St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-08-22
81 Go a Fishing"


our experience. We left st. JOHNS
bury on the Both of June, ana iillel
irving in Boston and Gloucester to get
a chance to go in some fishing schooner
and not succeeding, we went 10 forI-
land the Sd of July. On the 4th we
took the steamer Express for House
Island to see Mr.. Alpheus SterllnS' 10
whom we had letter of introduction,
from Mr. Davis in your office. oh our
way we stopped at Evergreen Landing
Peaks Island, and met friends OF Mr. .
who assured us of good chance II we
would remain until the return OF
skinner then out. After seeing Mr..
Sterling at House Island, who recon-
mended the same skipper, we returned
and staid with the Messrs. Sterling at
Evergreen Landing.
Through the kindness of MIR. e., OF
Boston, we had our first experience Ill
sea fishing. We went in sail boat
from one to five miles from land, and
caught with lines from the side OF the
boat cunners, Goldfish, pollock, haddock,
hake, dog fish, and the worst of the lot,
sculpins. We took one trip in il schoOn-
er, fishing for nackerel by ''dragging.'
This is done by fastening together some
number of nets-sOmetimcs over one
hundred-which are about 10y 10 feet
each, having sinkers Cd one edge and
wooden balls ON the other, and throw
ing them overheard just at dark, letting
the schooner drift; having first taken
in the sails At day break the nets are
taken i'll together with the fish that are
caught in them. They secured over
two hundred mackerel i'll the two nights.
and number of barrels OF herring
which they took home to enrich their
land. A shark got entangled Ill the
nets the second night. tearing them
badly. but did not get out, and was
drowned.
On Monday. the 2lst. we took pas
sage with Capt. }. W. Craig. OF Port
] IL. al
of - tons. bound for the Gulf of st.
Lawrence, fishing for mackerel with
hooks and line. There were nine per
SONS with my self. The Captain owned
part of the schooner and furnished II.
giving such IL part to the owners. The
cook gets pay by the month. and one
l.,l a. l. H.. h,.
crew have one-half of what they catch.
and pay their share of the cook ; wages
and bait bills; tine balance going to
the Captain. This crew shipped on the
same terms that nearly all 20 ON.
We arived opposite East Point.
Prince Edward Island. on sunday; Il
,huurs we sailed about 2UU miles. and
other times would NOT make ~ miles III
the same time. Sailing vessels are too
uncertain for our use. Each one has
from four to six feet space allotted him
gu the side of the schooner. as his berth,
and under the rail he has Il rack with
they only use from two to six. These
lines aIe about twenty-five feet long
and are fastened to the rack. and the
other end passes through the sinher
which is run on to the hook.
When they reach the place they wish
to fish they take i'll pant of the sail.
and "heavc to-. and us the schooner
drifts in the wind they begin to throw
bait-which is ground fish. and chop
ped clams-from boxes on the side of
the schooner. y school of mackcIel i'll
passing the bait is drawn up to the side
of the schooner. The lines are then
thrown out their length. and the hooks
first baited with fish or clans until
some mackerel are caught /; then. with
the white tough skin from the belly,
which is cut into small pieces, and put
on the hooks below the barb, and will
sometimes last to catch two or three
barrels without changing.
Taking the clatter of the mackerel i'll
the barrels. the excitement of drawing
one after another in. hand over hand.
giving him quick jerk into the barrel
without touching them. throwing out
the line and taking in another.-pe
haps for hours at Il time. is what all.
even old fishermen. call exciting work
Mackerel bite quick and are as lively lis
Il trout and are a SDlpnlil lnnEiuU ii Sh
us they gliSten in the sunlight. No
one of our crew caught over two barrels
at any one time.
| stopped until Sunday, the Sd of
August, and over thirty barrels of salt
ed mackerel had been caught. and there
had been a number of cold. wet. or
windy days when they could not fish
There are blue days and these are about
four times as long as days passed on
land. Mackercl bite the hest lust at
day light. or almost night. When tax
en- Ill large numbers il often takes until
midnight or after to split. dress. pillow.
wash, and salt them. They are all I'M
packed, assorted and re-salted on land
before ready for market.
Mackercl are also caught with seine.
but we think cight-tcnths of the schoon-
ers around p. +. |. catch them with the
hook. We presume almost any time
from the last of June until November |
there is over thirty fleet of Schooners
nj