The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-01-04
CATCHING TERRAPfN.
How 1t Is Done by Connecticut River
Fishermen.
special Correspondence

| Especial Correspondence
| SAYBRooK. Conn, Dec. 29.-Up the
Connecticut river, about six miles from
its mouth, is strip Of marshy land
across which swing the tides as they ebb
and flow. The land is famous hunting
grounds for the hunters of terrapin OF
| blue turtles.
The terrapin is delicacy and COM
mands an exorbitantly high price in the
markets of New York The average
blue turtle is about the size Of a mans
hand. The shell is of dark brown
color, but the flesh has blush tint. Ii
general appearance it resembles the
rough back mud turtle that is found in
the ponds and streams in all parts of the
United States, but its flesh has a deli
cate flavor that appeals very forcibly to
the most fastidious palate.
Three methods are employed in catch
ing the terrapin The one followed by
most hunters is the raking process. A
rake three feet wide, with curved teeth
of flexible steel eighteen inches long, is
attached to q handle Of spruce or pine
from eighteen to twenty feet long.
When the tide is about three-quarters
full, the hunter, armed with this rake,
rows to the flats, and anchoring his boat
at each end SO that it will remain sta
tionary he throws the rake overheard.
With the end Of the rake handle resting
on his shoulder the hunter presses the
rake into the mud and then hauls it to-
ward the boat as rapidly as he can.
When the rake reaches the boat it is
lifted quickly out Of the mud, turned
over and brought to the boats rail. The
soft mud drips slowly through the teeth
of the rake while the hunter runs his
hand around in it in search of terrapin
A rakeful of mud seldom holds more
than one turtle, and it not infrequently
happens that the hunter rakes through
an entire tide without catching one.
Another way of catching terrapin is
with wire baskets. These baskets are
made of wire netting with meshes an
inch square. They are from eight to ten
feet long and from two and half to
three feet deep. The baskets are set in
the mud and held stationary by iron
weights attached to the corners. Into
the basket are thrown chopped CLAIMS
and fragments of fish, snails, ETC., Of
which the terrapin is fond.
At slack water, or high water slack,
as the fishermen say, which means at
that point of high tide when the water
begins to ebb, the hunters lift these
baskets. Sometimes two turtles are
taken in this way at a haul and oftener
the basket is empty, but when a hunter
has a dozen or more baskets set he is
quite sure of getting enough game to
pay him well for his labor. There is no
danger Of terrapin that may be in the
basket escaping, for they always dive to
the bottow and dig into the mud when
alarmed.
The terrapin takes especial delight in
floating with about an inch of it's head
and neck thrust out Of water. Some
times at full tide dozens Of these black
noses are seen dotting the water. The
hunter who adopts the third method
rows out to the fiat with an assistant.
When the ground is reached. the ssbutch-
en-" as he is called, lies along athwart,
resting the upper part of his body on the
gunwale. In his right hand he carries
stiff iron rod about eight feet long. The
assistant sits in the middle Of the boat,
with a pole twelve feet long resting
across his lzEees. At each end of this
pole scoop net is attached.
The hoat is allowed to drift. The oc-
cupants remain perfectly quiet. If there
are terrapin in the water their noses will
soon appear, and if one comes within
reach of the iron rod there is quick and
unerring blow, the senseless turtle sinks,
but before it reaches the bottom the
scoop net is under it, and it is landed in
the boat. 7. 3. HOLMES.