St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-05-04
FISHING WITH FIRE.
One Way Of Allurlng the Finny Creatures
in Various Places.

One way Of Alluring the Finny Creatures
in Various Places.
Fire and lights now play an im-
portant part in the fsheriesof various
parts Of the world. In Florida boats
60 out on dark, moonless Nights after
mullet, with braziers at the bows
filed with blazing pine knots. As
the boatmen row slowly and quietly
along through the lagoons the flsh
are attracted BY the glare within
reach Of the castnet, which is thrown
overheard at intervals, to be drawn
ID again and again. filled with silyery
victims. So eagerly do the mullet
seek the light that frequently they
cap into the boat, thus effectlng
heir own capture.
On the coast of Maine, says the
New York Herald, and II the waters
of the nearby Canadian provinces, Is
=practieed a method Of fishing for her
ring which IS known as 'torching.
It is Of Indian origin. and was nn-st
doubtedly utilized by the aboriglnes
in that part of the world long before
the coming Of Columbus. In the.
Iubee Narrows, which form the east
ern entrance Of Passamaquoddy bay,
This kind Of fishing is specially popu-
lar, though forbidden in the neigh
boring waters of New Brunswick, be-
cause Of a belief that the kerosene.
incidentally employed Floating on
the water) has the effect Of driving
away the fish.
Formerly birch torches were used
in this nocturnal pursuit, but since
the bark became scarce kerosene has
been substituted, tow or rags being
wrapped around a stick dipped into
the oil and set on fire. One of these
torches being attached to the bow Of
| a boat, the latter is roWed by one or
two men, while another stands in
the bow with seoop-net and scoops
up the fish as they rise to the light.
Moonless nights are chosen always,
and the rowing is kept up constantly,
because the herring will rise only So
long as the light is kept in motion.
Sometimes squid-the small cut
| fetish SO largely used BY fishermen
for bait, and whose bones serve to
sharpen canaries' bills are captured
in the same way. They are much at
tracted by light-so markedly, IN
deed, that on a moonlight night tens
of thousands of them will run ashore
and become stranded, thus perishing,
because they are 50 interested in gaz-
ing at the moon that they keep their
eyes upon that orb, propelling them
selves steadily in one direction mean
/ while, until they find themselves on
beach Then, BY the pumping Of
their siphons, they push themselves
further up, until they are hopelessly
high and dry.
Along the coast Of Maine Weirs oi
brush are nsed for catching herring.
/ and sometimes the fish are 3toled
into these traps BY means Of lights,
Large shoals Of herring being OBJ
served outside, but showing no dis
position to come and be caught, tht
fishermen will go out in boats, with
torches, and row quietly over tht
schools, attracting them in the diree-
tion of the Weirs. Having returned
at length to the weirs, they extin.
.glish the torches, go out again and
repeat the process.
During the shad catching season
| on the Potomac one may see numer
GUS lanterns on the surface Of tht
river. looking like 50 many great fire
| files. These lanterns are attached
to the bnoys Of the siad nets, en-
| abling the fishermen to find them il
i the dark.