Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-15
A Monster Fish, Tran.

AS one approaches Nan;ashet from the west.
and when yet some distance away he sees what
at first glance might well be mistaken for the
storm-bcatcn rigging of u sunkcn fleet a
whole grove of mast-like poles stands out OF the
water, hundred ropes run across or sweep
downward, ut various angles, while punches
ana streamers OF seawced dangling from Hasts
and ropes give to the whole an air OF widncss
ana utter ruin. But nearer approach shows
that the lines nave been run with definite Dur-
pose. and reveal thousands of square feet OF fine
netting, which the mast-like poles sustain in
place. 1t Is the Hull fishing weir. To the Ictt
the leader stretches away like a great fence
into shoal water. A school OF mackere swim
ming shoreward first encounters this leader and
being turned aside by it, before the fish have gone
far they find themselves betw zen the network
walls of the N-shaped "hcart'' Now, Instead
%ho Knew 1ner tw as any eeetns ;a
tween the converglns walls of the "heart,.'
until, passing through the little "gate''-not
more than four ieet in width-they lind them
selves securely imprisoned in the circular
'bowr'-a b'urn from WHICH few IN .ckerel re-
turn. On the opposite side OF the "bowl" is
another " heart and another leader" so ar
ranged us to entrap the fish coming from
Incl Lne 3tner direition: The netting OF the great
cured Ga tathoms down ut the bottom on the
sea hoOr ny pursuing lines by means of which
the great bag, capable Of containing hundreds
Of barrels Oh fish, may readily be contracted and
drawn up.
The hauling process begins at low tide. Con.
siderins the huge size OF the trap and the thou.
sands OF pounds vi ii Ill frequently caught in it.
the pursuing operation IS very quickly per.
formed, and rarely occupies more than n few
minutes. First the gate Is closed, and then the
cumbersome bag lifted upon one side, driving
the nOw-crazed fish into narrow quarters The
water boils. Barrels of mackerei are darling.
diving. jumping out OF water, plunginy to the
bottom only to reappear shooting at Il thou
sand angles in their frantic efforts to escape
Should small fish be the only inmates of the
corded prison, the deadly mesheS soon close
upon their impOtcnt struggles, but should
shark, seal, or pulling pOrpoise find them
selves entrapped-as frequently they do
then look out for fun, for, after fiounderine
for q minute or two as the trap closes they
Will dash through the netting, and thus open
the door OF escape for hundreds of naclerel
Owing to slight error in placing the weir,
the haulS OF the past few days have not been
AS large as expected. and the process of moy-
Ing to a more favored position the great net
ting, which cost its owners over S. 600 has
already begun. When one considers that the
poles have to be driven with great care that
the netting, over 400 feet in length. con-
tains tens of thousands of square feet. It can
readily be seen that the undertaking. is no
tritiing one.
Upon the schooner Golden Horn. anchored
close ut hand, dwell Captain Chase, munagcr
OF the weir, and his corps OF assistants. Here.
also, they keep market, and mt each hauling
the big schooner Is surrounded by q whole
fleet OF smaller boats. manned by expectant
purchasers. Owing to the present cheapness of
the fish, comparatively few are sold for table
use, and the major part of each haul is tisnosed
Of ut u low figure for bait.