The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-05-10
In the Hannts of Shad and Mackerel.
Correspondence of the Journal.
FORTRESS MONROE, April 2G. 1888.
II : Sch CrrmpuS

|
etc. The weather being fine a vigilant watcl
was kept for any ''>ign>' of fish. such as slick
on the water, or phalaropes, better known a
sea geese. These are regarded by fishermen a
sure indications of the presence of mackerel
| On the afternoon of the 9th ''slicks" and phal
aropes We're reported from the masthead
| Later in the evening. when in lat. 81 long
| AS. small pods of fish Were seen unde
| the bow. and announced to be mackere Mack
| erel. unlike herring or menhaden. move with
| quick, Sinuous motion when frightened, ant
when darting from under vessels bow a
| night can be distinguished in that manner
| especially If there be but few in the school
| but if large schools, or 'rafts,' as the fisher
| men term them. are run into ii is much moro
difficult to distinguish the difference, they be
III" so compact, and appear as one large shee
of fire moving rapidly over the surface of thu
| ocean.
| 70 watch schools of fish from the masthea,
Of a vessel on a dark night, when the water i,
! full of phoSphoreScence, is an interesting an,
| very exciting sight. made more 50 when the
watcher Is entirely dependent on the capture Of
certain quantity of them for his daily bread
| Standing upon the deck of steamer watching
| the fiery wake as it disappears in the gloom OF
night is interesting but to see old ocean in one
Of its grandest displays is to witness a fleet OF
| mackerel Seiners engaged in might fishing >
| proximity to each other, all tacking and jbine
| about to avoid collision, or to get the inside
| track of some half dozen other nocturnal rivals
who are anxious to get the first set at some
! particular school, that happens to be showing
| up much better than the rest.
| II often happens that mackerel will only
school at night, and then can only be seer
when there is no moon and the sky is overcast
On such occasions a lively time is anticipated
by the fishermen. 1t is not an unusual sight
to see as high as 30 or 60 seine boats away from
their vessels. either setting or about TO set their
>cineS. They make Il pretty picture to look
upon. aS tie! all leave fiery path behind them
Fishermen as rule are blessed with good
lungs. and when Il boat has succeeded in captur.
inc the school set at the crew are not back.
ward in informing their less fortunate com
ranon> of their good luck. Occasionally 4
coasting vessel will approach near school that
Is being set at, and sometimes the fish are sunk
bv them. AT which times the occupants of the
seine boats will give full vent to their feelings
in language which would be anything but pleas
in@ TO puriSt. When rowing around school
OF nackerel or pur>ing up the seine, every
man is supposed to exert himself to his utmost.
| and if one is caught shirking he is soon re-
minded of il. But such eases are rare, AS the
crew of nackerel seiners are on shares. and are
only too glad to get chance to pull upon a
purSe-.inc. Attera school has been surrounded
10y tWne and the fish are PLAYING at the surface
every body is terribly excited. for within the
circle of corkS and twine can be seen that
which if captured will buy home comforts and
supply the family with the necessities of life.
After the seine is purscd the work of drying
in is begun, which is to haul all of the slack
twne and corks into the boat. thereby putting
the fish into as small a compass as possible.
After this Is done the vessel is skilfully brought
alongside and the contents of the seine baiIed
out and deposited on the vessels deck
II a very large school has been captured it is
int a 1.rtr nl-,t, pf
twine which is fastened TO the mainrail on the
>tarhoard side of the vessel. This pocket is
capable of Withstanding the rapacious attacks
Of the innGmerable dog fish which frequent
our coast in summer. Every fisherman looks
upon a dog fish as his nemesis. and never lets
one escape alive. whenever an opportunity pre-
>ent~ itself to kill it, These pests of the ocean
are so numerous. that after school has been
captured they will frequently eat the entire
bottom from the >enc i'll trying to get at the
lntckerel. Sometimes whole trip is lost in
this way before the vessel can be got to the
boat. These wolves of the ocean are far more
ferocous at night than in the daytime and as
the god of day sinks below the horizon they
seem to steal forth from their deep submarine
caverns for the sole purpose of tantaliZing
fishermen.
OccasionalIya sudden display of torches will
be seen. which indicates that vessel has cap
lured school, and that the crew are engaged
in dressing them. When from one to two hum
'lrcd sail Of seinerS are huddled together. all
Illuminated, they present Il queer >ight-es-
lecialy if there is a rough, choppy sea going
all rollin" and pitching in different directions.
which would cause one approaching from Il
distance 70 imagine that a marine pyrotechnic
display was being held in honor of Neptune.
Steamers frequently 20 out of their path in
order to give the passengers on board an OPP
portunity of seeing such a novel sight. In
rough weather might fishing becomes ey-
tremey dangerous. as it is carried on when
the crews and captains of vessels ought to be
on board. instead of being in boats battling
with the elements. But fishermen as Il rule
are very intrepid. and often risk their lives
when it is thought that a few dollars can be
realized by so doing. This may sound strange
to those who are not followers of the sea; but
it is nevertheless true. A few years ago thir-
teen men were lost one night in Massachusetts
Bay all belonging TO mackerel seners. These
men We're 50 eager to procure fare of fish
that they forgot all about their perilous posi-
ton and hung to their >cine> long that be-
fore their vessels could reach them the boats
fliicd and turned bottom up. During this time
vessels were lahoring under double-reefcd
sails.
\ short time after falling in with the fish
before spoken Of. the vessel was hove to and
mackcrcl and herring nets put out. On haul
inG them the next morning not a single speci-
men was obtained-not even enough to satisfy
the cook, who was standing ready to claim his
share. As the weather looked threatening we
bore away for Hampton Roads. Va, where
we anchored at A. NJ, close to some
American mcn-Of-war which Judging from
their models and rigs must have been derelicts
in the early part of this century. On our ar
rival here we received orders to Immediately
proceed to Chesapeake Bay and investigate the
Shad fisheries. Four days were spent cruising
III ali parts of the bay. Those situated at the
mouths of York and Rappahannock rivers and
Tangiers Sound have thus far this year taken
more >had than for the past eight wears. Fish
ermen all over the bay speak as though the
coming season would be a fruitful one. They
all state that to the work of the Fish Commits
sion is due the annual increase of shad in the
Chesapeake and Delaware bays,
On the morning of the 18th we passed Cape
Henry. southwark bound. A week was spent
in making trial for mackcrcl with toll bait and
gill nets. but without success until the night of
the 2lst when tinker mackerel was caught in
the nets: lat. 31-01 deg. NJ; long. 14-4S deg.
W. Various sizes of surface tow nets We're
used during the day. which generally collect
any floatln@ llsh eggs, crustacea aud minute
marine life which may be floating at the sur
face. all of which is food for mackere. Hour
lv temperatures of the water were taken at the
surface; also bottom temperatures several
times each day. and the exact position noted.
The temperature of the water greatly affects
the movements of mackerel in their north
ward journey. The water this spring is found
TO be several degrees colder than last, which
10 doubt accounts for no mackerel being seen
at lh" surface up to date. The most southern
position reached was in lat. 35-46 deg. n.
long: 400 de-. W., where an abundance of
whales, porpoiSes, phalaropes and gannets
were found. Every indication went to show
that mackerel or other fish that school at the
surface We're present, although no specimens
We're obtained.
Because mackerel do not rise and take the
hook when toll bait is thrown is no sign that
they are not near. In years heretofore large
fleet of seners have roamed over the southern
mackerel ground, looking for fish, and in some
eases weeks have elapsed ere they found anv.
This year no fishing vessels are on the ground,
so consequently one single vessel is not likely
to fall in With a large quantity even If they
should be quite plentiful along the coast
From the position last mentioned repeated
trials were made as far north as 81 degrees and
40 minutes. On the night of the 24th, when in
lat 81 deg. 81 min. and 45 sec. North; long.
"A deg and 80 min. West. one herring was TAX
en-. This comprises all the fish caught during
| the cruise except dogfish, which may be caught
in our quarter of the globe on any kind of bait
or any kind of hooks.
As our supply of water was nearly gone, the
morning of the 25th we bore away for Hamp-
| ton Roads, Va, where we anchored at $50 d,
M In few days we shall be ready for sea
| again, and it is hoped that the coming cruise
will prove more profitable one than the last
ALEXANDER.
Ammoniated Bread.
Ammoniated baking now,lers-that is h.E.