The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-02-09
sMELT.FIsHING IN MAINE.

--MarDdret ~ Sangster, IN Hdrper's Weekly.
sMELT.FISIIING IN MAINE.
The Army OF spori nnen Enoamped ON
the ioe-The Method OF Catching tho
Delicate Little Fiah-A Village OF smsit-
Fishers Flying Before u Gale.
''If any one likes fishing through the
ice with the thermometer ten degrees
below zero and tho wind blowing some
times Mt the ra' OF twenty-five miles an
hour he can his ideal sport Just
now on any Of tho rivers and inlcts
along tho coast Of Maine said Mort"
Scott, well known In angling circles In
this city, who returned on Saturday
from weeks fishing for sme on tho
Maine ooast "Smolt.ilshing' Is now
at tho best up there, but the weather Ia
about NJ ils worst, At least In tho estl-
nation OF the visiting sportsmon II IA;
but those native aud 10 the manner
born think II couldn't be better, They
don't seem TO mind little matter such
M the mercury registering fifteen de-
grees below, and 10 see their tents llftod
from the leo 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
l left there last Thursday II was 10 cold
that the holes In the Ice froze over noar-
ly as fast ~ 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
ovorbalanoO, But there were scores
OF fishermen on the leo whom | left, for
the smolt seem 20 bite bottor the colder
II Is, and after tlls month the fishing
gets poorer, the fish moving gradually
10 other quarters.
"Smcltllshing through the Ice" con-
tinuod tho speaker, "does not differ
from tho same mode OF angling for
plckorel, but tho element Of uncertainty
IA unknown In the former sport You
mny fish all day sometimes for pickorel
anSNhon DO obliged 10 buy enough 10
gavSs yourself from going home
'skunked'; but when you cut your holes
In tho leo aud put In your lines for emolt
you aro Just rs certain OF being kept
busy pulling out fish M you are that
you bait your hook, A smelt isn't ~
big fish rs pckcrol, but hos n game
fighter, and there Is an excitement
about tending tho lines that pickerel-
fishing does not create, The people up
In Maine look upon smelt-liShing as the
sport Of the year, and they como from
mllos about tho country 10 enjoy II.
Even tho Indians from the far-baok
country tramp Into tho coast during tho
heason TO exercise their skill In Turing
smelt Tho tackle for smelt.hshlng IL
very simple, Tho limo Is m ordinary
stout linen cord about four foot long. To
one end Of this IA attached plooo OF lead
about throo inches long and the sizo and
shape OF tbroo-cornerod lile. This
Ia called n ilc.slnkor. To u swivel In
the other end OF the snkcr Is tied n
plnk-colored smell, mado OF common
iish-lino, TO which IN attached n hook
such ~ Is used In fishing for catfish.
The snoll II two feet long. Tho wator
acting on the triangular sinkor. hung
ON lis swivos, keeps II constantly twirl-
ing about, and tho bait, which ls an
ugly-lookng insect called the clam
worm, IL always In motion. Each fish
orman will have out nm average OF four
limos, In as many different holos, II no
seeks tho enjoyment OF the sport under
the protection aud shelter OF tent, or
'honso, rs tho natives call them. II
ho, like many OF tho local anglers. Ia
Drawing tho elements with tho solo inton-
tlon Of extracting profit from tho catoh,
and dances and trots about on tho leo
regardless OF oxtrnnoous aids 10 combat
tho wind and frost ho is likoly to have
ten or dozen lines 10 care for, sprcnd
over nn aroa u hundred foot around,
and II tho fish aro biting good ho will
have but little timo 10 think Of the cold,
ns ho will bo kept busy hauling up his
lines and keeping tho holes open.
at has only boon within fow years
that such thing rs emolt-iishing under
shelter was known. Tho fishermen had
othor 20 stand out unprotected against
tho gacs and storms that seem 10 DO
kept 'on tap along tho coast for use at
any moment or pull up their lines and
40 home. To DO sure, thoy could pilo
up walls Of leo and thntoh thom with
pine boughs, but M II frequently Is neo-
chhNTN loI WV llhn'lhhh w Nh"hk' wv
location aud tho leo barrlcados could
not woll DO taken along, tho building Of
them was generally timc and labor
thrown away. BY tho way, that Ia q
peculiarly Of smolt.ilshIng, Tho fish
may DO biting so that you will DO kept
constantly hopping from one hole 70
another 10 land your catch, Suddenly
your 'tlp-ups' will oeaso 10 tip. Tho
smelts have takon II into their hoads
that the locality Is not safo for thom,
and have nDvod. We'll, In caso OF
this kind, rs said, the angler
would find his leo aud Pine boughs
useless, and no would have 10 desert
thom 10 hunt up the spot 10 which
tho fish hod changed their base.
but ono sensou man named Job Scoor
went Mp from Boston 10 try smolt.
fishing. lilo tried IL for day and
frogc one foot and both ears, and
then went awny. But ho didn't 40
home. llo won't TO Belfast and had q
heavy wooden frame, ten feet square,
mndoutr, q carpenter. He procured
somsf anil canvas and covered the Franc
with II, leaving ou opening for door,
The frame was on runners. When Tho
.houso' WINS finished ho had u drawn
upon tho Ice aud placed over tho holes
hs Intended TO llsh through. Then y
occurred TO him that he might add still
further TO his comfort, and hs bought
-. Iss~.~~. ..ssu