The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-08-30
FISHING AROUND ISLE AL HAuT.

After all tneSe years OF "reminiscences
of the old pioneers and their annual
fishing trips to the Isle au Haut have
had chance to go at last, and can talk
about the Thoroughfare, Moore's Cove,
Duck Harbor and Head Harbor. Years
ago my first fishing was with my father,
who went to Hank Ellis ON Cape Jel-
lison and tshed off that shore, some
distance out from his weir: and | have
also tished to the westward OF Sears
Island. That fishing ground gave out
long ago, but Isle au Haut, the great
fishing ground then, has held out to this
day. Among the old pioneers We're
men plucky enough to start for Isle au
Haul in an open boat, They would row
to Eagle Island the first day and the
next to some fishing camp on Isle au
Uaut. Among them was my father and
Joseph Stinson, who rowed away in
Tom Shute's wherry and camped with
some Orrington people at Duck Harbor,
and men all along the bay and river
made open boat trips to the fishing
grounds | recall only Daniel Crockett
as having d regular fishing vessel and he
brought home tub full of blueberries
with his fish.
our recent trip was i'll the schooner
Little Kate, Capt. Fred Hartman, with
WILDER Ridley, :. b. Littlefeld, James
Mardem and the writer as crew. All
hands had seen salt water and could row
a dory, cook, steer and eat everything
the different cooks fixed up: and no fur
Tier recommendations are needed for a
fisherman. We filled away from Stock
ton harbor with a fair wind, but it died
away as We passed Cape Rozier and a
head wind followed. We worked down
to Green's Landing, or Stonington as
it is now called the first day, and as the
next day was foggy We took in the sights
i'll that stoney land. By the way, the
smoke you can see in a Southeasterly
direction from Prospect is one mile
north OF Stonington i'll Deer Island.
Some Of the people went out from the
village every day to fight it.
Stonington is the right name for that
place, for it is all stones. On the hill
near 10y some ~ derricks can be counted,
scattered around on the main. Crotch
Island and adjacent islands. In places
there is bold water and derrick can be
rugged along the rocky bluffs and vessel
loads of stone for bIeakwater shipped
without using a team. Among the
sights we saw that reminded us of Bos-
ton and New York was a water boat.
and three anchored one night near by
Us. Just now in the village the water
supply is short, but we got kee of pure
cool water from the artesian we'll. -
feet deep, i'll the centre of the village.
Tie Watrl is pumped up with wind
mil.
Among the other industries of Stoll-
lngton is a canning factory. and the fish
are brought tromWeirs built among the
islands and when they arrive there is
Austling. When the whistle blows for
all hands at their station the herring
are ready, and 10y practice a boy can
drive his hand into pile and somehow
twist it around and get a dozen OF more
by the tail between his fingers and off
90 their heads with a knife. 1t re-
qulres quite Il crew to run a canning
factory. and there are IS III this State.
Probably it would cost a thousand
dollars to follow mp some OF these cases
OF fish that 20 to different parts Of the
world. and yet there are many poop lie
who never tasted one. Now We get
some idea why the Legislature is ap.
ptaitd to about the lobster so often.
III all OF our sailing am ong the islands
bays, rocks and reefs we did not lose sight
ot lobster buoy. and sometimes more
than - could be counted along the
shoal water And some able sloop boats
are built that almost seem to know
what is wanted, and when winter comes
and the Holsters 90 off into deeper Wa
ter they 60 out and can fetch in one
way or the other. There We're a dozen
or more of these sloops anchored over
night III Stonington when we We're there
and one came in with 50 counters and
sold out for ten cents apiece to the YES
sci that comes around to buy, and peck
eted eight dollars, and in the morning
holsted jib and mainsail and sailed
away into the fog for Swan and Gram
berry Islands. Some of the residences in
>tonington were built wholly by lobster
fishing. Just now the lobster fishing is
good, with good prices The stone bust
ness is dull. The big firms get the big
paying jobs and the little firms have to
take the poor jobs OF nothing, so a good
many small quarries are hung up now.
Well. after foggy day we left Ston-
lngtou with fair weather and got to
Isle au Haut Thoroughfare, after some
very good fishing on kimball rocks.
The next harbor made was Moores
cove, after various trials for fish: and
then the next start brought us around
to the south end of Isle au Haut and
the famous fishing ground on the Roar
ing Bull. and there we saw the schooner
Fancy of stockton, Capt. Colcord, with
the crew lined up along the rail. After
beating up and drifting over the rocky
bottom some three times ON the Roar
ing Bull the breeze became too strong
and old ocean has never forgotten how
when 1t breeZeS. in all our 40 years on a
farm. 50 the mainsail was reefed and
we sailed away for Head Harbor The
next u1V we tried fich;Du an tbo ooo,.