Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-02-26
Smelt Fishing in Maine.

On tne coast OF Maine SmelJ NlSlt tne
rivers about the Goth of December and
remain almost all winter, For bout
two mouths they take the hook readily,
and are caught in considerable num-
bers through holes cut in the ice. For
merly, on cold days, it was very severe
fishing, without shelter except by pill
ing up cakes of ice, evergreen boughs,
etc. Last winter one of the fishermen
made a canvas tent and it proved so
comfortable that it has now become the
universal custom to fish in them. There
are now on the ice, above the bridges,
two village of these canvas houses
much resembling an Indian encamp-
nent in winter quarters. A light
wooden frame, with sharp roof, is put
light canvas or cotton cloth. in some
instances the covering is painted,
the better to resist the piercing north
west winds. The ordinary tent Is about
six feet square; occasionally one is lar
ger, for two persons. The interior is
provided with a stove, and bench up
on 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 up
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 sink
er and the triangle. The former is for
tent fishing and the later for out of door
fishing. The file sinker is made OF lead,
about the size and shape of All ordinary
three cOrnered file. A common mack
erel line is made fast to one end of the
sinker. while from the other depends
smell of colored line, six inches in length
TO which hook is attached. The ad-
vantage of the file sinker is that the
tide causes it to cut and shear about,
thus keeping the bait i'm motion. The
triangle gear is made of wire, the line
fastened at the centre, while two hooks
depend, one from either end of the wire
which is bent into a triangle. The bait
used in this vicinity is the clam worm,
which is found in the clam flats. The
upper end of the line is fastened to a
rack above the fisherman's head, while
the hook is from six to ten feet below
the surface. The fisherman sits ON his
bench beside the stove and patiently
waits for fish to bite. There is not
much skill in this kind of angling, for
when a smelt was takes the hook the
motion of the line conveys the fact to
the fisherman, and he hauls him in.
The fish bite better on cold, stormy
days, the recent heavy storm being the
best day of the season thus far. From
ten to fifteen pounds are fair days
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 at time when there is
but little else for the fisherman to do.
The tents are comfortable and homelike
the men are jolly, singing and shouting
from one end TO another. Wishing to
change his position the angler hauls in
his lines, moves his tent to another por-
ton 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 fifty or more upon the ice.