The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1883-12-16
Catching Goldfish in the Ohkotsk.

The Pacific fishing grounds are in the
Ohkotsk sea, in latitude - degrees north,
longitude 155 deg. east, in Behring sea
in latitude - deg: 80 min. north, longi-
tude 165 degrees west, and of the Chou
magin Islands in latitude 10 deg. 20 min.
north. longitude go deg. so min. west.
The former is an arm of the Pacific
ocean, extending between the peninsula
of Kamtchatka and the Asiatic continent.
Behring sea, or as it Is sometimes called,
the sea of Kamtchatka. lies between
North America and Asia. south of Ber-
ing straits and north Of the Aleutian
Islands. The Choumagin Islands lie in
the Pacific ocean off the coast of Alaska.
Ii Is az the latter point that one of tbs
permanent fishing and trading stations
IS located and TO which the catch of the
vessels in Behring sea. is brought for
shipment to San Francisco. The favorite
fishing ground, although the most re-
mote. Is that on the western coast of
Kamtchati1a, in the Okhotsk sea. about
400 miles away, in a direct line, from
that port, and requiring a voyage from
thirty 10 sixty days To reach II, the dis
tance being double that to the Behring
sea. Three routes to these grounds pre-
sent themselves-one due west. one TO the
north and one TO the south, touching at
the Sandwich Islands. The last, although
the longest, is the one usually chosen by
outgoing vessels on account of the pleas
anter weather encountered. Each cod
fishing vessel carries a company of from
twenty-four TO forty men, according TO
her capacity. and each Is provided with
from twelve TO twenty-five dorys-one for
each fisherman. The fishermen work as
sailors while on the voyage, but trust for
their compensation 10 their success IN
fishing, each man receiving S25 per 1000
for the fish which he catches.
The vessels set sail in April or MAY, and,
arrived upon the grounds, cast anchor
from ten TO twenty miles from shore and
commence Operations for the season,
which closes III September. At 1 4. NJ.
the men take TO their boats and row TO
such point within a radius Of ten or
twelve miles from the ship as each may
see fit TO select, where they anchor and
proceed TO FISH, using two handlines pro-
vided with two No. 10 hooks and four
pounds of lead TO each line. The bait
used at the opening OF the season is a
piece of salt herring, and afterwards hal
ibut and salmon, when those fish make
bait, and large numbers of these fish are
caught and cured for that purpose.
When they first make their appearance
in July they have to be fished for with
what Is technically known as "jiG,"-a
bunch of small hooks on the end of
line, which, baited with something white
and attractive, is towed astern of
boat. the boatman holding the other
end of the line between his teeth.
Later on, when the salmon
ascend the fresh-water rivers to
spawn, they are caught in seines. The
salmon swarm upon the kamtchatkan
coast TO such an extent that the Little
river, the Goligan, the Great Balsha and
other fresh water streams are clogged
with them. The vessels then anchor
close in shore and take from five to six
boat-loads of fish, which are dressed and
salted away for bait. So plentiful are
the salmon that not only the fishermen,
but the bears also secure a supply. The
| latter, having no nets, use their paws to
sweep the fish out of the water and rap
idly fatten upon such fare. After having
laid in a good stock of salmon the real
work of the expedition begins, and con-
| tinues with varied success, from 2C0 to
800 day being a good days catch for
one man, but the number will sometimes
rise to 200 and again fall 20 next to
nothing. The cod, while a voracious
fish, is still rather dainty, il would ap-
pear, and does not care to change diet.
Therefore, when feeding on salmon they
will not bite at any other bait; or if feed
ing on herring they will not take the
| salmon. Sometimes, again, they will re-
fuse TO bite at all, no matter what is
offered them, and the fishermen have the
| pleasure of seeing swarms of fish IN the
water below them, not one of which can
be persuaded to take the hook.
When the days work is completed the
boatmen row back TO their ship and the
fish are taken IN hand by the "dress
gang" These men are hired at from $50
to $50 a month and take no share in the
profits of the catch except what fish they
take for themselves by fishing from the
vessel while the fishermen are away, or in
case boat is left idle through the sick
ness of one of the fishermen. when the
captain will allow one of the dress
gang" TO borrow ii and fish for himself.
When the fish come aboard they are first
taken IN hand by one "throater," who
cuts the throatS and opens the bellies.
The 'header" then takes off the head and
removes the entrails and passes them
to the splitter" who splits them open
and cuts out the backbone. They are
| then thrown into tubs and washed, and
after the water is drained off they are
passed into the hold, where the ''saltern
packs them in tiers or "kenches," laying
them alternately head and tail and be-
slowing a double handful of coarse salt
upon each fish. There they remain until
| the arrival of the vessel In mort