The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-08-15
| FISHING FOR MACKEREL.
! CUNNING APPLIANCES FOR EN-.
SHARING THIS WARY FISH.
A Large Proportion of the Food of
Humanity Furnished by this
Species of the Finny Tribe.


Species of the Finny Tribe.
The mackerel fishing business of the
American coast employs some two
hundred vessels and 2j00 men. The an
nual catch ranges from so, 900 to 400, 900
barrels, and the estimated value of the
fish is from 81, 600, 900 to S 600, coo. The
vessels nearly all are built and owned in
New England, and their cruising ground
extends-from the capes Of Virginia to the
gulf Of St Lawrence.
The fish, which range in weight from
three pounds downward, make their APP
pearance during April, swimming north
ward always in schools-and by the third
week in May they make their entrance
into their favorite feeding grounds in
Massachusetts bay. The more adventur
Gus gradually work their way farther
north, until midsummer finds them in
the cool waters of Mount Desert, the bay
of Fundy. and the ST. Lawrence gulf
and not infrequently the cod fishermen on
the banks of Newfoundland see them
breaking the water in their airy, grace
full fashion. Then begins the southwark
movement and by October the last school
has passed Cape Cod, and the fishery is
over for the winter.
When a school of mackerel is descrled
by vessels crew the great seineboat,
which is invariably in tow, is hauled
alongside and all on board but two get
into it. One of the two boards the
small flat-bottomel boat, the dory,
and the other, who is the cook, remains
in charge of the schooner. The large
boat, manned by eight or ten stalwart
men, and laden with the seine, rows away
with all speed in the direction in which
the fish are travelling in order TO head
them off. When in the proper place the
end of the seine is passed to the man in
the dory, who remains as nearly station
ary as possible while the larger boat de.
scriDes circle ''paying OUT the seine
as it goes. The seine, which is a bag OF
network, is weighted with lead on the
bottom, so that It sinks as it is dropped,
forming a perpendicular fence, as it
were, around the fish. The upper edge
of the seine is buoyed at the surface by
cork floats. When the larger boat rejo!ns
the dory the purse line which bounds
the bottom of the seine is quickly reeved
through the thimbles around the top,
and all hands begin hauling it in. The
result is (unless the school has taken
alarm and escaped) that the thousands
of fish which we're but just now sporting
at freedom are incosed in bag from
which there is no possible egress. Slowly
but without fail the pursuing goes on,
and soon the fishermen are able to see
the value of their prize. There are the
fish large and small--mxed in a strug.
Cling mass, their beautiful sides spark.
,,,s si,. tIn.r ,g,t
a thousand barrels of them, and moi
! often less than a hundred. The cook
has, by this time, brought the vesse,
alongside the boat and the freighted
seine is made fast TO the rail. A whip il
made and the fish are scooped from the
seine by the barrelfull and thrown upon
the vessels deck; which, as may bt
easily guessed, soon becomes alive with
the leaping, papting, frightened prison.
srs.
If the vessel be engaged in market
fishing, sail is at once made for the
nearest port and the fish are disposed o.
to the wholesale dealers; if, however,
she is what is technically termed {
"salter," all hands at once go about
packing the fish. The barrels are hoist d
up from below aud emptied of their salt
The men take their stations along the
sides and the work begins. There is no
waiting for the fish to die. With one
cut of the knife each one is split length.
wise tthe entrails are thrown overheard,
and are thrown into a cask filled Will
sea water. After soaking and losing
their blood the fish are barrcled--a layel
of salt and layer Of iish--the barrels
are headed up and slowed below, and,
provided the vessels capacity is not ex.
hausted, search is begun for another
school. The lookout is kept up by
night as well rs by day, for the phos.
| phoresccnt CLEAN of the fish is discern,
IDLE to the practiced eye though a mile
away. The dressing of fish is also car
ried on at night, and the writer Iemem.
| bcTs, one night last summer, seeing
twelve vessels crews OF Cape Ann en-.
gagged in this work by the light of Ian.
terms, hung in the rigging.
The marketing of the freshly caught
| mackerel is often attended by lively
scenes. When the supply on shore is
light the incoming vessel is watched
with eager eyes by the dealers on the
wharyes. Mr.. "Skipper" knows the
situation outside, they know the condi.
tiou Of the market, and the play OF
shrewdness which attends the meeting
of these sharp traders is full of amuse.
ment to the spectator. The skipper can,
of course, only guess at the state of the
trade on shore, but he knows what luck
other vessels are having with the fish
and how soon they make their appear.
ance in port. The dealers base then
price on the market; he bases his on the
data at command and often 'stand,
OFF, until extraordinary offers are made
for his fish, The crews Of all the vessel,
being paid a share of the seasons proits,
their efforts are at all times unabated,
and it not unfrequently happens that 6
crew is fortunate enough TO divide 500
or 5000 as the result of twenty -fom
hours work. On the other hand, when
the market is gluttcd, the fish frequently
bring little more than the cost of the
ice in which they are packed. One OF
the best ''streaks of fortune which 8
crow ever struck was a couple Of wears
ago when a small craft, in a season Of
scarcity, landed a fare in Boston, obtain.
ing tirst.cl price and then, setting
sail for home, ran across l2j- j-barrel
school in the lower harbor (where these
fish very rarely Gomez and, capturing
them ALL pat about and sold them be,
fore snndown at a similarly high figure,
thus earning $1,000 between sunrise and
sunset CAtc0gO Times.