Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-29
sNELT.FIsFssNG IN MAINE,
The Army Of Sportsme. Encamped ON
the Ice.
From the New York Times.

wind blowing sometimes at the rate of twenty
five miles an hour he can find his ideal sport
just now on any of the rivers and inlets along
the coast of Mane," said Mort Scott. well
known in angling circles in this city, who re-
turned on Saturday from a weeks fishing for
smelt on the Maine coast 'Smelt-fshins
is now at its best up there, but the
weather is about at its worst. At least
in the estimation of the visiting sports
man it is; but those native and to the
manner born think it couldn't be better They
don't seem to mind a little matter such as the
mercury registering Is degrees below, and to
see their tents lifted from the ice by the wind
and carried upward like balloon is regarded
by them as only an episode that adds zest and
humOr to their enjoyment. When / left there
last Thursday it was so cold that the holes in
the ice froze over nearly as fast as they were
cut, even with fires in the tents. and to keep
them open required little more labor than even
my enthusiasm in the sport could well over
balance. But there were scores of fishermen on
the ice when left, for the smelt seem to bite
better the colder it is, and after this month the
fishing gets poorer. the fish moving gradually
to other quarters.
''Smelt-tishing through the icc," continued
the speaker, "does not differ much from the
same mode Of angling for pickerel. but the
element of uncertainty is unknown in the
ioi squirt lou Inlay HSn all uly sometimes
for pickerel and then be obliged to buy enough
to save yourself from going home skunked'
but when you cut your holes in the ice and put
IN your lines Tor snelt you are just as certain
ofbeing kept busy pulling out fish as you are
that you bait your hook. A smelt isn't as big
a fish as pickerel. but he's game fighter
and there is an excitement about tending the
lines that fredericksburg does not create
The people up in Maine look upon smelt- fishing
as the sport OF the year, and they come from
miles about the country to enjoy it. Even the
Indians from the far-back country tramp in to
the coast during the season to exercise their
skill in Turing smelt The tackle for smelt-
fishing is very simple. The line is an ordinary
stout linen cord, about four feet long To one
end OF this is attached piece of lead about
three inches long and the size and shape of a
threecOrnered file. This is called file-sinker
10 swivel In the other end of the sinker is
tied pnk-colored smell, made of common fish
line, to which is attached hook such as is used
in fishing for catfish. The smell is two feet
long. The water acting on the triangular
snkef. hung on its swivels. keeps it constantly
twrling about, and the bait, which is an ugly
looking insect called the clam worm, is always
in motion. Each fisherman will have out an
average OF four lines, in as many different holes.
II he seeks the enjoyment of the sport under the
protection and shelter of tent, or house. as
the natives call them. If he, like many of the
local anglers, is Drawing the elements with the
sole intention Of extracting profit from the
catch, and dances and trots about on the ice
regardless of extraneOus aids to combat the
wind and frost, he is likely to have ten or a
dozen lines to care for, spread over an area
hundred feet around; and if the fish are biting
good he will have but little time to think of the
cold, as he will be kept busy hauling up his
lines and keeping the holes Open.
at has only been within q few years that
such thing as smelt-fshing under shelter was
known. The fishermen had either to stand out
I'll ctg
seem to be kept 'on tap along the coast for use
at any moment OF pull up their lines and go
home To be sure, they could pin up walls of
Ice and thatch them with pine boughs. but as it
frequently Is necessary for the fisherman to
change his location and the ice barricade could
not well be taken along. the building of them
was generally time and labor thrown away. BY
the way. that is popularity of smelt-fisi-
ing. The fish may be biting so that you will
be kept constantly hopping from one hole to
another to land your catch. Suddenly your
'npups' will cease to tip. The smelts have taken
it into their heads that the locality is not safe
for them, and have moved. Well. in q case of
this kind, as said, the angler would find his
Ice and pine hOughs useless, and he would have
to desert them to hunt up the spot to which
the fish mad changed their base. But one sea-
son man named Job Secop went up from
Boston totry sme!t-tshing. He tried it for a
lay and froZe one foot and both ears and then
went away. But he didn't go home. He went
70 Belfast and had a heavy wooden frame 10
eet square, made by a carpenter. He procured
+, leaving an opening for door The frame
vas on runners. When the .hous,. Was
finished he had it drawn upon the ice and
placed over the holes he Intended to fish
through Then 1t occurred to him that he
night add still further to his comfort and he
bought small box stove. ran pipe from out of
)ne side of the house, started roaring pine
WOOD IRE In It, and, seated on a bench, fiShed as
as if he were in his room at the no.
el watching stovepipe hole in the floor. Tie
ieuse was secured to the ice by graphing irons.
II smelt ceased biting in one spot he simply
Oosened his grapples, showed his house along
IN the runners, and 'squatted' in more favorable
quarters. No one who fishes for smelt simply
or the sport there is in Ii has gone on the ice
ince then without one of the houses. Many
VINO make business of smeit fishing have
adopted the plan, and now, in the height of the
season, stranger going for the first time to any
II the rivers or inletS along the coast would
imagine that a small army was in camp there.
ION COED day for smelt the average catch
Ter line will be at least 100, or say 80 pounds.
The fish net the business angler about cents
pound, and have ready sale in the local
markets.. On Wednesday of last week l was
having busy time in my house. | had only
wo holes in use, for the fish were biting so
lively that | couldn't take care of any more. 1t
vas showing hard and blowing harder. but nv
ortable. Suddenly. along came one of those
.ephyrs that love to play up and down the
Maine coast. 1t seemed to think that was
utting things a little too fat around there, and
stopped at my hut. got leverage on my
srapples, and the next instant hut. fisherman.
toye and all were moving off at lively speed
The front part of the stove-which was not
much more than toy stove, being only two and
! half feet long-drOpped into one of the holes
n the ice, and the whole business went down
Im0ng the sHelt We we're scudded alOnu
or hundred yards. when my house came in
contact with another fisherman's house This
alled sudden halt, and took advantage of it
o crawl hastily out. The collision lOOSened the
,rapples on the other house. and i'm a moment
10Th were flying onward before the wind. The
,ale had p.ayed the same game with other huts |
nd they were flying along over the ice in all
'arts OF the inlet. The gale lasted for not more
han ten minutes. but whole smelt- fishing vii
age had been moved about mile from It's site
When it ended. That little episode convinced
ne that it would be more pleasant for me to
cave smelt-tishing until next May or June and
hen resume it on convenient trout stream;
o | struck my tent and cut sticks for Belfast.
81 believe smelt-fshing Is becoming more pop
liar every year. and even the ladies are mani
esting a willingness to brave its risks and
ometimes. its hardships. There was party
Il three ladies and gentlemen from Boston
amped on the ice when came away"
Polite Conductor, and the Reason.
rom the New York Tribune
The car was SO full that men hung over the
ash-boards and stood on the steps, and the