The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-28
A. NURSERY OF THE SEA
DISC0VE ERY OF THE WINTER HABI- PATTON OF SALT WATER FISHES.


 Congregate During the Months of Jauu- ary and February-The Number Inex- haustible-Enough to Choke Up Every River.
 Beaufort, N. C., Feb. S.--The most important discovery in coast fishing so far has been made by the fishermen offshore here, and there is reason to believe that there will be far reaching results obtained in the future through improved methods of deep-sea seining. In the two winter months of January and February all of our littoral species of fish disappear almost entirely from the waters off our coast and fishermen are compelled to fold up their seines and wait until spring for the reappear- ance of their favorite game. A very few daring and adventurous spirits go far out to sea with long lines and succeed in catching a few each day to supply the markets; butsas a rule the catches have been comparatively small and in- significant.
 Scientists have concluded that the fishes go 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 innumerab1e hosts of young fry The discovery offshore here is nothing less than that of a winter nur- sery 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 seines let down to that depth invariably bring up rich hauls. No amount of coaxing and temptation can induce the fish to leave their warm winter habitat far below the surface, and the fishermen 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 ening the supply in winter and in furp- ishing the needy workers with employ ment at an off season when poverty and hardship often press most severely upon them. Naturalists have believed for some time that most of our sea food fishes migrated to warmer eli mates in winter as our birds do, and returned in the spring; but now it < seems that they merely swim offshore some distance and drop down into deep corrugations, and remain happy and contented until spring returns.
 The fish are found off Beaufort and Morehead City in deep holes or corru- gations In the summer time they come inshore further, and swarm around the oyster beds and the bays and inlets A great variety of food fish is found in this winter nursery, such as the red drum, gray trout or weakfsh, spotted sea trout, bluefish, cronkers and many others. Last winter the fishermen, with deep-sea lines, man. aged to make big Tauls over these win ter pasture fields. They let down lines from five to ten fathoms and brought up big game. But this was soon con- sidered too slow work, and special deep sea nets were manufactured for the purpose These nets were heavily weighted, and when sunk to the proper depth they brought up enormous hauls of fish,
 This winter the fishing has been bet ter than ever. Improvements have been made upon the nets, and the fish ermen have been scoring wonderful successes. In the first five days of February 15S,00O pounds of trout and 125, 900 cronkers were caught in this manner about 1-2 miles off 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 $70 each in one day. Men all along shore out o1 employment are Hooking to the place to take part in the fishing. A mar provided with deep-sea line anc hooks who is willing to endure the hardships can make a good living 1T this way. But it is no easy work to op- crate line six to eight fathoms 1T length, with several pounds of lead ant a fve-pound fish on the other end Some of the line fishermen come in al night with a boat-load of fish, but theil hands are so cut and mutilated tha they are unfit for work the next day Thick buckskin gloves on the hands are necessary for the proper protection of the skin.
 A new sort of seine has been uset here this winter for the first time. It i! designed just for this deep-water fish ing It closes up in the shape of z long, narrow eel pot with heavy weight at the lower end. It dangle! over the side of the fishing smack by several ropes, which are manipulated either by the men or a tackle. Wher the lead reaches the bottom the seine i allowed to rest there for some time while the men spread it open. This i: done by means of ropes. Four row boats leave the smack and each ont pulls rope attached to a corner of tht seine. Thus it is spread out on the bot tom of the sea directly under the flock of sea fish. Then it is gradually hauled up. A deep pocket in the bottom of thu seine is quickly filled with so many fisl that they threaten to break througl the meshes by their very weight. Il each haul the fishermen bring up a least 800 pounds of fish.
 The numbers of the fish seem inex haustible When one hiding place i pretty well cleaned out the \fisherme, hunt around for another. The bolton of the sea, off the coast here is undulat ing, forming deep hollows or holes, il which the sea fish hide. They ar never found on the ridges of the bolton but always in the hollows. Conse quently the fishermen carry sounding leads with them when in search of
 new hiding place or winter nursery When the water is six to eight fathom