The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-12-28
(By J. Carmell)


twas born in Casale, Italy, on the
more of the Pc River, three or four
hundred miles from the coast. AS
,mngsters we did much the same for
mort as the kids do here in America,
Enough there would be some inter
sting differences in the games We
hsyed if | had time to tell about it.
his story, however, is for the Big
foods page of the Independent
reporter and l want to tell little
pmething about fishing. must
AVE commenced when was about six
uars old In Italy we did not have
take out licenses to either fish or
,uut; just used to go along any time
Ind fish anywhere we wanted to with
mt any fear of getting into trouble.
mere were some big forest preserves
Ar reservations owned by private
pope, where we could not hunt, but
Me water everywhere was free to
anybody so far as fishing was con-
cerned.
| do not think there is quite as
much water area in Italy as here in
Maine but there are a good many
mail lakes and streams. There
Eere a lots-of rapids and waterfalls
N the section where | grew up. | used
b fish in the Pc River above mention
N in these streams and lakes. We had
uIte widely distributed the speckled
trout which you have here in Maine.
There were plenty of fresh water
els. very much like what you find
h the Maine streams and rivers.
There was a fish which looked some
hing like a white perch but it had
snother name and may have been
Inherent speciesl l am sure we did
not have any fish like your Maine
pAerel.
It was all fresh water where | did
my fishing but we used to find a good
many small animals which resembled
lobster They were brownish
ysllnm instead of bright green like
DE lobster and were generally about
I've inches long. Their claws, body,
ac were just like lobster except
he difference in size already noted.
For these we used to fish with
small net about one foot in diameter
On the end of a six foot handle.
These little fellows used to live close
No the bank and if We crept up eau
tlously we could look over and see
them ON the bottom, which was usu-
billy sandy or grayelly. We would
then put the net down very cautious
ly and scope them in. They were
very plenty. No doubt l could have
got bushel or two in a day but our
custom was to take dozen or SO just
enough for What we wanted to eat.
We used to work and serve them just
shout the way you do lobster here
They were very fine eating. The
peat was white and tender. Wish |
lad some now for myself and to serve
my Skowhegan friends. l under
stand there is shell fish in the
South which is quite similar perhaps
the one they call the crawfish. l
have caught crawfish on the Califor-
MIA coast but they are little larger
than the fish l used to catch in Italy,
otherwise they are very much the
same. We used to fish for trout and
other similar species with hook and
line, the hook being baited with
worms or sometimes a piece of meat.
These trout would average like they
do here, small in the little streams
and up to six or seven pounds in the
larger bodies of water Sometimes
We would use net in place of the
method above mentioned. This de-
Vice was a peculiar thing. 1t was
thrown from ten, to twenty feet ac-
cording to the skill of the user. The
fisher would try to land it in circle
In such a manner that the edges
would sink to the bottom. He could
Then by pulling on the rope close the
lower aperture and all the fish that
we're thus ensnared could be drawn
70 the boat or shore and taken out. /
Sometimes of course no fish would be
Nken. A lucky cast, however, would .
Nv and then bring in half a dozen. 1
came to America when l was |
Mteen years of age landing in San
Ecisco in 1902. | should observe
Mle that | left home when about .
|ekyen years of age, going to Ger
many ! shipped at Hamburg on a
FALLING vessel which was engaged in
Youth American trade, taking over
.Nsp u Manufactured articles anu
brngings back Salt Peter. Some of
thh latter material went into war
muiltlons. The job was hot too bad
put wanted to stay in America so l
skipped the vessel when ashore in the
harbor of Valparaiso. l never saw
nat vessel loaded
worked for time in the different
towns and cities of Chilli, mostly in /
holels and restaurants. Then l
shipped on a vessel bound for San
francisco and there | quit the seafar-
ing life for good.
After working in San Francisco for
a little time hired out to 60 to Alas
IA with the Libby, Mcneil & Libby
company, the well known fishing and
aiming firm. We went up the coast
on one of their big sailing vessels.
winch stayed there all Summer. We
were engaged for five months, catch
ing the salmon which were canned as
iast as caught. In the Fall we load
tQ the rauuad cando nm tho yacaaI