The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-23
4 Traveller Tells Marvellous Tales Of
Deep Sea Fishing
Rivers Which Are Alive With Fish-Thir
ty Fish Caught as Fast as UngurCla
Could Pull Them In-SpiAed
Fishing Tackle.
lcopYR1eHr, 1921

August or the 1st of September. and Is
of greater extent than anyone can con-
ceive who has not seen it, AS natural
consequence 's6sherman's luck" Is
very different thing there than in the
fshed-out streams Of New England.
I first heard of the magnitude of these
runs of salmon while our vessel lay at
anchor IN Fort Clarence, me naturai
harbor on the coast Of Alaska, less
than one hundred miles below Behring
straits.
1t was the first week in July and only
a stray finny forerunner was now and
then caught by the natives. These fish
were mostly of three or four pounds
weight, and their flesh was almost
white. But they were fish, and large
ones, too, in the sight of one who had
only fished in New England streams, SO
i was seized with q desire to go a-ish-
ing.
/ was preparing for the trip in the old
regulation style and with the usual
outfit, when the captain of our vessel
suggested that visit few days until
the run of fish had fairly begun. Then
we would take our native interpreter.
Ungurula, and have genuine Eskimo
fishing party. This was a much more
satisfactory arrangement than anything
that could plan, for I knew nothing
about the country or the habits OF the
fish, and l had never been salmon
fishing, SO gladly dropped all my own
plans for this new one.
Each day the weather grew warmer,
and with the increasing warmth came
more and larger and higher colored sal
mon until about the 18th, when it
seemed as though the food gates OF
inumberless fish ponds had been opened
and the fish turned loose by millions.
''This looks as though we might
have some luck" said the captain, as
we watched the myriads of fish passing
our vessel ''Guess we will have to go
fishing tomorrow, announced the cap
tain.
We told Ungurula of our plan and
asked him to get everything ready to
catch the fish, while the steward was
directed to make ready the most neces-
sary part of the baggage lunch
basket.
Ungurula was delighted at the pros
.pect and Immediately set to work tf
prepare the tackle which was siN
most simple and peculiar outfit for
fishing trip l ever saw. The captain
told me he would let his guide do all
the fishing. AS there was little prepa-,
eration necessary on my part, | had
plenty OF time to watch Ungurula.s
H-ya civ
feet long and about eight inches wide.
He cut handle at one end so that the
board could be held easily and firmly
by both hands. The carpenter was
then called upon and his supply OF
nails inspected. About twenty long
wire spikes were picked out-the
largest that could be found-and these
were driven through the board at reg.
ular intervals from the end down al
most to within foot of the handle,
and their long, sharp points extended at
least four inches from the under side OF
the board.
"How many pish?'' inquired Unguru-
La of the captain as they examined the
peculiar tackle together.
(These natives cannot pronounce the
letter f.
.'Oh, so many" said the captain as he
opened and closed his fingers three,
times, indicating thirty fish.
"Au right" said Ungurula, "me
ready"
asked no questions, but waited for
time to explain the mystery of things.
This was the season of the midnight
sun, and with continuous daylight we
could make our start at any time. The
change Of the early morning watch was
the most convenient time, and at four
O'Clock the starboard quarter boat was
covered away, and with four strong
men at the oars our whaleboat was soon
gliding swiftly toward the head of the
port with the long, steady pull OF sail
ors on a whaling vessel 1t was several
miles up, but under the steady stroke of
the oars we were soon on the river and
assembled it two or three miles.
Upgurula was in charge of the expe-
Idition, and at his woed we landed at a
fork in the river and hauled the boat
well up on the beach. We then walked
about one hundred feet up the smaller
stream TO a spot where the water was
quite shallow.
Such sight as we saw there is be-
yond description. We had seen what
seemed like millions of fish as we came
up the river But here the water was
fairly alive with them. It seemed az
though the fish would fairly push each
other out of the water in their strug
giles to go up stream. Literally. the
water was struggling mass of salmon
OF all sizes.
There was nothing poetic or effusive
about Ungurula. The sight was an old
story to him and he was too intensely
practical to have anything in mind be-
yond the capture of thirty good, fat,
king salmon for the ''cap'n." He took
off his boots, stockings and trousers,
then with the mysterious board in hand
began the fishing. It was very evident
we were TO have degree of fshermen's
luck that would make any fsherman's
heart burst with gladness. But the
question in mind was: How is it to be
done?
Upgurula soon explained it. Walk