The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-09-07
Our @lio.
MaOkerel- Fishing.

When was boy, lived on the rugged
coast Of New England. The sea abounded
in cod, hake, mackerel, and many other
kinds of fish. The mackerel came in
schools in late summer, and sometimes
we're very plentiful One day, my uncle
James determined to 90 after some Of
these fish, with his son George, and invited
me to 90 with them We were to start
before day-break the next morning. l
went to bed that night with an impatient
heart, and it was long time before | could
60 to sleep. After | did get asleep, l
dreamed Of the whale that swallowed Jo-
nah, and all kinds of fishes, big and little.
was awakened by somebody calling, 10 a
very loud voice, "Robert Robert ' l
jumped out of bed, with my eyes not more
than half opened, aud fell over the chair
on which / had put my clothes. This
made me open my eyes, and soon realiz-
ed that the voice proceeded from my eous-
in George, who had come to arouse me
for the fshing-yoyage
dressed as quickly as possible, and
went downstairs. All was quiet in the
house except the old clock ticking in the
kitchen. 1 went out-of-doors aud found
the stars still shining. Il was half-past
three o'clock in the morning. There was
no sign Of daylight, and even the cocks
had not begun to crow. In the darkness
| espied George, who said, "Come, it is
time 10 start. Father is waiting for you. "
We walked across the fields to my un-
ele's house. Taking each a basket and
knife, we began our journey, and soon en-
tered the pine-woods. As we walked
along in the. darkness, we could scarcely
see each other or the path. The wind was
signing mournfully among the tree.tops,
and, as we gazed upward, we could see the
stars twinkling in the clear sky.
When we reached the beach, we found
that it was low water. The boat was at
high-water mark. What should we do ?
We did as the fishermen in that region
always do in the same circumstances
took two rollers, perhaps six inches in d.
ameter, lifted the bow of the boat, put one
Of the rollers under it, and the other upon
the sand about eight feet in front of it.
We then pushed the boat until it reached
the second roller, and rolled it upon that
until the other was left behind, Then the
first was put in front of the boat, and so
we kept on until our craft reached the
water. Uncle james and George took the
oars, aud sat in the stern, with the tiller
in my hand, to steer.
We got out over the breakers without
difficulty, and rowed toward the fishing
ground. 1t is queer that fishermen call
the place where they fish, "the ground,
but that is only one of the many queer
things that they do. BY this time, day.
light had come. The eastern sky was COR
geous with purple and red, aud hues that
no mortal can described.
After rowing about three miles, we
stopped, and prepared for fishing. Each
of us had two lines, about twenty feet long.
The hooks were about as big as large trout
hooks. Pewter had been run around the
upper part of them, so that 'sinkers" were
not required. The pewter answered a
double purpose; it did duty as sinker,
and, being bright, attracted the notice of
the fish. Uncle James had brought with
him some clans, which we cut from their
shells and put on the hooks. We threw
in our lines and waited for 4 bite. We
did not wait long, for, in less than min
ute, George cried out, in the most excited
manner, There's fish on my hook p
"Pull, then p shouted his father.
He was too agitated to pull at first, but.
at length, managed to haul in his line, and,
behold, slender fish, about eight inches
long, showing all the colors of the rainbow,
as he held it up in the morning sun Il
was our first mackerel. While admiring
Georges prize, suddenly became aware
Of a lively tug at one Of my own lines. |
pulled it in, and found that had caught
fish just like the other, only little lar
ger No sooner had l taken it from the
hook than my other line was violently
jerked. | hauled it in hurriedly, and on
the end Of it was-not mackerel, but
small, brown fish, with big head and an
enormous mouth. / was about to take it
from the hook when my uncle called,
"Look out r He seized it, and showed
me the long, needle-like projections on its
back, with which, but for his interference.
my hand might have been badly wounded.
This unweeome visitor was sculpin.
Sculpins are very numerous in this region.
When mackerel are inclined to take the
bait, they are usually close 10 the surface
of the water. They began now to bite
with the greatest eagerness, and gave us
all the work that we could do. As soon
as l had taken fish from one line, the
other demanded my attention. did not
have to iCat for bite. Indeed, as soon
as the hook was thrown into the water.
several mackerel would dart for it. As
George said, they were very anxious to be
caught This was very different from nv
previous experience in fishing for trout in
the little brooks near my home l used
to fish all day and not get more than two
or three trout, and often | would not get
enc.
The only drawback was batting the hook
whenever a fish was taken from it. Uncle
James soon remedied this difficulty. He
cut from the under side of n dead mackerel
six thin pieces, about half an inch in d.
ameier, and gave each of US two. We
put them on our hooks, and they served
for bait n long time. When they were
gone, we put on more of the same kind
Mackerel will bite at any very small OBJ
ject, almost, that they can see, and some
times fisherman fasten small silver coin
to their hooks, which viii do duty as bait
for days. They wish to catch as many fish
as they possibly can, while they are biting,
for mackerel are very nOtional Some
times they will bite so fast as to tire their
captors, and, ten minutes after, not one
can be felt or seen. Usually, they can be
caught best in the morning aud toward
evening. suppose they have but two
meals day. breakfast and supper, going