Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-05-27
MACKEREL FISHING.
The Boats and Crews and How the Fish are
Taken.
Boston Record.

| Inc Boats ana crews ana How the Fish are
! Taken.
Boston Record
! Previous to 1860 most of the meckeraI
were taken with the hook and line. but
since then the purse seine has come into
general use, and with its introduction the
mackeral fishery has been totally revolu-
| tionized. The boats used by the fleet in
the purse seine fishing are built after a
peculiar model and solely for this pur-
pose. They resemble the well known
whaleboat differing from it, however, in
some important particulars. The follow
ing are the general dimensions of the
boat: SO feet long over all, feet z inches
wide, feet inches deep. They are re-
markably well adapted for swift rowing
and for towing, both these qualities being
very desirable, especially the latter, since
| they are frequently towed at a rate of ten
or twelve knots. Some of the larger yes
sells carry two seine boats and two seines.
Each vessel also carries two dories. All
the boats are taken on deck in rough
weather, when making a long passage. or
when not engaged in fishing. Two kinds
OF seines are used. The large seine is
19Oto 220 fathoms in length and 20 to 25
fathoms in depth, when it is hung being
deeper IN the center than at the extreme
ends, which are from 10 to Is fathoms in
depth. Along the top of the seine they
are fastened to cork floats to sustain it on
top of the water, and at the bottom are
small lead sinkers, which keep it in per-
pendicular position until the fish are sur
rounded Rings are also placed on the
bottom, through which passes a rope or
bride which, being hauled on brings the
tNnln 49, IL. Il
purse, and which secures all the fish
that may have been inclosed in it.
When signs of flesh begin to be numer-
Gus and sea geese and gannets are plenty,
and whales and porpoises show them
selves frequently, the crew begin to sur
vey the surface of the water with great
care. AS soon as a shoal or school" of
fish is discovered the vessel is headed in
that direction, and all hands, except two.
who man the dory, and the cook, who is
left in charge of the schooner, jump into
the seine boat, in which the seine is al
ready prepared, and pull toward the OBJ
ject of their pursuit. When near enough
in his Judgment the skipper orders one
end of the seine put overheard, and the
real work then begins, the men rowing as
fast as possible while the seine is payed
out. The skipper steers the boat around
the school in such,a manner that, when the
seine is fully out, the cork-line approx
mates more or less closely to the form of
a circle. In the meantime the two men
in the dOry seize hold of the first end of
the seine and hold it until the seine boat
has completed its circle, when they Jump
into the latter to assist in ''pursing up"
This work must be performed very quick
ly, because until it is begun the seine is
in the form of a hollow cylinder, and the
fish, In order to escape, have only to dive
down and swim away under the lead line.
The operation of setting a seine around
a school and pursuing it up usually occu-
pies ten to twelve minutes, though it is
claimed by some expert fishermen that
they have done it in seven minutes. The
fish having thus been trapped the vessel
is brought alongside and they are bailed
out and placed on deck, to be put on ice
if destined at once for the market, or
cleaned and sailed if they are to be
packed in barrels. AS many as 500 bar
rels of mackerel have been taken in one
of these purse seines at single haul, but
the usual catch is much smaller than that.
The crew of mackeral catcher aver
ages fifteen men all told, including the
captain and cook, the latter being the on
ly man who is paid regular wages. The
men goes on what is called Clay" that
is each gets a certain share of the profits
of the voyage. The vessel is fitted out
with everything necessary for the cruise
by the owners, and their share is 60 per
cent the crew divided the remainder. In
some years the business proves very pro-
ftable, and lucky vessels have often yield
ed small fortunes for owners and men,
but it not infrequently happens that the |
reverse is true and then day wages are
hardly earned. For a number of years
past the steam pOrgie or manhaded fisher |
men have fallen in with schools of mack |
erel while in pursuit of their regular bus
ness, which they have succeeded in sein-
ing and bringing to market AS speed is |
one of the chief requisites of successful |
mackerel fishing, and as steam power is |
much swifter than sail, it has been deter
mined to make an experiment with it in
the regular mackerel fishing. For this |
purpose the steamer Novelty was built |
and fitted out on Portland, and she sail |
ed some little time ago on her first voyage, !
carrying a crew of fifty-two men and all |
the modern appliances known to the craft |
Her career during the season will be
watched with much interest, and if it shall |
prove to be successful the style of vessel |
used in the business will be revolution
lied.