The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-09-11
Fishing For Horse Mackerel

Fishing For Horse Mackerel.
sss--- 81, -.s.
"Going after, ;whales?" T asked o
bronzed fisherman who was coiling 2
long rope into his boat on the beach
near New CARLYLE; II, NJ =
s s. No, Twas the reply IN broad Yankee
dialect, ssthat sounded strange whers
French is mostly spok en-. I'm goin
boss mackerelin', an eff you wanter put
in good solid days work, ship afore
the mast, I'd be. glad to hev your COM
pany. Jist clear that line while coil,
will ye?" said the fisherman, as soon
as I had verbally signed papers and
shipped. The rope, which was about
two hundred feet long, was coiled in
the bottom of the boat, the cable
was slipped, and the Grampus bore
away before the wind, churning
and putting like her namesake.
"That's de]icate-lookin' hook" said
the skipper, as he took up giant iron
hook that might have passed for an ice
hook; "but I tell ye they want hook
that'l hang on. They're the strongest
fish that can swim, an I amt exceptin,
sharks. Sharks is good at steady
pull, but boss mackerel will go mile
while sharks maxim up his mind
whether he's hooked or not. I reckon
we might as we'll hev over here" con.
tinued the skipper, IAN eff yell take the
tiller minute, mate, I'll fix the fly:
Hoss mackerels amt very particular
he said, as he forced large eight-pound
bake on to the barbed hook. "Wha,
they want is somethin' solid and sweet,
an hake jist about hits the fgger. Ye
see they make a shine as they tow
along"
The fisherman slackened away or
the line until all but about twenty feet
was out, ard then took hitch in the
line.
"That's what I call a telltale, he con-
tinued, pointing to the hitch. "When
that gives and slips you'll know we're
in fur business. Jist slack off yer sheet
a tride, so she won't make so much
way. Ye wanter take it kinder slow,
jist to keep the hake a-movin' natural
like, and not take it out of their mouths
at the furst pull. Sometimes I've fish
ed all day and never got a bite, and
then agin I've been off shore here cod
din and the minute Tide get fish up to
the top of the water along would come
one O. these fellers and take him off. I
remember one day particular when
Jo-"
Right here came rasping sound,
and the "tellta lie" disappeared with
q rush.
''Down with the helm!" shouted the
skipper, AMI down it went, the little
craft rushing up into the wind, shak-
ing herself like wet dog. The line
was as stiff as bar Of iron when the
fisherman seized it, but by rapid pay
ing out he succeeded in passing 1t forward
and making it fast. The object of this
was evident moment later, when the
boat buried her nose and dashed away
dead in the winds eye, towed by the
powerful fish
Eye see" said the skipper, keeping
his eyes on the singing line, "if he'd got
the strain on over the side or astern,
we'd hev to go over or cut the rope.
him. j"
This proved no easy matter; the fish
was making frequent side rushes from
right to left, hauling the boat here and
there, and making it almost an impos-
sihility to guide her. Suddenly there
came slack on the line.
"Stand by!" shouted the skipper,
hauling in on the slack with all his
power; "put he1 ahead the way he goes!"
For moment the line came in as if
nothing were on, but in second it
leaped again. The man darted back to
get clear of it, while the bow of the
beat was turned in the new direction
indicated not a moment too soon, as
with singing sound the line tautened.
burying the boat to her very deck.
Time and time again did the willy fish
adopt these tactics to rid itself of the
obnoxious load, but at every turn itmet
the equal cunning of the fisherman, who
was an old hand at such pranks.
: "This thing can't last all night, said
the skipper. "There's an end to all
things. Just clap on here and see e1
we can't get in little slack" The
helmsman relinquished the tiller, and
both laid hold of the line. The first
pull seemed to spur tho fish on to re-
newed exertions. A foot of line was
soon gained, and with a rush was lost.
It was regained and as much more adj
ded to it, and then begun tug Of war.
Slowly the line came in, and finally,
when within fifty feet of the boat, the
monster rose five feet into the air and
showed It's shapely length.
TITS about up with him when he does
that" gasped the skipper. "Now slack
quick! Now in with it agin! Now let
60 again!" Thus gradually the great
fish was hauled this way and that, and
finally half drowned il: it's own element,
rolled on it's back at the bow, and after
a few more struggles succumbed to the
blows of the shippers mallet.
"That's the biggest chap L ever
tackled" said the fisherman, as he
made q rope fast to the fsh's tail, and
it swung alongside the boat ''They're
the king, an no mistake. We can't git
him inter the boat, so jist keep away,
and we'll tow him ashore"
When the captured fish was hauled
upon the sands by the windlass that the
skipper used to pull out his boats it
measured nearly ten feet in length, and
was estimated to weigh nearly a thous-
and pounds. The horse mackerel is
fish in appearance, being,
in fact, gigantic mackerel, resembling
the European funny. They have wide
range. Specimens have
been caugnt twenty feet in length, with
q weight of about half ton, and so
powerful that even large vessels have
been towed by them. Like the sword
fish, they do not breed on this side OF
The water, but undoubtedly emigrate to
the European shores for this purpose,
unless, perhaps, the eggs are deposited
in mid Atlantic, which is hardly proba-
bic. The fish prey upon their smaller
relatives, and go south or out to sea in
the winter, appearing on the Massachu-
sets coast about June l, and here two
weeks later.-N. Y. Sun.