Fishing in American waters

Front matter

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Preface

As it might not be deemed kind in me to inflict upon the reader my thousand reasons for writing and illustrating this book with pencil sketches copied from life, 1 will therefore merely state that my experience of many years in the practice of the gentle art, which has led me through so many scenes of beauty and loveliness, has made me wish that all the world might learn the enjoyment conferred by the practice of angling.

I have endeavored to portray the recreations of the angler in America, with his implements and his game ; adding a small tribute to the temperate and industrious class of men who follow for a livelihood the hazardous business of fishing on the broad seas.

An outline of the progress of fish-culture in Europe and America is also given, with pencil sketches illustrative of the art of hatching and rearing fishes, including stairs and fish-passes for enabling fishes to surmount mill-dams and falls.

The fishes of our coast and estuaries, and the peculiar methods adopted for their capture, form not only a sealed book to Europeans, but to those anglers in America also who confine their recreations to fresh-water attractions. Each game fish affords a distinct interest, with peculiarities worth studying.

My sketches may lack artistic finish, but possess the merit of correct outline; and in the words of Raphael, " The outline is the picture." The reader may be assured that fishing, whether for recreation or gain, entices its votaries to unexplored sources of revenue and pleasure.

Vlll

Preface.

I am under compliment to the following gentlemen :

Francis Francis, of "The Field," author of "Fish-culture," and " A Book on Angling," has contributed valuable suggestions, which I am pleased to acknowledge.

Isaac M'Lellan. To this accomplished poet I am indebted for contributing original verses to head my descriptions of several among our most important fishes.

Thomas Tod Stoddart, whose " Angler's Companion" has afforded me both information and pleasure.

Emile Blan chard, Member of the Institute and Professor of ]SI atural History, Paris.

James Rennie, M.A., Professor of Zoology, King's College, London.

Walter Brackett, Artist, Boston, contributed the Brook Trout and Whitefish.

J. B. Stearns, Brooklyn, E. D. Frontispiece of a Striped Bass, photographed from a picture painted by him.

Seth Green, Mumford, 1ST. Y. Fish-culture.

Stephen H. Ainsworth, West Bloomfield, N. Y. Natural Spawning Race.

Micldleton, Carman, & Co., Fulton Market. Statistics of Fishes.

Gilbert Comstock, Fulton Market — wholesale department. Fisheries Statistics.

Andrew Clerk & Co., Maiden Lane. Samples of superior Flies and Split Bamboo Rods.

Pritchard Brothers, Fulton Street. Artificial Flies and fine Bass-reel.

Mr. M'Bride, Mumford, K Y. Fine Trout-flies and Stained Gut Lines.

John Shields, Brookline, Mass. Specimens of excellent Trout-flies.

Part I

COAST AND ESTUAEY FISHING WITH ROD AND LINE. CHAPTER I.

Section Page

I. General Characterization of Fishes 17

II. Prerequisites for Fishing 22

III. General Habits and Senses of Fishes 24

IV. On Vision in Fishes 26

V. On Taste in Fishes 33

VI. On Smell in Fishes 36

VII. On Hearing in Fishes 38

Chapter II

I. Fecundity of Fishes 41

II. Voracity of Fishes 42

III. Times of Feeding and Haunts of Fishes 44

Chapter III

I. Coast and Estuary Fishes 46

II. Angling for Striped Bass 48

III. Trolling in Hell Gate 52

IV. Still-baiting for Bass 58

V. Casting-bait for Striped Bass , 64

VI. Angling at the Bassing Clubs ' 69'

Chapter IV

I. Weakfish or Squeteague 79

II. Southern Sea Trout 82

III. Sheepshead 84

IV. Angling for Sheepshead 92

V. The Kingfish '. 95

VI. The Hogfish, 98; the Grunter, 99; the Golden Mullet, 100; the White Perch, 101; the Smelt, 102; the Spearing, 103; the Caplin 105

VII. The Sea Bass, 106 ; the Porgee 108

VIII. The Family of the Wrasses or Rockfish, 111 ; the Tautog or Black-

fish, 113 ; the Flounder 116

IX. The Bluefish 117

X. The Spanish Mackerel 126

XL The Bonetta or Bonito 132

XII.' The Cero, Cerus, or Sierra, 134 ; the Horse Mackerel 135

Chapter I

I. The Poetry of Angling 141

II. The Brook Trout 146

III, Fly-fishing for Trout, 154 ; Modern Splice for Fly-rods 159

1*

Contents.

Section CHAPTER II. Page

I. Fly-fishing on Massapiqua Lake , 162

II. How to Fish a Stream 165

III. Knots, Loops, and Drops, 1G6; how to Stain Silk-worm Gut, 170; Trout-reels, 172 ; Fly-rods, 173; Landing-nets, 173 ; Trout- basket, 174 ; Bait-box, 174 ; Straightening Casting-lines, 175 ; Natural and Artificial Trout-flies 176

Chapter III

I. Middle Dam Camp 181

II. Select Artificial Trout-flies, 184; Round Bend Fly-hooks, 185;

Fish-hook Philosophy 185

III. Bait-fishing for Trout 189

Chapter IV

I. Lesson by Josh Billings, 191 ; the Ardent Angler 192

II. Angling for Children 198

Chapter V

I. The Salmon 202

II. Outfit for Salmon-fishing 215

III. Departure for Salmon-fishing, 215 ; our Start up the St. John 218

IV. The Encampment 222

V. Camping in the Wilderness, 228; a Morning's Experience 234

VI. History and Rumination 236

VII. Jolly Sport on Rattling Run ; . . 241

VEIL Fly-fishing below the Falls 244

IX. Thoughts of returning Homeward , 251

X. The Silver or Sea Trout, 255; the White Trout, 258; the Winninish, 260 ; Red Trout of Long Lake, 262 ; Trout of Seneca and

Cayuga Lakes, 263 ; the Mackinaw Trout 264

XL American Pickerel or Pike, 266 ; Skittering for Pickerel among

the Lily-pads, 270 ; Still-baiting for Pickerel 271

Chapter VI

I. Trolling among the Thousand Islands 274

II. The Maskinonge 277

III. The Black Bass, 280 ; the Oswego Bass, 282 ; the Black Bass of the

South, 284 ; the Spotted Bass or Speckled Hen, 285 ; Rock Bass of the Lakes 285

IV. The Sun-fish, 286; the Perch, 287; the Glass-eyed or Wall-eyed

Pike, 288 ; the Whitefish, 290 ; the Lake Herring, 291 ; the Cisco or Ciscoquette, 292 ; the Shiner 294

V. Bait-can and Baits, 294; Spinning-baits, 295 ; Hackett's Spinning-tackle, 296; Haskell's Trolling -bait, 297; the Propelling_ Minnow, 298; Buel's Patent Feather Troll, 299; Spinning Tackle for Live Baits, 299 ; Spoon Victuals for Long-snouts, 302; Trolling Weather and Baits, 303 ; Fish-hooks, 304 ; Salmon-flies, 306 ; Fly- dressing, 308; Mounting Salmon -hooks, 310; the Ponderating Sinker 310

Chapter V

I. Fish Propagation assisted by Art, 378; best Water for hatching Salmon, 382 ; special Directions about preparing Spawning-boxes, 386; securing the Ova of a Salmon, 387; Mr. Gillone's Process of propagating Trout and Salmon, 388; Care in obtaining Fecundated Spawn, 390 ; a simple Process for preparing a Spawning-bed, 392; feeding young Trout or Salmon, 392; stocking old

Ponds with Trout 393

II. Ainsworth's Race and Screens, 397; Furman's natural Hatching Race, 401; "General Directions" by Seth Green, 403; every Farmer should have a Trout Preserve, 405; General Observations 406

Chapter I

I. First Class of Fishes— Spine-rayed bony Fishes, 424 ; Second Class of Fishes— Soft-rayed bony Fishes, 428; Third Class of Fishes- Cartilaginous Fishes 432

II. The common Eel, 436 ; the Lamprey, 437 ; queer Fishes 439

III. Fishes for acclimatizing in American Rivers 440 xii Contents.

Part VI. Southern Fishes, And How Angled Foe

CHAPTER I. Page

Florida Fishes and Fishing 445

Section CHAPTER II.

I. Spot-tail Bass 450

II. The Red Snapper, 453; long-barred Mullet, 454; the Kingfish, 455;

cross-barred Mullet 456

III. The Grouper, 456 ; the Red Drum 458

Chapter III

I. The Pompano, 460 ; the Crocus 461

II. The Cavallo, 462 ; Lafayette : the Spot 463

III. The Virginia Hogfish, 465 ; the Shadine, 466 ; the Silver, or Gray

Mullet, 466 ; the Black Mullet ' 467

Chapter IV. Fkesh-watek Fishes Of The South

I. White Perch of Mississippi, 468; Southern Chub, or Trout 469

II. Chub-Robin, 470 ; the Bream 472

III. The Channel Catfish 474

Part VII

MISCELLANEOUS FISHES, AND HOW TO TAKE THEM. CHAPTER I.

MISCELLANEOUS FISHES.

I. Lake Trouts— The Togue, 479 ; the Siscowet 481

II. The California Salmon 483

III. The Grayling 485

CHAPTER II.

I. The Red Bass of Canada, 490 ; Otsego Lake Bass, 491 ; Genesee

River Mullet, or Red Horse, 492 ; the Horned Dace 493

II. The Whiting— Whiting of Newport, Rhode Island, 494 ; the Ling,

495; Gurnard 495

Appendix

Cookery adapted to the Resources of Sportsmen in the Wilderness or on the Wave, 497; General Rules for Cooking, 512; Compounding Fancy Drinks, 514 ; General Remarks, 516 ; Noteworthy Items, 517; American Game-laws, 521 ; a Word in Conclusion 532

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. Frontispiece— The Striped Bass.

2. Title-page.— An Angler's Outfit.

3. First Families 17

4. Egyptian Gentleman Fishing 20

5. Names of Fins 24

6. Brain and Nerves of Fishes 26

7. Artificial Dragon-fly 30

S. Angler's Natural Flies 31

9. Hooks for Estuary Fishes 40

10. The Striped Bass 46

11. Tackle for Small Bass 50

12. General Bassing Tackle 54

13. Trolling in Hell Gate . . . . : 57

14. Still-baiting for Bass 59

15. Playing a Bass in the Surf -65

16. Baits, Thumb-stall, Bait-spoon — 67

17. Shrimp and Prawn 78

18. Weakfish or Squeteague 79

19. Southern Sea Trout 82

20. The Sheepshead 85

21. Hooks and Sinkers for Sheepshead 86

22. The Kingfish 95

23. Tackle for Kingfish 97

24. The Hogfish 9S

25. The Grunter . . . 99

26. The Golden Mullet 100

27. The White Perch 101

28. The Smelt 102

29. Cast for small Fishes 103

30. Spearing or Silverside 104

31. The Caplin 105

32. Sea Bass 106

33. Porgee 109

34. "Wrasses or Rockfish Ill

35. The Bluefish 117

36. Bluefish Squids 120

37. The Flying Fish 121

3S. Trolling for Bluefish 122

39. The Troller made Bait of 122

40. The Spanish Mackerel 127

41. Spanish Mackerel Feeding 130

42. Spanish Mackerel Squids 131

43. Bonetta or Bonito 132

44. Cero or Sierra 134

45. Harpooning 135

46. Horse Mackerel 136

PAGE

47. Habits of Fishes 137

48. Poetry of Angling 141

49. Brook Trout 147

50. A Poacher 152

51. Fly-fishing 155

52. Trouting Tackle 159

53. Splice for Fly-rods 160

54. A pair of Flies 161

55. Angling on Massapiqua 162

56. Fly and Minnow Hooks 164

57. How to Fish a Stream 165

5S. Knots, Loops, and Drops 167

59. Trout-flies 177

60. An Aquarium 180

61. Middle Dam Camp 1S1

62. Select Trout-flies 184

63. Fly Hooks 185

Different Bends 185

65. Plate of Trout-flies 188

66. Josh Billings 191

67. The Ardent Angler 193

Green or Gray Drake Fly 197

69. Going a Fishing 198

70. Evening 201

71. The Salmon 202

72. Hat and Salmon-rod '. 208

73. Gaff-hooks 214

74. Fishing Equipment 215

75. Getting a Bite 215

76. Encampment 223

77. Camp Bed 229

78. Pool below the Chute 245

79. Silver or Sea Trout 256

SO. The White Trout 259

81. TheWinninish 260

52. Red Trout of Long Lake 262

53. Trout of Seneca Lake 264

84. The Mackinaw Trout 265

55. Pickerel or Pike 266

56. Open Countenances 267

57. Skittering for Pickerel 270

SS. Still-baiting for Pickerel 272

89. Dragon-flies 273

90. Trolling— The Thousand Islands. . 274

91. The Maskinonge 278

92. The Black Bass 281

XIV

List of Illustrations.

93. The Oswego Bass 2S4 151.

94. Black Bass of the South 2S4 152.

95. Spotted Bass or Speckled Heu .... 285! 153.

96. Rock Bass of the Lakes 280,154.

9T. Suuflsh 2ST 155.

99. Glass-eyed Pike 289 157.

100. Whiteflsh 290 15S.

101. Lake Herring 292 159.

102. Cisco or Ciscoquette 293 160.

103. Shiuer— natural Size 294161.

105. Spinning Tackle 297|163.

103. Spinning Baits 298 164.

107. Spinning Tackle for Live Baits. . . 300 165. 10S. Feathered Spoons 303 166.

110. Salmon Flies 307 16S.

112. Ponderating Sinkers 311 170.

113. Indian Summer 311 171.

114. Hammer-headed Shark 318 172.

115. The Mackerel 320 173.

116. Shad, Menhaden, Herring 324174.

118. The John Dory 331 176.

119. Whale Fishing 332 177.

121. Striped Red Mullet 33S 179.

122. A surprised Codfish 339 ISO.

124. Ancient Fish-culture 347 182.

125. Modern Fish-culture 355 1S3.

127. History of the Salmon 367 185.

12S. Salmon Ova and Alevin 372 186.

130. Parr Eight Months Old 373 1SS.

131. Parr Fifteen Months Old 374 189.

132. Smolt Fifteen Months Old 375 190.

134. Adult Salmon 377 192.

135. The Swordfish 377 193.

136. Hatching-hoxcs 3S3 194.

137. Hatching-race, Tray, and Grille . . 3S4 195.

138. Siphon and Pincers 3S5 196.

139. Gathering Salmon Eggs 3S7 197.

140. Stripping a Trout 391 19S.

141. Feeding Young Trout 393199.

142. Ainsworth's Hatching-race 397 200.

144. Salmon Leaps 411 202.

145. Ballysadare Salmon-pass 413 203.

146. Sligo Salmon-stairs 415 204.

147. Canadian Salmon-stairs 416 205.

14S Horizontal Screen 419 206.

149. Current Wheel 419 207.

150. Ichthyology 423 20S,

PAGE

Pike-perch : 423

Spine-rayed Fishes 424

" 425

" " 420

The Pilot-fish 426

Roach and Dace 427

The Carp Family 42S

The Pike Family 429

Salmon and Trout Family 429

The Cod Family 430

Flatfish Family 431

Sharks 432

Sturgeon and Chimsera 432

Ray Family 433

Catfish Family 433

Grenouille 434

The common Eel 436

The Lamprey 437

Estuary Catfish and Silure 440

The short Suuflsh 442

Spot-tail Bass 450

The Red Snapper 453

The Long-barred Mullet 454

The Kingfish 455

The Cross-barred Mullet 456

The Grouper 456

The Red Drum 458

The Pompano 460

The Crocus 461

The Cavallo 462

Lafayette : The Spot 463

Virginia Hogflsh 465

The Shadine 466

The Gray Mullet 460

The Black Mullet 467

Float 467

White Perch of Mississippi 468

Southern Chub, or Trout 469

Chub-Robin 470

The Bream 472

Channel Catfish 474

The Togue 479

The Siscowet 4S1

The .lolly Angler 4S3

California Salmon 484

The Grayling 4S5

A Disaster 490

Canadian Red Bass 490

Otsego Lake Bass 491

Mullet, or Red Horse 492

The Horned Dace 493

Whiting of Newport 404

The Ling 495

The Gurnard 495

Cookery 497

Reel to Dry Lines 517

Feet Dress for Field-sports 520

Invitation to the Streams 531 art Jixst

ON COAST AND ESTUAKY FISHING

BOD AND LINE.

FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS.

Section First

ON" seriously contemplating the immensity of the waters and their innumerable inhabitants, it is not difficult to realize the importance of these branches of material and animal nature, and I shall consider myself fortunate if able to present reasons sufficient to induce the employment of an amount of time at all commensurate with the proper division of labor between land and water for the purposes of health, wealth, and recreation. Not only has a larger portion of this terraqueous ball been bequeathed to fish-kind than to mankind, but " its first families" were also more richly endowed by Providence in beauty of form and of coloring. There was a period when all the inhabitants of this planet were fishes, previously to the sublime moment when " God said ' Let the dry land appear.' " The ancients thought that the illimitable beauties of the waters were reflected in the heavens; hence they gave to the constellations the names of fishes. Thus, prior to the time of

B

Galileo, when the earth was believed to he a great flat plain, the celestial expanse was divided by them into the northern and southern constellations, the most important of which were named after their favorite fishes. Out of the legends connecting these fishes with heathen divinities there have been evolved and handed down to us, revised and improved, the signs of the zodiac, indicated in almanacs by the figure of a man, which signs are still reverently consulted by both sailor and angler ; and the latter is never confident or hopeful of great success unless the sign be above the loins. Whether or no this be a superstition bequeathed by the ancients I have not bestowed much time in examining, but plead guilty to the weakness of individual faith, and feel confident of good sport only when the sign is in the head, stomach, or bowels, but never when it is in the legs or feet.

Man, from his inferior share of the earth's surface, to which little space he appears confined without a fin to dive or a wing to soar, contemplates with pleasure the scintillating heavens ; while the sublime roar of the ocean, its breakers beating the shores into fragments With its billowy battalions in close lines, and in storms booming like thunder, penetrate his soul with awe and reverence at the power manifested, to which, in comparison, his own is nothing.

But it is not my intention to estimate the power of the waters, or their value for bathing or manufacturing purposes. My object is to show the reader the attractions of angling, and to convince him that wherever commensurate efforts have been made, the waters have yielded greater profits to his toil or skill than the land. I strongly advocate the maintenance of a large maritime power. As a means of wealth, the experience of the British Isles — isolated, and comparatively insignificant on the map of the world as they are — proves that nothing is too exalted to be hoped for by a liberal maritime power. But it is the wealth of the waters in the riches of their inhabitants to which I would chiefly invite attention. As to the intelligence of fishes, comparatively lit-

Fishing includes Angling. 19

tie is known"; but I feel assured that they would rank higher in the " scale of entities" than the fourth class of vertebrate animals, accorded them by Cuvier, did all men of thought and science appreciate and pursue fishing.

Fishing, as a term, is general ; while angling is a special kind of fishing. The word angling is supposed to have been derived from the bend of the hook, forming an angle ; but the origin or antiquity of the term is comparatively unimportant now. It is sufficient to know that the art of angling " requires as much enthusiasm as poetry, as much patience as mathematics, and as much caution as housebreaking."

That field-sports were among the earliest and most respectable pastimes of the ancients, we have abundant evidence from their poets and philosophers, such as Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, and Horace ; and that angling was practiced " with much success and love of the sport is evident from the Halieutics of Oppian, the only Greek poem now extant on this subject;" but we learn from Athenaeus that several other writers had written treatises or poems upon fishing some centuries before the Christian era.

" Fishing was a favorite pastime of the Egyptian gentleman, both in the Nile and in the spacious ' sluices, or ponds for fish,'* constructed within his grounds, where they were fed for the table, and where he amused himself by angling,! and the dexterous use of the Mdent, a two-pronged spear for striking two fish at a time. These favorite occupations were not confined to young persons, nor thought unworthy of men of serious habits ; and an Egyptian of rank, and of a certain age, is frequently represented in the sculptures catching fish in a canal or lake, with the line, or, spearing them as they glided past the bank. Sometimes the angler posted himself in a shady spot by the water's edge, and, having ordered his servants to spread a mat upon the ground, sat upon it as he threw his line ; and some, with higher notions of comfort, used a chair, as ' stout gentlemen' now do in punts. The rod * Isaiah xix., 10. t Isaiah xix., 8.

Fishing est Ameeican Waters.

An Egyptian gentleman Ashing.

was short, and apparently of one piece ; the line usually single, though instances occur of a double line, each with its own hook, which was of bronze. In all cases they adopted a ground bait, as is still the custom in Egypt, without any float ; and though several winged insects are represented in the paintings hovering over the water, it does not appear that they ever put them to the hook, and still less that they had devised any method similar to our artificial-fly fishing, which is still as unknown to the unsophisticated modern Egyptians as to their fish."

Prime kinds of fishes are, and have for some years been, in the cities of this country, expensive articles of diet. It was so in Athens ; and the following poem, quoted by Athenams from "The Purple" of Xenarchus (Yonge's translation), is presented for the benefit of those who retail stale fish from stands along the streets :

' ' Poets are nonsense ; for they never say A single thing that's new. But all they do Is to clothe old ideas in language new ; Turning the same things o'er and o'er again, And upside down. But as to fishmongers, They're an inventive race, and yield to none

Beauty in Form and Coloring. 21

In shameless conduct. For as modern laws

Forbid them now to water their stale fish,

His fish quite dry, picks with his mates a quarrel,

And blows are interchanged. Then when one thinks

He's had enough, he falls and seems to faint,

And lies like any corpse among his baskets.

Some one calls out for water ; and his partner

Catches a pail, and throws it o'er his friend

So as to sprinkle all his fish, and make

The world believe them newly caught and fresh."

In regard to propagating fishes, the experiments of the ancients amounted to little more than robbing the nests of herbivorous fishes, and planting the eggs in other waters ; but the moderns have, within the past thirty years, invented successful theories for studying the habits of fishes at their aqueous homes, in rapid streams, or placid lakes, and deep down into the depths of old ocean. As these will be explained in this work under their appropriate titles of ancient and modern fish culture, I merely allude to them in passing as having — through their developments of the habits of fishes — opened up a subject so attractive as to have induced anglers and men of science to study more assiduously and minutely these creatures of elegant forms, whose colors vie with the rainbow, and reflect the hues of every precious stone. See their scintillant scales, their metallic rays, and colors more beautiful than are given to birds of most favored plumage ! What satin sheen, aurora borealis, or heavenly sunset can vie with the prismatic colors of the living trout or the dying dolphin? What gold so finely burnished as the spots on the Spanish mackerel ? or what shade of carmine so brilliant as the spots on a samlet? What so transcendently lustrous and beautiful as a fresh-run salmon ?

The Spanish mackerel, salmon, and bonetta combine to form the models for the speed and beauty of our ships. Even as far back as the Revolutionary War, one of our ships was named "Bonetta." In symmetry of form and beautiful coloring, fishes stand at the head of animal creation.

Section Second. Prerequisites Foe Fishing

In order to pursue with success any branch of fishing, a knowledge of both the senses and habits of fishes is essential. Angling is one of the most ancient methods of fishing, as proven by the centre-draught hook exhumed at Thebes and at Pomj^eii. The hook used in China, when that realm was first discovered by the Christians, was quite similar in bend, and all of the ancient models left nothing to desire but a barb, which is the only improvement made in the shape of the common fish-hook within three thousand years. And it is worthy of remark, that the bend of the ancient hook is so like the best hooks of the present day — eminently the O'Shaughnessy and the American Kinsey, the latter known as the Pennsylvania hook — that some suspect ours to be a copy of the ancient bend, with the addition of an Aberdeen barb. Our age, however, has surpassed all others in artificial disguises to lure the finny tribes, and take the conceit out of them a thousand-fold faster than ever could the ancients.

The habits of fishes to be fished for, whether by angling or

any other means, should be carefully studied. So also should

their food.

" Fish have their various characters defined, Not more by color than by mind."

They have their times to eat and their choice of food. Thus the trout will take ground bait or minnows as substantial food, but for his dessert he prefers rising to the surface for flies. That most fresh-water fishes fast previous to important rain-storms I think has become settled by the experience of old anglers. Their appetite appears to be improved by a shower. Most fishes seem to scent the approach of a shower, and know by instinct that, with the debris carried down by a rise in the stream, they will find a variety of food from which to select. Pike generally bite eagerly when it rains ; and both trout and salmon will rise to the fly most readily

Appetite and Locomotion. 23

during a fall of snow or rain. Indeed, a snow-storm seems to improve the appetite of some fishes ; and rains which do not render the stream too turbid, but give to the water a slightly-darkened tint, do not injure it for even fishing with the fly.

It is a commonly received opinion that angling is not as good as usual during easterly winds; but this is only true when the winds cause the tides to rise so high on our coast that fishes change their feeding-grounds. Fly-fishing for both salmon and trout are, in some waters, best during an east wind. A really windy day is not good for fly-fishing. The gentle, balmy breeze, which merely produces a catspaw ripple on the surface, and carries the cast of flies out, so as to leave part of the merit for their graceful and snow-flake fall to the angler and the rod, under " a sun of mild but not too bright a beam," form a few of the conditions which give fly-fishing its peculiar zest. The prejudice against an east wind with the American angler on the Atlantic slope near the coast is probably caused by the fact that an east wind so raises the tides along the. shores, and sets it back in the estuaries and creeks, as to cover shoals and islets of eel-grass. This gives fishes a wider range to forage and prospect over shallow and weedy places for shrimp, shedder and soft-shell crabs, instead of remaining in the tideway to watch for bait carried along by the current.

To converse intelligibly about fishes, it is necessary to know the names of their fins, for these give the means of locomotion ; and though this work is not intended as a school-book, or to be especially scientific, yet, as all retailers of fishstories should know enough of a fish to name its fins, I present on the following page the form of a fish, with the names of them.

The propulsive power of a fish is its tail or caudal fin. The pectorals and ventrals assist a little in speed, but more especially in turning and diving, while the anal and dorsals serve as centre-boards to a ship, to prevent leeway and being easily capsized. Of rapid swimmers in the American waters,

2-t Fishing in American Waters.

the sword-fish, Spanish mackerel, and the salmon are considered the swiftest of the forked-tails ; but the salmon has not, strictly speaking, a forked tail ; it is more properly crescent-shaped. Of square -tails, the brook trout, squeteague, and Southern estuary trout are the swiftest swimmers.

Section Third. General Habits And Senses Of Fishes

Generally speaking, the principal habits and instincts of a majority of the finny armies consist in eating and protecting themselves from being eaten. The fact that over two thirds of the surface of the globe is covered by the sea, and that large parts of continents are covered by lakes, traversed by rivers, and occupied by marshes, proves the impossibility for man to have scanned with perspicacious eye the principal marked peculiarities of a majority of the families which dwell deep down in the bosom of old ocean, however industrious he may have been in such research.

Though the Chinese had understood fish culture many centuries, yet we date our practical knowledge of this art from A.D. 1837, when Mr. Shaw, of Scotland, expounded the theory in Blackwood under the head of " The transmutation of sal* mon" and M. Gehen, of the Vosges, in France, began to cultivate fish by artificial propagation. We now know that the difference in the species of fishes is no greater than is the diversity of their habits. Some are solitary, and others gregarious ; some great wanderers, others restricted within narrow limits; some are surface-feeders, like the mackerel families,

The Value op a Teak. 25

others bottom fish, like the flounders and the flat-fish family ; some prefer a sandy bottom, as the kingfish, others a rocky, as the striped bass ; and yet others rejoice in mud, as the eels and catfish, with the rest of the silurus family. Some fish prefer salt water, others fresh, and yet others brackish ; while eels prefer to spawn in salt water and fatten in fresh, as palpably as do salmon pursue the opposite by feeding in salt water and spawning in fresh. Thus salmon, shad, and striped bass prefer to feed in salt water, spawn in fresh, and dally in brackish waters. Some fishes keep near shore, others in deep water and far from land. Bottom fishes are usually sluggish, Avhile surface swimmers are generally active. Some lose their vitality as soon as they are landed, others live a long time out of water, and dart revengeful glances at their captors. Some can creep like the eel, others climb trees like the anabas scandens.