Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-06-20
MACKEREL FISHING.
HOW THE BUSINESS is CARRIED
oNALoNG THE EASTERN COAST.
Tho Crows OF the schooners--wher
tho Meckerol AFRO Found ~.
Different Periods OF
tho Season.


of the boat he commands. To arrive nj
this station, however, years Of stoady toll
arc necessary, for the life of fisherman
is not very remuncratiyo. The crew,
shipped ut tho port from which tho ves-
sci halls, are paid in shares, according to
the catch, so that they havo IN interest
in the success Of the trip, and every man
is always kecnly alive to take advantage
of everything which will I'LL UP the
schooner's hold.
The majority OF tho men having been
neighbors on shore, peculiar method is
adopted by the skipper to set tho watch
and divide tho hunks among tho men.
The choice Of the latter and the assign
ment OF the former arc left entirely in
the hands of Damo Fortune. The mode
OF doing this is called "thumbing the
hat" As soon rs the SCHOONER has
cleared from shore and things have been
tidiod down aboard the skipper comes on
deck and calls the men together. Each
bunk has number chalkcd upon il and
tho skipper holds in his hand as many
pieces of wood about two inches long
rs there are men in tho crew. These
pieces OF wood have notchcs cut in them
from one to the number Of hunks that
may DO on board. The men step for
ward, ono after tho other, and, drawing
stick from tho Captains hand, count
tho notchos and take tho hunks indi
Gated by these numbers. So much for
the hunks. Tho turn of watches Is then
sct. A Int with a wide brim is sot on
the forehatch, and each of the crew puts
ono thumb on tho rim. The Captains
back is turned while thoy do this, and
when they nre ready he walks backward
until ncar enough to touch ono OF tho
thumbs on the hat. Tho man touched
stands tho frat watch and trick mt tho
wheel, tho mnn Mt his right tho second,
and so on. Soats Mt tho mess table 90
with the watches.
Where mnckcrol como from in the
spring has never been asccrtainod. They
make their appearance suddenly, and ut
the close OF the season they disappear ms
suddenly ms they came. Their frat ap-
pcaranco is usually made about tho be.
ginning OF the month Of March in tho
waters about Cape Hatteras. During
tho early spring they work their way
northward along the coast of Now Emp
land, and have even gono MS far north
ward rs the Gulf of st. Lawrence. AS
soon rs the fall sets in they leave these
waters, not to rcappear again until the
spring. The mackcrclcr which makes nm
early catch, II near II port, in the hopes
of bringing tho first cargo of tho fish to
market, will head for IL rs soon rs she
has made ono good haul. This haul, IL
shc is tho first bout to arrive, usually
pays her for her trouble. Otherwise
thoy arc kept aboard, sailed in bnrrols,
nnd aftcrward, when delivered ashore,
nre ropacked in hnlf barrels. tubs or
exits, and shipped throughout the coun-
try.
Aboard whaling vessels the custom nl-
why's has been to offer prize to the first
man who sights tho great crlistacean thoy
arc after. This custom Is followed
aboard the mackerelor, and tho mnn who
first sights tho fish breaking water gots
one-half share more in that haul than
no otherwise would DO entitled to. Con-
scquently when tho schooner ncars
Hatteras and the cry of "Thoro they
school" comes from the lookout in the
top there is n scurrying OF mon to look
| in the direction which Is indicated.
Owing to tho height of tho lookout's
position 1t Is some time before the crew
on tho schooners deck can make out the
fish. Tint Is not waited for, however,
by the Captain, who Immediately orders
tho seine boat raised of her checks md
lowered. Her crew tumble into her
and soon is bending to the onrs in tho
direction in which tho fish wero aeon.
Coiled up on tho thwarts of tho seine
boat lies the long net to be used to cap
turc the finny prey. The not, made of
strong cord, is sometimes four hundred
or five hundred yards long and twenty
feet Wide. Ono edge of it is provided
with large corlss, tho other with nm equal
number OF leaden rings. These enable
the net to Aoat in perpendicular posi-
ton in the water. Through these rings
runs rope known rs the purse rope.
On nearing the school of fish the men
have to be very careful not to brighten
them away, us the slightest noise will
cause them to dive to the bottom of the
sea. One end of the seine is now let
out, and fastened to it is u barrel or buoy.
This is looked after by another OF tho
schooner's crew, who has followed the
seine boat in dory. Carefully the seine
is now paid out around the school OF
fish, and finally worked around to the
buoy again. The ring about tho fish is
now complete, but they arc still able to
escape if frightened. Two of the crow
now lay hold of the purse rope, and that
is carefully drawn in, so that when it is
the fish arc in sack of finely woven
cords, the purse rope having drawn the
bottom of tho seine together.
If this mancuvcr has succeeded, rs
many rs three or four hundred barrels of
fish have been caught in one haul. Care
must still be exercised with them, or in
their cagerness to escape they will rip
the net to pieces, particularly if it is a
little old. AS soon rs the purse rope has
been drawn taut the schooner is signaled.
She has been standing off and on near
the boats, and as soon as the signal is
seen she makes for them and comes to
close alongside the seine boat. After n
great deal of hauling and pushing the
f,ch ot1 frop, a.. ,o;,.o H.,