The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-23

lie with the head against the current. and
when the current changes they swim about
in search of another berth. Half an hour
or so Is all the time needed to make a grand
catch OF turbot with the hook 1t is other
wise with the trawl, which rakes along
over the sea bottom and gathers everything
great and small into the capacious bag be-
hind. The trawl is very successful, but 1t Is
murder wholesale of the most indiscrim-
mate destructiveness. The hook does give
fnDy life a chance.
BY far the best bait for turbot Is fresh.
bleeding mackerel. just drawn out Of the
water. Sand eels are also used, three or
more on hook, but the turbot has probably
plenty of them in his own manner of cook
ing them. The mackerel is a variety he
cannot get hold of by honest hunting, and
when he takes slice off fishhook he usu-
ally gets caught himself.
In the early morning the turbot fisher can
often secure enough OF mackerel by trolling
few hooks astern. These may either have
white feather lure or an edible bait of
bite eagerly in the twilight. and they fight
gamely. Two or three on the hooks astern
give enough of tug to stout arm in bring
ing the fish inb0ard. Thus equipped, and
arriving in time for the tide, there is usually
some success on the most frequented banks.
turD0t comes to the surface most I'M
willingly. 1t makes all the protest its thick
broad body can offer. But up it does come,
and just as it might give trouble by flop
ping, it is assisted into the boat by huge
hook passed into any solid part of its an
atomy. Then it is all over with Mr..
down to die, and can only gasp
fer an hour or two, with now and then
spasmodic struggle. The skate suceumbs
with much the same assumption of dignity.
But beware of ray with spinons tail.
IL may intiet very ugly cash, and the
wound will be difficult to cure.
The mackerel season In France begins
well Tor the fishermen. 1t opens in Lent,
and people who are on a fish diet become
iastidions and are willing to pay any price
for change. As much as three francs
mackerel may Thus be paid by the devout
who have not ceased TO be on good relation
ship with the stomach.
With all these exceptional gains for
turb0t and mackerel, the fisherman who
owns a boat and employs mousse, who
has TO keep up cordage and sails nets and
hooks, cannot do much more than pay his
way. The men who go out in decked boats
from Cancale sometimes prosper because
they can go long distances and catch fish on
great scale. but the man who has his own
boat and limited capital must be coDtented
with independence and small gains. AS The
Breton fisherman gets old he generally has
heavy burdens to carry. His family consists
of perhaps dom children, possibly
helpful, but more than likely not
wholly in the character Of blessed
satisfaction. But unless he takes to
drowning his senses with cider at sou
glass, the Breton fisherman at least has
some hundreds OF francs safely invested in
the bank or in Government funds and Is
able to face rainy day, old age or sickness
with confidence and conteDtment In this
respect the BretoDs compare we'll with the
tOilers of the sea of ali nations.
1t Is remarkable how much the Breton
fisherman is assisted by women in his call
ing. The women procure him bait, and
they are paid for their services on a very
strict scale. Some of them even 90
to sea in the open boats, and are as
successful as the men in handling
the nets or the hooklines. To a certain
extent it is rough work for a woman, but
poor people cannot stand on ceremony.
The women so employed are just as inde-
pendent as the men. and are thought so
much the better OF for this assertion of self
reliance. DECAY MACKART.