Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-10-06
Catching r.aILoRs.


EAsToN, Sept 2S:-railors are quite plen-
tiftll in Miles river and the gill-net fisher
men are doing fairly we'll. The tailor is
esteemed delicious fish, but to have him
at his best he should be eaten as soon as
possible aft er being taken from the water.
Catch him after day baeak III the morning
and have him fried for break fast, and You
have Il fine fish. Gillnet fishing for tailors
is good sport. The nets have to he watched
or the crabs would destroy during the
night both fish and nets. A crab will eat
u tailor twice as large and AS heavy us the
crab and will then be no larger nor heavier.
Tho fishermen take two spells of tailor
fishing during the night. The first is from
just before sunset until . or 10 o'clock, the
second from an hour before daybrcak
until sunrise. The nets are stakcd down
on the flats Each net is about 40 feet
long and each fisherman will have from
two to four. The top line of the net has
corks for iOaterS, the bottom line lead for
sinkers. The meshcs are from 3 TO 81
inches, measured diagOnally across the
square, and q net is from % to 80 meshes
deep.
Having fastened his nets to the stakes,
the fisherman sits in his canoe ut either the
inside or the outside stake, holding OH
upon the cork line SO as to feel the fish
strike the net A big tailor that strikes
near the surface will make u great fuss,
make the water fly, and pull with a force
that will bend the stakes. The tailor is a
strong game fish. After striking the net
the fish will press forward with all his
strength, never backing, seeking to tear
his way through, which he sometimes
does, leaving big hole III the net, but his
efforts usually involve him more and
more and when partially exhausted the
fisherman works down on him by the
cork line of the net. and takes him out
while yet alive and strong. 10 take a
lighting tailor from a net safely and quickly
requires deStcrity acquired only by long
practice. The teeth OF the fish are long
and sharp, the mouth large, the jaws
muscular and the movement quick. lie
is lighting with his teeth as soon rs touched
and sometimes the veteran fisherman will
lose the ball of his thumb or Il piece out of
his middle finger in the tailor's mouth.
II the fish are running briskly and the
| fisherman has three or four nets ont he
must keep uyerllauling them from outside
to inside stake and back constantly If
fish are few, occasional or none, he must
make the trip every 2Ominutes to keep the
crabs out. They are the terror OF the tailor
| gill-nct fisherman. After the early night
| fishing the nets are taken mp and ashore
| and put in tubs of fresh water to prevent
| the sea nettles that are caught up by the
nets from rotting them. After the morn
| ing ilshlng they are spread on reels or
fences to dry out The tailor fisherman is
| generally an oystcr-tonger. and after Il
breakfast on fresh, fat, fried tailors, he
goes to put i'll long day on the oyster
bars. Clustering and fishing he works at
this time Of the year Is hours in the n.
Every tailor fisherman aims to salt away
barrel Of the fish for winter use, and
when properly packed they make good
winter fish. The Choptank river, Miles
| river and the Eastern bay are equally good
| quently so numerous that 2O-falhom gill
net viii catch 100 and sometimes more at a
| fishing.