The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-09
THE RED EYE.

Goldsboro, N. c., Aug. s.
THE RED EYE.
To the Editor: l don't know much
about the saltwater fish. and will con
fine my opinion to the freshwater fish
of Eastern North Carolina.
In their season and habitat they are
all good except the gar, the grindle or
black fish, and the carp. have never
seen any of them fit to eat, no matter
how cooked or in what season caught, and
no matter how pure the stream from
which they were taken. All the others
are edible fish and, when taken from clear
streams in cold weather, most any of the
other kinds are entirely satisfactory.
Now which is best is right hard to
say, but l believe l will select the red
eye, the scientific name for which | be-
heve is the stone bass; the red fin, or
pike and the sea pike. l believe these
are the most delicious fresh water fish
l have ever tasted.
The largest red eyes 1 have ever seen
weighed about two and and a half pounds:
shaped somewhat like the sheepshead, but
longer; dark blush color very game:
lives in deep water, and preferably
around rocks: hard to find, but, when
found, a ready and vigorous bitter. They
sometimes school, and when a school is
found rare sport may be had. L never
had the luck to find a school, but re-
liable men have told me that they have
seen several hundred caught within a
few square yards of surface in Neuse Riv-
err, Little River or the lower part of Swift
Creek, in Johnston county. This fish
loves running water and viii not live in
a pond. 1t prefers live bait-a minnow
or a craw-fish-but when it is schooling
will bite anything that it can eat. / have
never seen more than one caught at a
place, but 1 have seen several caught
weighing nearly the maximum-two
pounds and half l never saw or heard
of one weighing more than two pounds
and a half. That seems about their
maximum weight
The sea pike is a rare fish. 1t comes
up the streams in the spring with the
shad-whether from the sea l don't know
but it is caught in nets and seines, and
occasionally with hook and line, in the
rivers and creeks in Johnston county. The
largest 1 have ever known caught there
weighed about four pounds. Two and a
half to four seems about the usual run.
It's shape is something like that OF a
jack, but thicker, and the color is dark.
1t is a great fish.
The little branch pike. or red fin, which
abounds in all clear streams of the East,
ern part of the State, is also fine fish.
When taken from streams that are clear
and pure its flavor is unsurpassed, but
when take from a stream with a muddy
bottom the flavor is not so good 1t is
fine sport to catch this little fish |
say small, for it seldom exceeds half a
pound in weight, and most generally not
a quarter of pound. 1t is caught with
live bait or with a small fish cut into
strips and used as troll. 1t bites rapidly
and seems to be the eastern counterpart
of the mountain trout. A hungry man
can easily eat dozen and enjoy them all.
l remember well the fist red eye l ever
caught. 1t was in June, 1871. and my
two brothers had been sent to hunt for
the sheep We wore going to have COM
pany and we needed fNutton. The rules
of our household forbid us boys going
fishing or swimming in Swift Creek after
June for fear of malaria. We hunted the
sheep all the morning, and it was awful
ly hot; and as we approached Swift Creek
we thought that perhaps the sheep had
gone down there to drink, and we went
down there, and of course went in swim
ming. 1t was the natural thing to do. 1
always loved fishing and had line in my
pocket, the float of which was the stopper
OF qulnlne bottle. ! came out first and
rugged up my line, for 1 was always pas
slonately fond of fishing. I tied my line
to stick four or five feet long and
baited the hook with mussel 1 threw
1T IN, and ''before the line got straight
something took the cork clear out of
sight (you see l use the correct fishing
terms) and 1 pulled out a fine red eye.
the first red eye had ever caught, and
the largest fish of any kind that had
ever caught at that time l was very
proud of it, but the question arose what
would be said if i carried the fish home.
1t would be proof that we boys had been
to the creek, and the result Of that
knowledge at home might have been I'M
pleasant. So we held a caucus and de-
cded that we would dam up little hole
which made off from the creek. holding
few barrels of water, put my red eye
IN that, find our sheep and go home and
beg like penitents for permission to go
fishing that evening when we would get
our fish and may be catch more. We
did that, found our sheep, drove them
home, and relying upon our success in
providing the mutton for the company.
plead to our utmost ability for permission
to go fishing that evening. But the idea
IN those days was that malaria was so
thick along the creek that you could cut
1T with knife. and it was almost death
to go. We knew different, for we had
been to the creek that day, and if it had
been full OF malaria we were goners any
how, and a second trip would not hurt.
But 1t did no good, we never got permits
sion, and l have never seen or heard of
that red eye since, but have grieved for
him all these years. and I think he gets
larger.
| believe that if have to decide which
is the very best of all Eastern North
Carolina fresh water fish, 1 will say the
red eye.