Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-11-04
VALUE Of COMMON FISH
They Are the Best of Food
When Well Cooked.
AS TO LINES AND HOOKS
Yellow Perch and BulI-Heads-They
Come In Where They Are Most
Needed-The Despised Sucker
Take the Boys Fishing Often as
Possible.

wish to say few words concern
ing the great value and usefulness OF
what are usually termed the common
varieties" of fish. These include the
yellow perch, rock bass, bull.head,
sucker, pickerel and the like. These
fish though they do not command the
attention of writers and fish-cultur-
lists that trout, salmon, black bass,
white fish, and shad dave, still hold
q very important place in the fish
supply of the country, and furnish
pleasure and food for many thou
sands of people. The class of fish above
referred to do not require the care and
attention to make them plentiful that
is necessary with the finer or game
varieties. Artificial propagation is
not required, and about the only thing
really needed to keep plentiful sup
ply in the waters to which they are
adapted, is to protect them while
they are in their spawning-beds, and
fish for them only by angling by hand
with hook and line. In this way you
get the greatest amount of actual en-
joyment in the capture Of the fish,
and who is there that does not relish
a mess of fish caught by himself bet.
ter than those purchased, or procured
In any other way? Another point con-
cerning these common fish, is that as
a rule they are easily caught and it
requires no especially fine tackle to
take them, though the most success
full fishermen are careful in the ar
rangement of their hooks and lines,
and also keep their hook properly
sharpened, and well-baited. A COM
mon cane pole, such as can be pur-
chased for small mount will be
found equally as serviceable as high.
priced split bamboo, jointed rod. These
fish also inhabit large rivers, lakes
and bays which are accessible to the
millions. They are also found in the
canals to which thousands resort in
summer for the capture of mess OF
fish. In such wa ers as these, the
liner grades OF fish cannot live and
thrive. Therefore the ordinary bull
head, with his great powers of en-
durance, is a welcome and valuable in.
habitant of this class of waters. The
yellow perch with it's white, f1aky
flesh, when properly cooked. is the
equal of any common fish in the coun-
.ry. The bull-head is also most ex-
yellent fish, and l have made many a
good. meal on the usually underrated
sucker and mullet A great many
harsh things are said against the pick
erel, but it is a good fish, and a suita-
BILE inhabitant for the kind of water In
WHICH it belongs. 1t is not a suitable
companion for the trout nor is there a
efficiency of food for them in trout
waters, but there is plenty in our
large lakes, rivers and bays, and many
a days sport have 1 had pickerel fish,
ing. AS table-fsh, they are not, in
my opinion, equal to the yellow parch
or bull-head but when properly pre-
pared are very palatable. While Ley
do not possess the game qualities OF
the muscalonge still in some waters
l have found them to have consider.
able fight" in them, and one Of eight
or ten pounds weight. afforts both
sport and an exercise OF skill To land.
Who has not seen a row of barefoot.
ed urchins sitting on bridge or the
bank of a stream, angling for suckers?
And what a happy expression they
bear on their faces when they tr,ldge
home with a string OF them long
enough to drag on the ground! Many
a great man, and angler as we'll. has
taken his first lessons in fishing from
catching the slow.going fish that gains
his subsistence by sucking -e nutri-
ment from the stones on the bottom
of the stream. The value Of our COM
mon fresh-water varieties Is very
great. They come in where they are
most needed, and with our extensive
watered area, no one need be denied
the privilege of fishing, or cultivating
love for this harmless and healthful
pastime. When the head Of the family
decides to take the little ones out fish
ing, and they are all gathered in the
boat, each one furnished with a rod,
no salmon fisherman with his rod
bending under the strain of a twenty
pound salmon, enjoys with keener
delight the fun than the children, as
the perch and rockbass come Topping
IN over the side of the boat.-A.
Farmer.