10 INLAND FISHERIES. 



Many of the mackerel that are now being taken by the Block 

 Island fleet of mackerel schooners are caught by an entirely new 

 device. The tools are two long poles affixed to the schooner's 

 side, a deep, loose square bag net of fine mesh, and plenty of 

 " stosh," or fish bait. One of the poles is swung out from the star- 

 board fore rigging like a boom, at right angles to the vessel and 

 on a level with the deck. This boom is twenty -five feet long. At 

 the same time the second pole, which is a trifle shorter, is SAvung 

 out near the main rigging in a similar manner. The bag net is 

 stretched on these booms, which are placed about thirty -five feet 

 apart. This distance is the length of the net on its inner edge. 

 The outer edge is made fuller and is weighted Avith lead sinkers. 

 When all is ready for use the after boom is loAvered down until 

 its outer end and most of the net are concealed under water. 

 Freshl}^ ground stosh is thrown into the capacious maw^ of the 

 hidden bag, the mackerel rush for the bait, and when they swim 

 thickl}^ enough the after boom is hoisted until the outer edge of 

 the net is above water and the fish are imprisoned. The fish are 

 then bailed aboard the vessel. The old fishermen assert, however, 

 that the true mackerel are not taken by this device, as they get 

 away promptly at the first upward move of the net, but the vora- 

 cious bull's-eye mackerel fall an easy prey. The schooner Sto- 

 well Sherman took 165 barrels of mackerel in this way the other 

 day, and all the mackerel craft hereabout have been or are being 

 equipped with the new apparatus. 



A novel device that may lead to the entire revolutionizing of 

 the mackerel fishing is to be tried here in a few days u^Don the 

 arrival of the steamer Bradley from Provincetown. Her com- 

 mander, Jonathan Chase, has contrived an electrical apparatus 

 which, he thinks, will lure the mackerel. He has a dynamo in 

 his boat to which is attached a long wive supporting from one to 

 six incandescent light bulbs. These bulbs will be lowered into 

 the depths and the lights turned on. This, it is believed, will draw 

 the mackerel by night in such numbers as to make the selling of 

 them easy and profitable. — {Block Island letter in New York Sim.) 



SQUETEAGUE. 



These fish have of late years been ver}^ abundant, and very 

 regular in their visits to our waters. They seem to have in a 

 measure taken the place formerly held by their colleagues the blue- 



