Smyrna times., 1880-08-25
Fresh MaGkerel.
LIVELY FISHING IN MASSACHUSETTS Ray
ECCENTRICITIEs OF THE FISH.

During the past three weeks tho waters
OF the Massachusetts bay have swarmed
IN every part with mackerel, and in Cape
Cod bay especially they have been found in
enormous quantities. Usually they have
been seen schooling upon the surface,
though, when they are thus apparent, it is
reasonably certain that under water they
arc still more numerous. The lower part
of the bay having been during this time
populated with young herring swimming
about near the surface by the million, the
voraciOus macllerel have had fine hunting
and have pursued their legitimate game
with pertinacty and seized upon it with
an avidity which is now duplicated and
finely illustrated in the chase Of the blue.
fish after the mackerel itself. During o
cruise in the bay by the writer of this n
few days since the ripple of the mackerel
schools was seen in every direction
throughout the entire day, and it is said
that this has been the case during all the
time mentioned above, and that the fish
has pushed fairly into the harbors, creeks
and all the indentatiOns Of the land, so that
it has even been taken from the wharves,
the channels and waterways and the shal.
lows near the shores.
When it is stated that q single "school "
of mackerel often contains sufficient NUM-
bers to fill thousands of barrels, some idea
Of the greatness of the supply may DO en-.
tertained. They have numerous enemies,
as bluefsh, shark, otc., and among their
relentless and most busy prosecutors man
kind must be reckoned principal. But,
Notwithstanding their ranks are thinned
continuously by ali these destroying agents,
very many more escape than are captured,
and many doubtless become veterans
travellers in various seas, old heads who
know thing or two about the dangers Of
the deep, and, are perhaps, oracles among
fishes.
The fishermen look upon mackerel as a
wonderfully fanciful fish, coy and uncer-
tain i'll all its ways, and impossible to be
anticipated in It's humors. For days and
days, sometimes, though present all the
time, and very largely on the surface, no
| temptation is sufficient to make it take a
| bait; and occasionally, when his favorite
| food is strewn literally over the surface of
| the water, the fish will refuse to rise from
| the depths, and disdain all allurement. AT
other times it will bite anything-a red rag,
! morsol of fish skin, a bit of wood and
! during the past ten days it has frequently
! happened that no bait at all has been need.
! ed, only the bare hooks; indeed, when the
mGcilcrol bite at all, 1t IS perhaps as often
at u bare hook as anything. They have
their biting days" and they all seem tc
be influenced alike. Neither is it poss!
bic to present the exact connection between
these propensIties and the presence OF
their natural food in the waters in fact, nc
one knows what they will do next. Mean
the White Horse" a great rock on tho
South plymouth shore, one man took dur
ing a single fishing, one day last week
l,500 mackerel, catching every Iish viii
L bare hook, and many other fishers neal
him loaded THAR dories to their thwarts
catching all in the same way. One fisher
man in that locality declared that he has
to row for the shore to save his life, 81
fierccly did the mackerel pursue his hook
over the sides Of the dory; but seriously
few persons are aware, who have not wit
messed, how completely orazed these fish
seem to be when they take to tho hook
This will continue sometimes for hours
when all at once every fish disdains tn
hook and it is impossible to take one tina
way as it would be to catch birds with fly
paper. When they do not choose to bit
not one can be taken with hook for day
} at time, though there may be million
in sight all the while. They have chosen t.
bite lately, and the whole south shore ha
been stocked with them at times, so that
has been impossible to give them away
: Boston Herald.