Evening star., 1900-06-23
GREAT HAULs OF MACkEREL.
This Promises to lie a Record Season
for This X Ind of Fish.

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
So far. this year has been one of the best
In the history Of the mackerel fishery and
signs that are evident to old fishermen
point to continual on Of the large and
profitable catches II is estimated by some
that this year may terminate even better
than the famous 1854, which has never been
surpassed for the enormous number Of
mackerel taken. AS the fishermen did not
expect so favorable g. season, there were
but twenty seiners that fitted out for the
southern fishing. The mackerel usually ap-
pear in moderately large schools off Cape
HatteraS from the first to the middle Of
April. and then move gradually north.
reaching the mouth of the st. Lawrence
river at the close of the season. But at the
beginning of this season they appeared in
such numbers and the catches We're so large
that many more than the usual number of
fishing schooners We're fitted out. and, in
fact are hitting out every day. No account
is ever taken of the small netters that fol-
low the large schoone.-S, but 1t is reasoil-
ably certain that of these many more tnan
usual have gone to the seining grounds
The first mackerel reached New York
markets April ID. OF he two cargoes ar
irving that day one lot Of eight barrels
landed at Lewes, Del, ON April II. by Capt.
Mckinnon of the scho oner Ida l.. Miller.
This catch the captain shipped by express,
so 1t reached that city the 18th. There
were also landed on the same day by Capt.
Harty of the seiner Marguerite more than
10000 fine mackerel But all records for
the first landing of ma ckerel were broken
in 1e9S. when Capt. Solomon Jacobs Of
Gloucester brought in a cargo on March %
and this mark established by the famous
fisherman has never been approached since.
fact that is usually 5arued :, sign OF
a small run Is the large size of the fish that
have already been brought in. but. there
have also been several cargoes of mediLm-
sized fish landed, it Is difficult to estimate
the DrOba BILE catch for IhH Nearly
all the cargOes have averaged from three to
four-pound Elackerel. and some have reach
ed five pounds, while one recently weighed
In the Fulton fish market tipp I'd The scales
at five and one-quarter pounds. which is re-
garded as a very large fish
Gloucester is by far the largest cort1bu-
tor to the fleets of fishing schOonerS on this
coast and it is estimated that Iurins the
present year more than 100 vessels Will
leave there for the fisheries. But while
Gloucester sends out the most vessels. a
few leave from nearly every port On the
North American coast between New Jersey
and Newfoundland.
The mackerel craft differ very ,nuch in
size and III appearance but they all confine
themselves to two methods of fishing that
of sening and of netting, from which tho
boats get their names OF seiners ana net
terS. 1t would surprise the uninforme1 OBJ
server to see the degree of cleanliness that
Is maintained about the boats. Nearly
every one has an idea that a fishing Schoon-
er is about the dirtiest institution in the
world. but this is far from the truth In
fact. the schOoners have more nearly the
appearance of pleasure yachts than they do
of FISHING craft. and the progress Of a fleet
of them down bay is a beautiful sight.
Many of them are now fitted with gasoline
engines to supplement their sails.
Efforts have been made to estimate tho
number of fish in a single school, but there
is no way to ascertain W neither such caiCu-
lations are even approximately correct. by
some it is asserted that large school Of
mackerel contains about a million barrels,
which exceeds more thar twice the largest
catch of an entire season. In 1881 moro
than 100000 barrels were secured by Amer
lean fishermen. and, this was the greatest
number obtained until. 1854 Since then
there has been constant decrease. until
last year the catch was less than Ju.0D
barrels. Taking advantage of this condt-
ton of affairs. Ireland and Norway and
also Holland exported a great many mack
erel into this country. but. owing to Il
peculiar manner foreign fishermen have Of
dressing the fish. the latter do not sell very
readily. There is always a large demand
for mackerel. as they are regarded as
among the finest of sea fish. therefore ths
price varies with the supply. They hags
been known to sell for 50 Il barrel White
they have also ranged as high : So baI-
rel. Last year they sold from SD to SO q
barrel but at present. owing to the reports
of large catches. they are cheaper.
Regarding the habits OF mackerel there is
nothing definite to be said In the summer
months they remain near the North Allan
TIC COAST. starting early IN the season OH
Cape Hatteras and reaching Labr l,or in
the autumn. From thfs point they disap-
pear. and no one has yet been able o say
positively where they go. 1t is probab bl-,
however that at this season they go into
deep water They also found in small
numbers in the waters of the European At
lantic. including the Baltic and the tisia-
man ocean. Not only do they contribute 70
the food supply of the human race. bus
they seem 10 be regarded choice piursels
by predatory fish. but in spite OF I:la n,.-
merous checks put upon their reproduction
they do not appear to decrease numpcr
to any alarming extent