The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-09
A Nursery or the Sea.

fishermen oil shore here, and there is
reason to believe that there will be
far reaching results obtained IN the
future through improved methods O.
dccp-sca seining. In the two winter
months of January and February all
of our @littoral species of fish disappear
almost entirely from the waters off
u coast, and ishcrmcn are compelled
TO fold up their scincs and wal. until
spring for the rcappearance Of their
fayorite game. \ very few daring
and adventurous spirits go far out to
sea with long lines, and succeed in
catching Il fey each day TO supply the
markets but, as a rule, the catches
have been comparatively small and
insignificant.
Scientists have concluded that the
fishes 20 to some unknown region or
depths Of the ocean to breed during
these two cold months, and upon their
return in the spring they are accom-
panied by innumcrable hosts of young
fry. The discovery of-shorc here is
nothing less than hat of a winter
nursery Of our @littoral species of fish.
From six to eight fathoms below the
surface Of the water the fish have
been found to be literally swarming in
countless numbers, and hooks and
sninrs let down to that depth invaria-
bly, bring up rich hauls. No amount of
coaxing aud temptation can induce the
fish to leave their warm winter habi-
tat far below the surface, and the fish
ermcn have to adopt new methods of
catching them.
The discovery is important in modi-
flying our prevailing methods Of catch
ing marketable food fish and in cheap
cning the supply in winter and in
furnishing the needy workers with
employment at an off season when
poverty and hardship often press most
severely upon them. Naturalists
have believed for some time that most
Of our sca-food fishes migrated to war
mcr climates in winter, as our birds
do, and returned in the spring; but
now it seems that they merely swim
t -shorc some distance and drop down
into deep corrugations. and remain
happy and contentcd until spring re-
turns.
The fish arc found off Beaufort and
Morchead City in deep holes or CORFU
cations. In the summer time they
come inshorc further, and swarm
around the Oyster beds snd the bays
and inlets. A great variety Of food
fish is found in this winter nursery.
such as the red drum, gray trout Oh
weak6sh. spotted sea trout, bluefsh.
cronkcrs and many others. Last win
ter the fishermen, with decp-sca lines,
managed to make big hauls over these
winter pasture fields. They let down
lines from five to ten fathems and
brought up big game. But this was
Dor considered too slow work. and
special deep-sea nets were manufas-
turcd for the purpose. These nets
were heavily weighted, aud when sunk
to the proper depth they brought up
enormous hauls Of fish.
This winter the fishing has been
better than ever. improvements have
been made upon the nets. and the
fishermen have been scoring wonder
full successes. In the first FIVE days
Of February $4,000 pounds Of trout
and 10000 crnnEcrs we're caught in
this name about IL miles of shore
from Fort Macon. near the sea buoy,
where the depth averages six fathoms.
The fishing has been so good in places
that the men have made as high as
$40 each in one day. Men all along
shore out of employment are focking
to the place to take part in the fishing.
y man provided With a dccp-sca line
and hooks, who is willing tn endure
the hardships. can make a good living
in this way. But it is no easy work
to operate a line six to eight fathoms
in length, with several pounds of lead
and a iyc-pound fish ON the other end.
Some 1T the line fishermen GENE in II
night with a boaiioad Of nsh, but their
hands are so cut and mutilated that
they arc unfit for work the next day.
Thick buckskin gloves on the hands
are necessary for the proper protection
Of the skin.
y new sort of seine has been used
here this winter for the first time. 1t
is designed inst for this deep water
fishing. it closes up in the shape of
a long, narrow eel pot with a heavy