﻿[51] 
  THE 
  GULF 
  PISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  2G7 
  

  

  curving 
  - 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  after 
  section, 
  a 
  long 
  deep 
  skag, 
  square 
  stern, 
  and 
  

   stern 
  post 
  outside 
  of 
  skag 
  and 
  stern. 
  There 
  are 
  two 
  thwarts, 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  

   which 
  rest 
  against 
  pieces 
  of 
  board 
  (of 
  the 
  same 
  width 
  as 
  tbe 
  thwarts), 
  

   that 
  are 
  fastened, 
  in 
  a 
  vertical 
  position, 
  on 
  the 
  boat's 
  sides. 
  Four 
  

   wooden 
  row 
  lock 
  cleats, 
  each 
  with 
  a 
  single 
  hole, 
  are 
  nailed 
  to 
  the 
  gun- 
  

   wale. 
  Tbe 
  boat 
  is 
  built 
  of 
  yellow 
  pine, 
  and 
  fastened 
  with 
  galvanized 
  

   iron 
  nails. 
  Tbe 
  sides 
  are 
  each 
  made 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  piece 
  of 
  board, 
  and 
  

   they 
  are 
  fastened 
  at 
  tbe 
  ends 
  to 
  the 
  stem 
  and 
  stern, 
  while 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   boards, 
  which 
  are 
  each 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  inches 
  wide, 
  are 
  placed 
  transversely 
  and 
  

   nailed 
  outside 
  the 
  lower 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  sides, 
  thus 
  protecting 
  the 
  latter 
  

   from 
  chafe 
  when 
  the 
  skiff* 
  takes 
  the 
  ground 
  in 
  beaching. 
  The 
  dimen- 
  

   sions 
  are 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  Length, 
  over 
  all, 
  D 
  feet 
  1) 
  inches 
  ; 
  extreme 
  beam 
  

   (amidships), 
  3 
  feet 
  2 
  inches; 
  width 
  of 
  bottom, 
  extreme, 
  2 
  feet; 
  width 
  

   of 
  stern, 
  2 
  feet; 
  height 
  of 
  sides, 
  amidships, 
  1 
  foot 
  li 
  inches; 
  of 
  bow, 
  1 
  

   foot 
  4i 
  inches; 
  at 
  stern, 
  1 
  foot 
  5 
  iuches, 
  including 
  skag. 
  The 
  latter 
  

   was 
  8 
  inches 
  deep 
  aft, 
  tapering 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  forward, 
  its 
  length 
  being 
  3 
  feet 
  

   10 
  inches, 
  and 
  thickness 
  1 
  inch. 
  

  

  3. 
  APPARATUS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  FISHING. 
  

  

  Kingfish 
  drails. 
  — 
  The 
  boats 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  pursuit 
  of 
  kiugfish 
  are 
  

   each 
  provided 
  with 
  four 
  drail-lines. 
  Each 
  of 
  these 
  lines 
  is 
  about 
  13 
  fath- 
  

   oms 
  long, 
  being 
  one-half 
  of 
  an 
  ordinary 
  26-fathom 
  white 
  cotton 
  line 
  of 
  a 
  

   size 
  that 
  would 
  weigh 
  10 
  or 
  12 
  pounds 
  to 
  the 
  package 
  of 
  a 
  dozen 
  skeins. 
  

   To 
  one 
  end 
  of 
  each 
  line 
  is 
  attached 
  a 
  stout, 
  round-bowed, 
  black 
  steel, 
  

   flat-eyed 
  hook. 
  Two 
  sizes 
  of 
  hooks 
  are 
  used, 
  these 
  being 
  practically 
  the 
  

   same 
  in 
  size 
  as 
  the 
  hooks 
  used 
  on 
  halibut 
  trawls 
  from 
  New 
  England, 
  and 
  

   would 
  correspond 
  pretty 
  nearly 
  with 
  Nos. 
  11 
  and 
  12 
  of 
  tbe 
  central- 
  

   draught 
  pattern. 
  The 
  largest 
  hooks 
  are 
  used 
  when 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  brisk 
  

   breeze 
  and 
  the 
  boats 
  are 
  going 
  through 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  a 
  good 
  speed 
  ; 
  while 
  

   tbe 
  others, 
  which 
  are 
  only 
  a 
  trifle 
  smaller, 
  are 
  preferred 
  when 
  the 
  wind 
  

   is 
  light. 
  

  

  The 
  hooks 
  are 
  ganged 
  with 
  brass 
  wire, 
  since 
  the 
  sharp 
  teeth 
  of 
  the 
  

   kingfish 
  would 
  quickly 
  cut 
  off 
  a 
  cotton 
  line. 
  Tbe 
  method 
  of 
  ganging 
  

   is 
  peculiar. 
  A. 
  piece 
  of 
  stout 
  brass 
  wire 
  (one-sixteenth 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter) 
  

   is 
  bent 
  into 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  loop 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  inches 
  in 
  length, 
  the 
  two 
  parts 
  

   of 
  the 
  wire 
  being 
  brought 
  together 
  about 
  three 
  quarters 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  

   from 
  the 
  bend, 
  from 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  parallel 
  to 
  their 
  ends; 
  the 
  latter- 
  

   are 
  turned 
  back 
  about 
  half 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  a 
  compressed 
  hook-like 
  

   shape. 
  This 
  device 
  is 
  firmly 
  lashed 
  to 
  the 
  front 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  hook's 
  shank 
  

   by 
  fine 
  brass 
  wire 
  wound 
  round 
  and 
  rouud, 
  and 
  when 
  secured 
  there 
  is 
  

   a 
  loop 
  projecting 
  about 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  at 
  tbe 
  top, 
  while 
  all 
  

   possibility 
  of 
  its 
  being 
  pulled 
  out 
  is 
  prevented 
  by 
  the 
  bent 
  lower 
  ends. 
  

   Into 
  this 
  loop 
  is 
  now 
  fastened 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  wire 
  one-sixteenth 
  inch 
  in 
  thick- 
  

   ness 
  aud 
  9 
  or 
  10 
  inches 
  long, 
  its 
  upper 
  end 
  being 
  twisted 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  form 
  

   a 
  bight 
  or 
  loop 
  for 
  the 
  fishing 
  line 
  to 
  bend 
  iiito, 
  Such 
  a 
  ganging 
  is 
  very 
  

  

  