Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-01-10
Catching Cod

Catching Cod
ASt. Johns (Newfoundland) CORE
spondent tells how the fishermen there
catch cod:
There are two ways in which the peo-
pie around the island coast and on
Labrador engage in catching cod. Fish
are caught in boats about the size OF
small schooners, decked in and pro.
vided with comfortable "cuddies,"
which is where the fishermen cook and
eat and sleep, or rest after the immedi-
ate toll is ended; and they are caught in
little open boats or skiffs; having two
masts and sometimes saucy little jib-
boom, and these little boats they sail when
there is wind and row when it is calm
The large boats sometimes 60 hum
dred miles from home around the coast
to fish, and the fishermen live in them
through the summer. but the small
boats 60 only . few miles from home
seldom stay out all night, but, getting
their loads, return to land. The former
belong to the towns and harbors, or
large villages; the latter to the coves, l
might say the crevices, around the
coast.
About the first Of June the fishery
commences, and in the first gray Of the
morning hocks Of little boats with
barked sails may be seen putting out
from the rocks At this time OF the year
the cod is usually hungry. for it has
Just come in from the banks OF New
foundland, meeting perhaps but few
fish to prey on on its way. When 1t
reaches the coast it finds the herring
there before it, and has feast for its
late fast. II is with the herring that
the fisherman now catches the cod, for
the csplin has not come, and it is too
early for seines or nets, and the fish
being hungry, the hook and line and
"bulltow" train are in demand. The
boat is q quarter OF a mile ont from the
rocks, and on the Atlantic waters
There are two men in the boat, and,
having reached the spot where they
intend to try" they take down
their sails and both stand up,
one in the fore pant CT the boat, the
other aft. Each has a pair Of lines,
and TO each line hook is fastened.
The hook is set in piece OF lead made
in the shape of fish to make it sink.
Each line is fastened to the boat. A
sheath-knife is in the fisherman's belt,
and with this he cuts his herring into
bait sizes, puts piece on the hook,
which he throws to his right distance
of about twenty feet. He does the
same with the line on his left, and his
companion in the other end Of the boat
does the same thing. Thus each man
has two lines ont he stands erect and
saws" his lines till he gets bite-the
saving being a sudden long jerk, now
to the right line, and now to the left,
in regular time. He starts. There is
a sudden tug, and thrill Of life comes
up the line TO his hand. He lets 60
the other and hsuls away, and the
greater the weight the more gleefully
does he haul, till the cod breaks water"
when, seizing q gaia continuance
with a wooden handle two feet long, to
which is affixed large iron hook-he
sticks il into the body Of the fish and
Jerks il in over the gunwale. While
the hook seized by the fish serves to
draw the fish to the surface, it would
not be sufficient to lift it from the sur
face to the boat. The process Of I'M
hooking the fish TO the novice is not an
easy one, but to the expert it is not
matter OF two seconds. Sometimes a
"spurt comes on, which means that q
school Of hungry fish is passing under
the boat, and then the rapidity with
which two practiced fishermen can
haul in, unlock, bait, throw out and
haul in again is certainly marvellous.