The Republican journal., 1881-11-03
"reminiscences and Opinions of Veteran
Fisherman.

"Reminiscences and Opinions of a Veteran
Fisherman.
The first of my going into the bay ST. Lawrence
for mackerel was in 1885 soon after the iuaugura-
ton of that fishery by American fishermen From
that time until lS49 the fleet averaged from one
hundred to four or five hundred sail and do not
think that in all that time the whole fleet took one
thousand barrels of mackerel within the three mile
line or in any waters now under control of the
Dominion of Canada The chief lnackereug
grounds were then between the Magdaien Islands
and the River St. Lawrence | have counted three
hundred sail fishing at once, doing well, catching
splendid fish The current run so strong and irreg
ularly that sometimes we would drift in sight of
the land in the course of the night but would
very seldom try for fish in the morning until we
had run the land down with the execution of soma
hills in upper Canada which we called Snake Head
In the summer of lS49 nv brother and had
been cruising on the old grounds until about the
first of September doing very poorly and one even
ing we concluded TO run southwest all night At
daylight we found ourselves close aboard New
London We hove to and commenced throwing
bait, and soon the mackere came up very plenty
and We caught some thirty or forty barrels TIE
land was quite high and according to my recollec-
tion We were from three to four miles off We
tished between there and the North Cape five or
six days and took our fare The second day we
tished there were surrounded by boats from the
shore. Their crews came on board examined very
infinitely our fishing gear and bait and stared IN
amazement to see us slat in the maekerel We
asked them if they did not catch mackerel "Ob
few for bait" was the reply "Will YOU please
sell us few lines and hooks SO that we can catch
some bait to go off on the fishing grounds ~ They
showed us their hooks and leads which | should
Judge weighed a pound and their tines were about
the size of those now used for pollock lines We
finally gave them some old lines and jIgs and told
them to get on their boats and drop astern and
fish III our bait, They caught their bait and went
off shore about six oight miles and engaged in
c0dtshiDg From that time. TIL We filled up We
were surrounded ty boats after lines and iigs |
should think at the time we left for home there
were fifty sal! fishing nshore and doing we'll For
the next three years tho fleet did well inshore and
the Islanders learned to fish for raackere but
they did not put up any for the marke. until some
years afterwards
The first heard OF cutters being IN the Bay was
some time afterwards Some OF the fishermen
told me they were living at anchor under an island
called Margaree the coast Of Ca1e Breton ;
some threw bait for mackerel and others caught
Goldfish for dinner; some shore boats put off and
asked them if they knew that Capt barley did not
allow the Americans to fish SO near the shore ,
they replied that they knew nothing about Capt
Dariey; in the course of the day a small vessel
came off and ordered the American vessels to get
underway directly some replied that the captain
was in the cabin asleep and when he awoke they
would tell him; some made one answer and some
another Prince Edward Island was then an indie
pendent province, not attach to Canada and the
people on the Island wanted the fleet to fish around
the Island anywhere they pleased as IL was of CON
siderable benefit to them But the authorities
complained to Great Britain to gain some political
point / suppose. ana the British government Sent
armed steamers to protect the fishing interest Of
| the provinces They had nc cutter On the Island
at that time but some were fitted ont from the
other provinces, with authority | suppose 10
cruise on the shores of Prince Edward Island At
any rate they employed all the art and deviItry Of
which they were capable to induce American YES
sells to come within the three mile limit For in
stance. they would paint their vessels like an
American fisherman, and go to fishing within the
hmlf, TO decoy us IN. remember one craft thus
MA nnttnrs r. y, " " VI neeIS
mot rthin tba thrao ~ i;rrit i,elL W. "eit
iost ,ood dars fohn rbn nave my sel
than throo ~ ova1, t riIda ,t ~" i HaS Llolt
orGarad f,r,bor III H., rst VIZ stotr .! oeth&
stoo,nnr was IN th nus; rI 1t WIN .Ie
trnm tanr to siv mjos 9 ,onriI,. ""S n''i,Ls
irC,,rant ,Lo na, III Uin7 :? w. De"i
ma aaotor ;t F H. liIi GolniHs %louI''
naorest 6h " 'tn .9'l', "iit i"Ne i"l 'IIe
drad saiI IN si,%, All XIX. - "4oul Que nun
ono Ia as ft rI r--, o'l! u" SeH,te1 '-le