
Irish linen The rest OF the tackle consists OF
Il strong double loader nvo feet in length.
together with a single regulation weakilsh
hook securely tied to a small loop Of gut four
inches long. The rods are owned by business
men in Greater New York, who use them on
Saturdays and Sundays during the fishing sea-
son in the capture Of wcaknsh in Jamaica Bay
There are fifteen professional guides at Ca
narsic who make thoir headquarters at this
house. The ii5hcrman's day consists Of two
tides. as weakil can only he caught at the
turning of the tide. A fishing party. in the
estimation of the guide. should consist OF only
two amateurs besides himself. because OF the
dispcnsahle in woakhShing. A record is kept
at the Uncle Sam House of the catches made
the end of the season the guide who has been
most successful gets II fishing rod as a pr ize.
nearly 5000, while a record OF more than
1000 Tor the month Of June has already been
mde, Liberal chHmming i answera6!e for
more big catches than any vile the angler may
possess in hooking his ilnny prey. TO secure
with any reasonable degree Of certainty 2
on two tides by three men, at least gallon OF
shrimp is absolutely necessary. TO secure so
the flshermans guide trust has put the al
most prohibitiyo price OF lity cents quart
crabs. chopped skImmers. and lately deceased
worms are also used for cumming purposes
The theory is thHt til" ehum attracts thG Xii
game nsh being voracious cannbas.
And when It comosto question OF bait, the
skn oil dollar from his roll to secure quart
Of blood worms. If this is thought to be excess
shovel and dig for a worm which can bore
down through the wet soil faster than he can
a mortsr-mixer or q, posthole digger, he will
much prefer to earn the necessary dollar in the
pursuit Of his ordinary vocation.
There are various localities in Jamaica Bay
which have become famous as the runwnys of
woakfsh. Among these are ere Broad Channsl
the Fish Kill and the Black Wall. AS the fish
run in schools. they move about from place 10
largely by accident. The guides assume infal-
ibllity of know edge, for business purposes.
Of the OF the R e The F%
until their statcments are verified.
The weaktish differs from his contemporary.
the blucnsh In that he seldom gives any ndi-
cation Of his presence on the surface Of the
wptcr, in, the DAYTIME. On moonlight nights
small "S Iph sH s s most nj sPf"H 1 %
the expert angler always maintains tn" utmost
silence while IN his pursuit The noisy drop-
viii frequently destroy days sport. I'll"
water where the fish are caught varies from
kcr ' Tea"rcd Hnoth"r nhvantnrc " o
w"nkishins is that crabs. ilukr, ant the
T6I"tnrs ana nmn2yds roFG''S OIL
Th" prorer time to fish is about an hour be-
for" ana after the turning q the tide. with the
SO adjusted by means Of shot or thin lead that
it will remain within q foot or two Of the sur
fac" The bait should be permitted to font
tanro 81 from eighty to n hundred feet As
ing BAIT Conscuueptly. the rod should be kent
IN motto continually; ALWAYS with the point Of
the ROD we W. 80 b tn3t IL S % tho snag
Fk the rod H." Nf IL" ehu 1n I'M bS
scattered without ccastng.. The parsimmonioMs
tn" veteran wcnkiisherman uses his bait He
strings the halt upon the hook until the shank
are permitted to dange from the hook. 80 that
the bait covers "A space Of from four to six
the do but s s0ms Is the ro"
NOraclouS bier. lie darts AT tho bait Ike n Tar
at n June bug. But he must be struck ut the
moment he SEXES the bait or the angler will
loSc him Almost invariably the weakiish is
hooked in the mouth. Very seldom does the
hook lodge in the throat. as is frequently tho
case with that pirate. the blueish. The New
England Indians more than a century ago
called the wcaktlsh Sluatcagur. the name in
dicating weak mouth. The hook naturally
Epnptrat"s the point of least resistance. which
in the wenkilsh is II thin membrane between
the JAWS. Tho strain OF the line and the spring
Of the rod soon tears this membrane. Unless
n gentle but firm line is kept on the fish
the hook drops out and the fish Is lost.
prnbably2I per cent of all the wca klish hooked
in Jamaica BAY each season arc lost through
haste or injudicious handling: But il the
point Of the rod is kept well IN In the air and
the fish Is coaXcd rather than bulcd no may
he brought successfully to the landing net.
Tn" fish now running IN Jamaica Bay av-
crHge from one and one half to two and one
hall pounds in weight. During the latter part
Of July they will run heavier. school weakilsh
very seldom attain more than four pounds in
weight Individual w"nklish are sometimes
caught weighing from nine to ten pounds. The
fisherman in search Of tcn-pound wcNktlsh
must frequent tho smnll crooks that intersect
III" salt meadows in Jamaica Bay. There tho
big w"aknsh run in pairs. but -ven here they
are almost ms scarce ns hens teeth.
While wcakllSh do not COMPARE In gameneSs
with either striped bass or hluCf1sh, they fight
harl All ugh to SntiSiy any reasonable angler.
Heal les. they nre ALWAYS ready 10 be caught II
nShnh for property and they comline IN the
hANpcst degree the features OF fresh and salt