West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-04-24
Chum ming for Rluetish.

81 tell YOU, said Andrew Sammis, a
Long Island fisherman, Its no fun fishing
IN the bay or outside in the winter. OF
course we fish all winter for cod. About
the nrst Of November they begin 10 run,
and we regularly fish for them until MAY.
When the cod come the fishermen 10 down
10 Ntginlct, over the beach aud build
nuts Then whenever the weather is at all
favorable they O. outside. There arc as
many ~ thirty boats out at once sometimes
They hSh rs the old smAckers used Ia fish
with hooks every six feet ON the line, let
ting the fish hook themselves The smack
ems are those that go out in large smacks,
aud stay days, and sometimes weeks They
put their catch into wells, as they call them,
and take them tO Fulton market alive
There is much rivalry between them aud
the yawl fishers. The latter do not keep
their fish alive, and so when they take
them to market it is necessary To sell the
dead fish first. This hurts the business of
the smackers, and last winter they tried to
get law passed that no dead cod fish
should be sold in Fulton market. but they
couldn't get it through. tell YOU, yawl
fishing is hard work. Sometimes we cant
go out it is perhaps 10 cold that your lines
freeze the minute they leave the water.
They have To he handled bare handed. and
80 IrozeR1i fingers follow. freeze my I'm
gers regularly every winter
by this time the fishing grounds, about
mile north OF the Surf hotel, were reached.
There wcrr already several boats at anchor,
and Sammis's slOop was soon added To the
number. The fishing was to be done by
'chumming, method entirely new to
the writer. lle watched the fisherman
and saw how ii was done First, Sammis
shsrpenod rusty hatchct and "A rusty
butcher knife on piece Of brick Wheth-
or all ''chummcrs' use brick or not IL not
known Sammis did. Withthe knifehe sliced n
piece oil of one of the bunkcrs. and cut this
piece into small ChunkR This was for the
hooks, and the hooks were baited. Then.
drawing IA rude chopping board from the
hold, he placed IL by the boats side, and,
placing bunker therein, he proceeded To
chop and manglo it until 1t was fine II did
not make pleasant looking mess This
was ''chun." A handful was thrown over
board often, and the tide carried II OH. The
hooks were thrown in, and they, too, float-
ed back with the chum.
''Thc main thing" Sammis said, hold
ing his line with one hand and cutting
'chum" with the other, SIS TO keep the
trail of chum unbrokcn. The fish are soon
attracted and follow II and feed ON il,
There, you've got IA bite; pull him along.
don't give him any slack; that's right.
With immense pride the writer yankcd
his fish, which was very gamy and made
all the fight possible, now jumping clean out
OF the water, then coming head first for the
boat. The hook was baited and again
thrown out, Sammis meanwhile cutting
''chum" and holding his line in his teeth.
savage blucfish jcIked the line from his
teeth and made of with the bait unharmed.
The writcrpulled III another and lost two
SammiS with cutting bait and pulling out
fish. had his hands full. In less than an
hour twenty eight handsome fish were
struggling ia the boat. Suddenly they stop
pod biting.
''lt's slack water, Sammis said. "They
won't bite for All hour or two, until the
tide sets out pretty strong. they're "A nice
fish, aint thcyf But they are perfect gor.
handlers. Thcy'l cat just as long as there
is anything 90 eat I've seen lot Of blue
fish get into school of bunkcrs. and the
water all around would be red with blood.
blucfish would catch a bunker and shake
him all to pieces, as "A dog shakes rats, aud
they would bite and snap into the school
apparently out of pure deviltry. But were
going TO have more nasty weather; the rain
amt over yet. II you say 40 we u run back
Pity it's ~ stormy. Come down come
pleasant day and IN give you oil the sport
You want -