The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-24
STURGEON FISHING.
howTAE MONSTER FISH ARE CAUGHT
INTHE CONNECTICUT.
An Interesting Sport and "a profitable Bust
ness-Thv Crews. the Boats and the Nets.
Fish That Weigh Three Hundred Pounds.
Roe Sent to Germany.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence.l
ESSEX, Conn.,, June 6.-Soon the season
for catching sturgeon begins in the Con-
necticut river. The species of sturgeon
found in this river is known to icthyologists
as the Acipenser brevirastris, or short nose
sturgeon, and they arc often captured that
will weigh 800 pounds.
Sturgeon have been caught in the Con
necticut river for good many years, but it
Is only within the past decade that the fish
has been found there in numbers sufficient
ly large to warrant fishermen in making
any special effort to capture them.
seine Of strong Irvine is employed in
catching the sturgeon and the fishing is
done in the night. At that time the shad-
ows are so deep in the water that the fish do
not see the seine and avoid it by diving I'M
der the lead line, us they do in the daytime
To fish successfully the tide must be
watched, the last two hours of an ebb or n
food tide being the time most favorable for
drifting" the net.
Sometimes the tides allow the fishermen
to set their nets early in the evening, but
they are rs often obliged to 30 to the fish
ing ground Mt midnight and work until
sunrise. The season continues until the
fall rains raise the river and fill it with roll
and snags The average sturgeon net is 50
feet long and from IL to Is feet deep 1t is
made Of strong linen Irvine. The meshes
are about . inches square, just roomy
enough to allow surgeons nose to enter
two or three inches. a new net is always
colored dark hue before it is used
After the net is colored it is strung on
two strong ropes, one of which is called the
cork line, the other the lead line" The
cork line is strung with bits of oblong
shaped wood from three to four feet apart.
These act as floats. The lead line is strung
with balls of lead two feet apart. At one
end of the cork line an empty key is fas-
tened. Sometimes the keg is so arranged
that Il lantern may be set inside it. and the
light of it, shining through n hole cut in the
end and covered with red cloth, can he seen
n long distance on dark night. and the fish
erman is enabled to tell how his net is
drifting.
The fishing boats are of the style known
Us 'hatirons." They have fiat bottoms. n
sharp nose, n broad stern and high quarters
They are splendid sea boats, swift sailers,
and it is almost impossible to roll them
over. y fishing crew consists of two men.
When the time comes for casting the net
one of the crew takes his stand in the stern
CT the boat; the other handles the oars.
From n point dozen rods from the shore
the boat is headed directly across the river.
AS the boat is rowed slowly along the net is
paid out. When it reaches the water, the
lead line sinks, the cork line floats, and be
tween the two the net hangs like a fence
across the tide.
When the net is overheard, n jerk line is
tied TO the upper corner. This is small
cord about 10 feet long, and by means of
1T the fisherman sitting in the boat and
holding it can tell when there is a fish in
the net by the jerking motion that he feels.
1t also prevents the end Of the net from
swinging around and doubling up.