The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-05
FUN WITH FLEET AT
MANHATTAN BUOY
Assembly Composed Of Anglers
From All Corners of Local
Fishing World.
SEA GULLS HOVER ABOUT
FrOlicsOme Weakfish Jerks
Rod From Hands of Fish
erman; Blues Bite.
SEA GULLs HOVER ABOUT
Nv w. l.. HALL.

Wa arrived late at the buoy and were
forced to drop anchor among tie mis-
cellany on the outskirts--not the most
pleasant berth, but plenty of excitement
and no end of language you ruo SIDES
with all manner of boats and skippers
and crews.
When the word goes forth that the
veakfish are at the buoy the fleet as
sembles from all -four corners OF our
iittls nshing world. Some days there
are a couple of hundred boats anchored
there.
They hail from Sheepshead Bay,
Bersen Beach, Flatlands, Canarsie,
Goose Creek, the Raunt and Broad
Channel In addition to the regular
fishing craft there are numerous row.
boats. Some of the larger boats nave
no side anchors and the rowboat sell
dom has an anchor that Will hoio IN
q strong tide and a choppy sea- :.
This leads to confusion and narsn
words. Anchor ropes are swinging
across each other and boats out OF
control DRIFT over the lines A boat at
tempts TO come in from below. and then
all tongues are unbridled and the re-
partee is rich and warm.
'Get out of there"
do you think you're sailing in
finger bowl?'
The victim will sarcastically ask his
tormentors IL they own the ocean. and
hint that he can lick all hands IL they
will come aboard one at time WORDS
are banded back and forth that would
start a small riot ashore.
But nothing happens, and presently
the skipper you just threatened with
violence is catching your side line and
making It fast, swapping fish news
ha xyhtla II be the
soothing influence OF the mighty ocean
that Gains these hostile spirits, or per-
haps a mental vision of Old Neptune
himself riding the waves and shaking
a salty finger at the puny wranglers.
Gallery of Sen GuIIs.
There Is so much to catch the eye and
ear that one is apt to neglect the bust
ness on hand until q big hsh hits you
with a smash that carries away part of
your rig or perhaps jerks the rod from
your hand.
The tern or small seagulls hover over
the stern of your boat, often near enough
to touch with a long rod. picking bits of
chum of the water and uttering harsh
cries as II calling for more shrimp or
chatting with their mates.
Several times I saw them drop
shrimp and catch It before 1t reached the
water. So often did this occur that
began to think they were either playing
game or kidding the audience.
And there Is the social side of the
buoy. You meet and gossip with old
friends and say. Hello. you," to the man
in the red sweater who anchors along
side of you and fishes in your chum. but
carries only enough shrimp or worms to
bait his hook. When taken to task for
this reprehensible practice, he pleads his
case so naively that you actually be-
come friendly with him.
With so many lines out only a few
feet apart there are tangles. ana
mixups aplenty, and now and then quite
q heated discussion arises as to who has
hooked the fish. each man thinking he
has strike, as the fish hits his line and
becomes entangled. Once Mckay fast
ened to a frolcsome weak that never
stopped until he had taken couple of
turns around the anchor rope of a boat
200 feet below us.
We had boated fifteen fish when the
man we had threatened to lick half an
hour before called our attention to a
flock of busy seagulls off toward Rock
away. Who can resist the call of the
blues II there is squid in the locker?
First to Bluehsh.
The Bonito with Guhring at the wheel
the rollers and a couple OF wooden squids
were trailing a hundred feet or more
behind like the tail of a kite.
Charlie and Mac were each fast to
q blue at the same time. One turned
a handspring over the other line and
was lost Macs fish was boated
Then Schroeder caught a fish and
Sheldon took his place. Those upstate
lads sure travel with a rabbits foot in
their pockets. Waits squid was barely
out the length of the line when an eight
FOUNDER soaked 1t and was riding in,
doing all kinds of fancy stunts to free
himself, but without avail
saw big blue jump a foot or more
clear of the water in dash for a
bunker, his greenish silvery sides flash
ing in the sun and his red gills show
ing like a smear OF fresh blood The
fun ended with the three fish, not an
other strike.
For the weakfish we chummed with
shrimp and used sandworms for bait on
a small squid. adding an eighth to a
half ounce of lead, according to the
strength Of the tide, and toward slack
water substituting a plain hook for the
squid and discarding tho lead.
The piece de resistance to a perfect day
was the broiled bluefish served at the
bungalow by Chef Guhring.