Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-05-27
IHE PRESENT FISHING SEASON A FAILURE
An Interesting Dcscrip:ioR Of the
HAS and htshaas Of the Fishermen.
by Mon iherp Neck.

PAPPATANsY, PRINCE GEORGE Coy
E,'foT s ar: There was Jolly fisherman
is the way the poet sung ii long since, az q
doubtless be had in his mind the "capsai4
OF fishing shore rotund, radiant and ioyov 2
as he moved among his men issuing his @ e.
ders, jovial yet decided. in the high q slyle
o, 'sGaylter IN modo fortifer in r." o. 49,
maps his trUSty assist ants, the "lautt-h mi
foreman or "b09t-end foreman" or "filp
watch" or lookout" ala charg el with 80
ana ready 10 go OF like rocket on every
proper occasion. or perhaps the "rel bic"
men OF the Grew. - part Of whose du V 10
was. with uproaIiodS IroliC. to cheer IRE
spirits OF the force But whoever 10 was /
Vas fisherman Of the past. The cap.riu %
the present sits yonder alone, gloomy, silent
thoughtful looking out upon the tn oil " 70
terS musing like an aquatic MariuS Oyet tn
ruins" Of 81 erIShel EODcS and great eyr.
tations. the former are solemn and sor-owf VI
AZ d the men lifeleSs and uiSpirited You s'e.
Mr.. Editor, last season large prepare lions
were made for
Fall AND WINTER FISHING.
Crews were engaged and everything and
every body ready, but the FISH lsilet 10
respond with their accustomed alac.lty. aud
consequently hut Lutte prodt was IT .liZel.
Then winter closed i'm early and severe a n
dragged its prOfitleSS DAYS along unusually
late, enrhatically "lingering in the lap of
spring" relaxing its Vigors at times enough
10 encourage the retaining of crews. ont not
enough for profitable work. But the darkest
night has its morning and the coolest wiatar
its spring The ice moved off at laSt-tne ice
which on the lower Potomac is always a
EulSaGce-constantlyo on the move, il is pile I
mp in vast masses by wind and tide plough
ing up the river bottom and dropping logs
and wrecks in the fisherman's berIhS. which
rave 10 be moved al great expense But the
tedious waiting was over. the hauling
grounds were cleared of logs and ob,truc-
lions, the ridges leveled down. and the sea
son" commenced. but still
NO FISH,
They are called. believe. cold blOoted ami
mails, but cold bloOdei or not they do not de-
light in cold water, and the waters o. the Poo
mac have been so continually chilled by the
melting SHOWS OF the mountains that no
general FISH migra ton has IA ken plas ?. For
weeks the SeineS have only landed enoIgh
10 feel the force. and when il is CON
Sldered that rom sixty To one hund"ed men
are employed on a large shore and a daily
expense Is incurred of rom eighty To ore
hundred and twenty dollars it can
he readily inferred that fishing thr.
be- ONES ar unwe come paStime. Aud when
IL l. considered again that a large seine
sweeps over from three To five Thousand acres
river bottom. with an aVera ge depth OF twelve
feet. and catch is made of only three 10
five thous ard hShes-one to the acre-it can
be more readily inferred that the fish popU-
lation is rot crowded. ] should have said
that the SeineS have landed fish ! and So
5rEol h,od cnUH Dc h13del. Most of the time
Trey could not be hauled. owing 10 the pre- v
alence of violent winds. In ordinary seasons
some time is lost on account OF storms but
this year il has been q continual gale. Seem
ing 10 believe i'm the maxim that true re
pose consists in change OF occupation
when 'noTihweSteIi has exhausted itself
IL has Changed 10 non theaSt, then 10 south
east, and then back To north and west. * ap-
lng the river in constant ferment. A large
seinf-t cat, carving its thirty or forty Ga rs
men and tons Of rope and seine. cannot be
hardled in rough weather, and If il could.
the seire cannot. Two miles or more of
ret. two 10 three fathOm deep, with
cork lire and lead lire Of equal length
and two or three miles of very large rOpe
at each end is not thing 10 be swung
around on pole and can only be handled by
awaiting thems elves OF the ass istance of wind
and tide. The usual method is atter all is
'boattd at the middle OftHe 'ebO" ii ie. TO
proceed Up the river iIlm ore and a na3f
10 two miles. pay ing out the Hand line" a
they 90 and gaining an Citing OF p halia
mile, then the net is paid OutdiTeCtly across
the river, curving tile DOWN. ard at the
last and when ali is oct a nome strescI i
made, lay iIg out the coat lire as they -.
To recover such mass, all lying on the river
bottom, is a tedious operation, requiring a
'al .e force of men, horses and clpStalS. IL
\ .adually worked in 0wa,d the Sin" e as
the ''ebb' brings II dOwD--ls carried past the
landing shore DOWN. ari. but the returning
flood Idle brinss il back. and finally ahoU
the middle OF tire flood, six or seven hours
ON the ''laN srg out is landed. Now III
ACFTE SPRINGS Up
while il is out; Il it blows ''om the shore =,
carries the ret of among the unr6n' eVei Oh
structiOns in The channel, aud il .. badly
Or
ward, IL is rolled up like huge ro,r, along
the leach and II il blow - or down ibe
seine j. carried CC.r as far as the lines will
p.ilnit ana east upon the shore. a tangled
mass, requiring long time and severe labor
TO re-bcat, and at any rate the expenses are
all incurred, labor and time is lost, and no
profit. Now, says your reader, would not
be a tSherm: ~, and in that resolution be is
wise. With his training and habits rliin~a
Wouid te sure
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL. FISHERMAN
requires combination of qualities rarely
met, aud which would command success il,
any other calling. His crew is as heteroyan-
eouS as David's army. Besides a few s.relia
bic" men. he has stupid field HANDS popr
whites equally ignorant and vastly cOnc-if
ed; broken down men fIom the higher classes
and some who do not freely publish their
previous history. Everything needy driftS
IN here. where there Is work aud bfead.s- p
sort OF miniature Texas, OF which the con-
plet said:
when every other land fursake~ rs.
Here the place that freely takes u.
and requiring great good sense ard tact ia /
their management. Then, unlike the master
OF a Staunch vessel or steamer. who as long
as his craft is right is master of the SITUATION
be is the servant of wind and tide, ana to
make them subserve his purposes requires I
untiTing industry, ceaSelesS vigilance. colY-
age, and a promptness and rea Iiness in
emergencies which, a ] have said. would en- /
suIe success any where. and which in THIS
raillng In the average of seasons commands
a satisfactory reward.
NORTHERN NECK.