The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-09-15

Ae h' eoeIiAS vi otner me rod work
TO De done. They maintain, and not
unjustly, that as much skill IL needoa
TO lure some of the fresh water vari.
cites to the bait as to land them after
strike. and that one misses the keen
battle OF wit against instinct and
natural wariness. All Of which while
true, does not alter the fact that SIR.
roundings play an all-important part
In the full enjoyment of a davis ont.
ing with rod and reel, thing even tho
most enthusiastic angler would soon
come to realize were it possible to
catch the highly priced varieties
from the unpicturesque docks along
the water fronts of our cities.
There Is Unborn within all of us a
keen love of the beautiful in nature
and IN the appeal made to it by the
country into which we are taken
lies much of the fascination of ang-
Ing. We are .tirred by the swish of
the wind through the swaying trees,
the murmur of the brook, the silence
OF the deep pool among the rocks, the
placid lake, the fragrance and mys-
terry of the wild woods.
And Is not the sea every bit as fas-
chatting? Indeed, once experienced,
one never again escapes the subtle
spell it weaves about one with its salt
laden breezes, its wonderful skies, the
great body of water sparkling in the
sunshine, the silvery beaches, rocky
lodges and llxurian. green shores.
The blackfish inhabits localities that
show the sea at its best and he is so
game and crafty fighter as to leave
nothing to wish for on this score.
II Is not for nothing that he has won
for himself the name of bulldog of
the sea-" His large, powerful Jaw
Is OF iron, and he will dispute every
inch OF line, resorting to all man.
ner OF clever tricks in order to free
himself. He is never caught until you
have him safely In the boat and the
skirmish between you will likely end
z IN his getting fway with the best part
Of your tackle unless your hand is
skilled and your attention unwaver-
Ing
The blackflsh Is to be found along
the shores of New York. Connecticut,
Rhode island and Massachusetts. Old
fshermen claim that his appearance
north of Rhode Island is comparative.
&E OF recent date. In days gone by.
when the Indians roamed the terri
tory at will he had place among their
choicest table delicacies and we are
told that the Mohegans. who called
him ''tautog." held him in high es.
TEEN as spring and fall food.
The naSe Of blackflsh. evidently
due to the fish's color. is not a par
ticularly fortunate one. Though the
black is of a dark gray and notified.
the sides are decidedly lighter and
the under part almost white.
The blackf1sh inhabits the vicinity
Of rocky lodges, reefs and rough bot
toms and shows decided preference
for places where the tide runs swift
4 ly. Here he will lie in ambush be.
hind some sheltering rock and await
the passage Of shrimp and small crabs
carried down by the tide. When he
spies his prey he darts out with light.
ming rapidity. pounces upon It and
darts back to cover. This predilec-
tion for tidal nues has won him the
name Of tide runner" in certain To-
calities. He Is also found inside the
sandy bays along the southern shore
Of Long Island and on the ocean banks
of Sandy Hook. In fact. the largest
specimens are to be caught in these
localities, and this, added to slight
but noticeable difference Of color be-
tween the rock and the sand catches.
has led to the belief that there are
two distinct varieties of blackfsh,
which is not the case. Only one ex-
lists.
Wondrous tales are told in the
eastern fish market regarding the
size of some of the blackfish brought
In from the banks and there are those
q who will swear to having seen 80
Founders weighed. Like the majority
of extraordinary fish stories they can.
not be credited. No specimen tipping
Sihe scale even at 20 pounds Is au-
thentically on record. and ten pound
-1rs are considered wonderful rar-
ity. Men who fish constantly claim
that the seasons average shows a
preponderance of two and three
Founders, with few Ave, six or even
seven Founders to boast OF.
New Workers are quite partial to