THE BLUE-FISH.
_Temnodon Saltator--Scomber Plumbeus_ (Mitchill)--_Horse
Mackerel--Green-fish of Virginia--Skipjack of South Carolina_.
This fish belongs to the mackerel family; it has projecting teeth in the
fore part of the jaws, and velvety teeth on the roof of the mouth and
tongue. The first dorsal lies in a furrow, and there are two minute
spines concealed under the skin before the anal. The scales extend over
the head, gill-covers and high on the fins; the back is bluish-green,
and the sides and abdomen lighter; the pectorals, second dorsal and tail
are greenish-brown, while the ventrals and anal are white, tinged with
blue. The gill-cover has two indistinct flat points. The fin-rays are as
follows, the spines being distinguished from the soft rays.
D. 7.1.25; P. 17; V. 1.5; A. 1.27; C. 19-3/2
These fish furnish one of the most remarkable instances of the
appearance and disappearance of species on our coast. As in our day,
with the Spanish mackerel, that darling of the gourmand, so in former
times, the blue-fish appeared suddenly. He was first seen on the coast
of Massachusetts in 1764, and then not again till 1792; and it is only
since the year 1830 that he has been abundant. He seems to have
superseded another and larger fish of the same name, and as his numbers
augment, those of the weak-fish, _otolithus regatis_, diminish. The
blue-fish has singular vagaries, sometimes crowding every inlet in
swarms, and then deserting us altogether, visiting in one season one
locality and in the next another, but ordinarily frequenting our entire
coast north to Massachusetts.
They afford excellent sport on a rod and line, being among the strongest
and boldest of their kind, taking the fly readily, and making fierce and
well-sustained rushes; but from the localities they usually frequent,
they are mostly taken with a hand-line from a sailboat. An artificial
squid of bone, ivory or lead, is trailed along at the end of forty yards
of stout line, from a boat dancing merrily over the waves under the
influence of a fresh mackerel breeze. The boatman’s business is to watch
for a shoal, which can be seen by their breaking, and when he has found
it, by repeated tacks to keep the boat in or near it; the fisherman’s
duty is to haul in steadily and regularly immediately on feeling a bite,
and to get out his line again as soon as possible. The fish dart
forward, and throwing themselves out of water, turn a complete
somersault, when, if the line is not taught, they will throw the hook
out of their mouths. The dashing of the waves and flying of the spray,
the rapid exhilarating motion of the vessel, the fresh sea-breeze, the
rapid biting and fine play of the fish, make a day pass pleasantly if
they do not afford scientific sport.
Blue-fish attain a weight of thirty pounds, and the largest being
usually taken outside the bars, beyond the breakers, are a source of
much amusement to our yachtsmen; but the arms of the fisherman soon
weary, and their hands, unless protected by leather gloves, are often
seriously lacerated. The fishing can hardly be said to begin till July,
and continues till late in the Autumn; the smaller fish are taken early.
If cooked when just out of their native element, these fish are
excellent, but they soon lose their flavor. They should be broiled, or
split and nailed on a shingle and roasted quickly before a hot fire.
Undoubtedly they could be taken with the trolling spoon, and a stout
leader of double gut running on swivel traces attached to a dark
hand-line would add greatly to the success. In fact, like all other
fish, at times they are shy and must be fished for with fine tackle, and
then the rod and line come into play. In fishing with a rod from a
sailboat, the moment a fish is struck the sheet is eased off, the boat
run up into the wind, and the fish killed at leisure; if the boat were
kept in motion, the strain would be too great for the rod and reel.
One of the favorite haunts of blue-fish, although they frequent the
entire length and breadth of the Great South Bay of Long Island, is Fire
Island Inlet; and there, of a bright summer day, may be seen congregated
the white sails of fifty boats tossing about in the roll of the
breakers, clustering together as the shoals collect, or scattering far
out to sea in the hopes of better luck. There, when the wind blows, they
may be seen under double reef, plunging along, throwing the spray from
their bows, or, if a milder day, under full sail, generally a single
one, sweeping over the quiet waters. Moderate weather is the best, and
it is no use fishing unless the fish are on, which means that their
visits are variable. At midday, when they generally cease biting, the
adventurous fisherman may land on Raccoon Beach, immortalized by the
genial wit of J. Cypress, jr., and either cook his fish by a fire built
from the waifs of the sea, which I decidedly recommend, or get a
fashionable dinner from Dominy or “t’other man” that keeps a hotel
there.[14] At this time it will be found, and I note the fact for the
benefit of future generations, that a little liquor containing condensed
carbonic acid gas and vulgarly called champagne, with water reduced to
the temperature of freezing and commonly called ice, will be pleasing to
the palate and beneficial to the inner man. In explanation of this
episode, I may say I have just been there.