Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-06-19
NEW DEEP SEA FISHING.
VAST MARINE WEALTH NOW
WITHIN EASY REACH.
By tho ESQ OF tho "Beam Trawi" the
Atlantic Coast Will he Made to
Give Up New Food to Fish
Eating Millions.

A new fishing industry for this
country has been discovered. which
adds more than 1000 square miles
TO the fishery area at present available
of the Atlantic coast. This means
that novelty in the shape of what is
known as beam trawling" has been
introduced TO the coastal waters OF the
United States as means of catching
fish. Up 10 the present time the
fisheries of the North Atlantic have
been confined almost wholly TO the
great shadows called banks" far off
the shore, where cod. haddock. and
halibut are caught by means OF hooks
and bait.
The fact has been known for a long
time that the "lemon sole" and the
cock SOLE" which are of tho varieties
so highly priced by epicures in Europe.
are enormously plentiful on the bot
tom of the Atlantic declivity. But
these fish have been almost unknown
even in our seaports. owing to the fact
that no effective mode of taking them
was understood.
This seems rather curious, inasmuch
as the taking of such fishes by ready
means under like conditions is pur-
sued on a vast scale from ports OF
Great Britain. The implement used
for the purpose over there is of very
simple character, and is known rs the
''bcam trawl. The reason why ii
has not been adopted here is to be
in, No al If 40 9Th
men.
A Gloucester. Mass, schooner made
the first experiment with n beam trawl
imported from England. She returned
with an enormous catch of cod. had
dock. and halibut captured in the
trawl. besides 3, 900 lemon sole. which
sold for four cents apiece wholesale
The captain threw overheard ten tons
of these same soles. because he did
not know that they were salablc. His
trawl net came up time after time so
overloaded with fish that the greatest
difficulty was experienced in getting
them to the surface. because his vessel
was only an ordinary schooner, and
not properly equipped for such work
So great were the catches that ii took
rs much as nine hours 10 fetch the
'rawl on board. so that most of the
fish were too badly injured 10 be saved.
He estimates that 240 tons OF fish were
taken.
This was no fortuitous incident The
great shelf of the Atlantic from the
northern limits of the banks southwark
10 and beyond the capes of Virginia
are aswarm with fishes that are UNI
known to our domestic markets simply
for the reason that no practicable
method has hitherto been applied for
their capture. Vessels equipped with
steam apparatus for hosting travis
will shortly be built on this coast, after
the models commonly in use at British
ports, and the production of fish on
the shores of the Atlantic will be null
tiDlied within the next ten years many
fold. 1t is a very moderate estimate to
suppose that 10, 900 square miles will
be added TO the fishing waters of this
side of the ocean. In fact an entirely
new fishing industry is on the point OF
being created. and inasmuch as it will
be prosecuted off our own coast line.
and without the use OF bait, il will
give rise to no such international ques-
tions as have caused difficulties between
this country and Great Britain.
And yet beam trawl is the simplest
apparaifs conceivable. 1t is merely n
huge net, in the shape of u pocket,
seventy-fve feet in length, spread wide
by a stick of wood which goes on run
ners like a sled, so that the net can be
hauled over the bottom easily, its lower
portion weighted with lead, and scoop
ing every living thing that comes with
in its reach. especially the soles and
other fiat fish that hug the sandy or
muddy ground. In summer the soles
frequent the sandy bottom mostly. but
in winter they seek the muddy holes
for warmth.
Together with the soles is brought
up q most wonderfully varied exhibit
ton of marine life and on the deck Of
the trawler after haul may be seen
the tapping and writing shapes Of
the conger eel the fierce wolf fish with
wickedly swapping jaws, the dog fish,
always the fisherman's enemy, and the
wide-mouthel fishing frogs. which
/ some one has called animated carpet
bags" together with shells, sea anem-