American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-02-15
SmeIt Fishing in Maine---An In.
tereSting Winter Sport.

I'm tne coast OF Maine S1llelI NlSlI Luo
rivers about the goth of December, and
remain almost all winter. For about
two months they take the hook readily,
and are caught in considerable numbers
through holes cut in the ice. Formerly,
on cold days, it was very severe fishing,
without shelter except by piling up
cakes of ice, evergreen boughs, etc.
Last winter one of the fishermen made
a canvas tent, and it proved SO comfort
able that it has now become the uni
are now on the ice, above the bridges,
two villages of these canvas houses,
much resembling an Indian encamp-
ment in winter quarters. A light wood
en- frame, with sharp roof, is put to-
gether, and the whole covered with
light canvas or cotton cloth. In some
instances the covering is painted, the
better to resist the piercing northwest
winds. The ordinary tent is about six
feet square; occasionally one is larger,
for two persons. The interior is pro-
vided with stove, and a bench upon
which the angler sits while fishing. The
whole rests upon runners, and can be
easily moved from place to place.
When the fisherman reaches the
grounds he cuts hole through the ice,
places his tent over the same, builds on
fire, closes the door, drops his line
through the hole and waits for bite.
Each man uses four lines. They have
two kinds of fish gear-the file sinker
and the triangle. The former is for
tent-fshing and the latter for out-of-
door fishing. The file sinker is made OF
lead, about the size and shape of an
ordinary hree-cornered file. A COM
mon mackerel line is made fast to one
end of the sinker, while from the other
depends a smell of colored line, six
inches in length, to which hook is at
tached. The advantage of the file
sInker is that the tide causes it to cut
and shear about, thus keeping the bait
in motion. The triangle gear is made
of wire, the line fastened at the center,
while two hooks depend, one from eth
er end of the wire, which is bent into a
triangle. The bait used in this vicinit.
is the clam worm, which is found in the
clam aats. The upper end of the line
is fastened to a rack above the fisher
mans head, while the hook is from six
to ten feet below the surface. The fish
erman sits on his bench beside the stove
and patiently waits for the fish to bite
There is not much skill in this kind of
angling, for when smelt takes the hook
the motion of the line conveys the fact
to the fisherman, and he quickly hauls
him in. The fish bite better on cold,
stormy days, the recent heavy storm be-
ing the best day of the season thus far.
From 10 to Is pounds are a fair day S
work for one man. They sell in the
Belfast market for five cents per pound.
The wages made are not large, but the
fish are caught when there is but little
else for the fishermen to do. The tents
are comfortable and homelike, the men
are jolly, singing and shouting from
one to another. Wishing to change his
position the angler hauls in his lines,
moves his tent to another portion of the
ice-field, cuts hole through the frozen
surface and tries his luck there. Those
from the city pass the entire day upon
the ice. taking their dinners along,
which are eaten in the tent, the tea
or coffee being warmed upon the stove.
Tents are added daily, and before the
season closes there will be so or more
upon the ice.-Beyast (Me-) Journal.