The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-02-07
Catching Goldfish in the OhkO DISK. (.

The Pacific fishing grounds are in
Ohkotsk sea, in latitude SO degrees
north, longitude 155 deg. east in Beh-
ring sea in latitude 50 deg. 80 minutes
north, longitude 16o degrees west, and
off the ChOumagin Islands in latitude
55 deg. 20 min. west. The former is
an arm of the Pacific ocean, extend
ing between the peninsula of KANT
chatka and the Asiatc continent.
Behring sea, or as it is sometimes cali
ed, the sea of Kamtchatka, lies be-
tween North America and Asia, south
of Behring straits and north of the
Aleutian Islands. The Choumagin
Islands lie in the Pacific ocean off the
coast of Alaska. 1t is at the latter
point that one of the permanent fish
ing and trading stations is located,
and to which the catch of the vessels
in Behring sea is brought for ship
ment to San Francisco. The favorite
fishing ground, although the most re-
Kamtchatka, in the Okhotsk sea,
from that port, and requiring voyage
the distace being double that to the
grounds present themselves-one due
west, one to the north and one to the
south, touching at the Sandwich Is
lands. The last, although the longest
is the one usually chosen by outgoing
vessels on account Of the pleasanter
weather encountered. Each cod fish
ing vessel carries company of from
twenty-four to forty men, according
to I,ac atf fx- ,,I tad
with from twelve to twenty-five dorys
one for each fisherman. The fisher
men work as sailors while on the voy-
age, but trust for their compensation
to 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, east
anchor from ten to twenty miles from
shore and commence operations for
the season, which closes in September
AT A. 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 ahd proceed to fish, using
two hand lines provided with two No.
10 hooks and four pounds of lead to
each line. The bait used ut the open
ing of the season is a piece of salt her
ring, and afterwards halihut and sal
mon, when those fish make their APP
pearance. Salmon il the favorite bait,
and large numbers of these fish are
caught and cured for that purpose.
When they first make their appear
ance in July they have to be ti>hed
for with what is known as a olga
bunch of small hooks on the end of Il
line, which, baitei with something
white and attractive, is towed astern
If boat, the boatman holding the
other end of the line between his teeth.
Later on, when the salmon ascend the
fresh water rivers 10 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 Bel>ha and other
fresh water streams are clogged with
them. The vessels then anchor close
in shore and take from five Ia six boat
loads of fish, which are dressed and
sailed away for bait. 80 plentifnl are
the salmon that not only the fisher
men, but the bears also secure a sup
ply. The latter, having no nets, use
their paws To sweep the fish out OF the
water and rapidly fatten upon such
fare. After having laid in good
stock of salmon the real work of the
expedition begins, and continues with
varied success, from 200 To 900 day
being good days catch for one man,
but the number Will sometimes rise TO
700 aud again fall To next to nothing.
The cod, while IA Voracious hsh, Is still
rather dainty, ii would appear, ard
does not care to change diet. There
fore. when feeding on salmon they
will not bite at any other bait: or II
feeding on herring they will not take
the salmon. Sometimes, again, they
will refuse to bite at all, no matter
what is offered them, aud the fisher
men 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 boatnien row back to their ship
and the fish are taken in hand by the
'drcss gang These men are hired
at from $50 To $50 "A month and take
no share in the profits of the catch ex-
cept W hat fish they take for themselves
bv fishing from the vessel while the
fishermen are away, or IN case boat
is left Idle through the sickness OF one
of the fishermen, when the captain
will allow one Of the dress gang To
borrow il and fish for himself. When
the fish come ON board they are first
taken in hand by one 'throater,N who
cuts the throats and opens the bellies.
The "headern then takes Off the head
and removes the entraiis aad passes
them to the splitter who splits
them open aud cuts out the backbone.
They are then thrown into tubs and
,.a.h.d aud a ffp r the water is drained