The Republican., 1896-07-30
AUSTRALIAN SEA FISHING.
Herrings, Sprats and Similar Varieties
Found In Large Schools.

| known industry at the antipodes, al
though the Australian coast, especially
chat of New South Wales, IS regular
| ly frequented by immense shoals of
| pilchards, herrings, sprats and other
edible fish, of excellent flavor, and read
lily captured by those possessing the
requisite skill and experience. Mr.. j.
Douglas Ogilby, of the Sydney muse
nm, alluding to this, says: Notwith-
standing that for many years it has
| been so well known that our seas TEEN
with herrings, and that great fortunes
await those who make an effort to
gather this harvest of the deep, and
that in comparison with such countries
as Scotland, Canada and the New Eng
land States of North America we are
| favored with all the advantages accru-
| ing from serener skies and more peace
| ful seas, we are, nevertheless, content
to sit idle year after year and make no
attempt to gather the wealth thus prod
| igally spread out before us; while at
the same time, we are annually eXpend-
ing thousands of pounds in conveying
across our more fecund waters the salt
ed, timed and potted products won
from the tempestuous and frigid seas
of the North Atlantic by our harder
relatives.
| The pilchard and herring are found
In immense quantities off the New
South Wales coast during the colder
months, the spawn of the former being
found in abundance on the less fire.
Quented portions of the shores. The
pilchard has a wide range throughout
the Pacific ocean, from the shores Of
North and South America westward,
but nowhere is it more abundant than
in the seas of New South Wales and
those of New Zealand. In the latter
colony it has already attained to con-
siderable celebrity, and to some value.
as an article of export in it's smoked
form, when it is widely known and gen
orally esteemed under the name of pic
tou bloaters." The herring follows the
same course as the pilchard, but is not
so vigorously oceanic in its habits, nor
so strictly a migrant as that fish; at
all events, small consignments of them
are not unfrequently sent to the Sgd
ney market, and at most seasons a few
specimens may be found among silver
bellies (gerridae) and other fishes OF
| like appearance and habits. The her
rings are short and deep. grow to nine
| inches in length, and are blue above
and silvery below, the back being trav-
ersed longitudinauy by from one to
three more or less distinct golden
bands margined above by dark blue
stripes; when fresh they are of excel
lent and delicate flavor, and would be
of superior quality for canning.
The tresh-water, or Napean herring,
IS abundant in all the coast rivers of
New South Wales, and affords some
sport to anglers by rising with avidity
TO the fly, but is of little value as an
edible fish. Among the larger herrings
| is the chiro, which is a uniform silyery
| fish, having, for herring, an excep-
tionally elongate body, with a proper
| tionate depth of from one-fifth to one
sixth of the total length. 1t is large
and powerful fish, attaining to a length
CT at least three feet, and is an inhab-
| S,
as is natural in fish possessed of such
| powers of locomotion, far into the tenn
perate regions, and wherever found is
esteemed as a delicasy. The tarpum is
the most common of the large herrings,
and few seasons pass without number
of specimens findIg their way to the
Sydney market Like the chiro, it is
| Of ei1 I,,t ln ~
much shorter and deeper proportion
ately, its depth being from two-sev-
enths to one-fourth of its length; but
its most noticeable characteristic will
be found in the eiongation of the last
dorsal ray, which is prolonged into Il
tilament similar to what obtains in the
bony Dream of the Murray river sys-
TEN, and the thread herrings of the
tropics. The tarpum grows to three
feet or even more, in length, and is
an excellent table fish.
The sabalo is the largest of all the
clupeiform fishes, attaining to a length
of five feet, and having a strong exter-
nal resemblance to the true salmon
| (salmo salar), from which, of course
the absence of an adipose dorsal fin, of
teeth, etc, at once distinguish it. It's
flesh is held in different estimation
in some places being eaten with ayidity
In others being considered poor, dry
and tasteless; it is rarely brought to
market, but is largely used as bait.
Blue sprats are frequent visitors to the
| New South Wales coast, the maximum
size being five inches. They are beauti-
full little creatures, and, like all mem
bers of the herring family, swim in
closely packed masses near the sur
face, the dark blue color of the back
making them distinctly visible to their
enemies at a considerable distance
Other kinds of pilchard. herring, sprat.
etc, are known to exist, but, owing to
want of suitable appliances for the cap
ture of ocean surface fishes, little prac-
teal information is at present obtain
able, although there is sufficient to
prove that the deep-sea fishing industry
would prove a mine of wealth to those
engaged in it under proper conditions
Sydney Cor. Columbus CO., State
| Journal.