﻿270 
  EEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISII 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [54] 
  

  

  one 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  keys 
  that 
  fringe 
  the 
  coast. 
  Not 
  unfrequently 
  a 
  

   fleet 
  of 
  a 
  dozen 
  smackees 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  riding 
  side 
  by 
  side, 
  often 
  lashed 
  

   together, 
  while 
  their 
  crews 
  pass 
  away 
  the 
  evening 
  in 
  recounting 
  their 
  

   experiences 
  of 
  the 
  day, 
  or 
  gossiping 
  about 
  affairs 
  at 
  home, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  

   some 
  one 
  who 
  is 
  musically 
  inclined 
  adds 
  to 
  the 
  entertainment 
  by 
  play- 
  

   ing 
  on 
  some 
  instrument 
  that 
  he 
  carries 
  in 
  his 
  boat 
  for 
  such 
  occasions. 
  

  

  As 
  has 
  been 
  indicated, 
  the 
  kingfish 
  are 
  often 
  found 
  in 
  abundance, 
  

   and 
  as 
  it 
  generally 
  takes 
  a 
  hook 
  very 
  readily 
  the 
  fishermen 
  frequently 
  

   have 
  the 
  liveliest 
  kind 
  of 
  a 
  time 
  in 
  tending 
  their 
  lines. 
  To 
  haul 
  in 
  

   kingfish, 
  with 
  an 
  occasional 
  amber 
  fish, 
  hour 
  after 
  hour, 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  

   specimens 
  weighing 
  20 
  to 
  30 
  pounds 
  each, 
  requires 
  not 
  only 
  skill 
  but 
  a 
  

   large 
  amount 
  of 
  endurance, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  safe 
  to 
  predict 
  that 
  a 
  novice 
  in 
  the 
  

   business 
  would 
  soon 
  find 
  himself 
  suffering 
  with 
  blistered 
  hands, 
  even 
  if 
  

   the 
  exceedingly 
  vigorous 
  exercise 
  failed 
  to 
  fatigue 
  him. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  brought 
  on 
  board 
  they 
  are 
  hit 
  on 
  the 
  head 
  with 
  the 
  

   " 
  bruiser," 
  to 
  stun 
  them, 
  after 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  unhooked 
  and 
  thrown 
  into 
  

   the 
  well, 
  where 
  they 
  remain 
  until 
  the 
  day's 
  fishing 
  is 
  completed. 
  If 
  

   enough 
  have 
  been 
  caught 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  market, 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  

   well 
  and 
  eviscerated 
  as 
  the 
  boat 
  runs 
  on 
  her 
  course, 
  after 
  which 
  they 
  

   are 
  thrown 
  back 
  again 
  and 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  well 
  until 
  port 
  is 
  reached. 
  If 
  

   the 
  catch 
  is 
  not 
  sufficient 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  market, 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  generally 
  split 
  

   and 
  salted, 
  unless 
  it 
  is 
  expected 
  to 
  go 
  next 
  day. 
  

  

  The 
  fishermen 
  say 
  that 
  kingfish 
  will 
  not 
  live 
  fifteen 
  minutes 
  in 
  a 
  

   boat's 
  well, 
  therefore 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  handle 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  de- 
  

   scribed. 
  The 
  methods 
  of 
  fishing 
  adopted 
  by 
  those 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  cap- 
  

   ture 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  species, 
  of 
  which 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  varieties, 
  are 
  as 
  fol- 
  

   lows 
  : 
  The 
  boat 
  is 
  anchored 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  the 
  lines 
  baited 
  and 
  lowered 
  

   to 
  the 
  bottom, 
  each 
  man 
  using 
  one 
  line, 
  which 
  is 
  all 
  he 
  can 
  tend. 
  As 
  

   fast 
  as 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  pulled 
  in 
  they 
  are 
  carefully 
  unhooked 
  and 
  thrown 
  

   into 
  the 
  well. 
  The 
  boats 
  usually 
  start 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  morning 
  and 
  

   return 
  to 
  the 
  market 
  wharf 
  about 
  3 
  to 
  4 
  p. 
  m. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  certain 
  species, 
  like 
  the 
  angel-fish, 
  for 
  instance, 
  that 
  can- 
  

   not 
  be 
  easily 
  caught 
  with 
  a 
  hook. 
  These 
  are 
  captured 
  by 
  striking 
  them 
  

   with 
  small 
  grains. 
  As 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  course, 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  capture 
  kills 
  

   them, 
  and 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  sold 
  within 
  a 
  limited 
  time, 
  before 
  they 
  become 
  

   unfit 
  for 
  food. 
  Depending 
  only 
  on 
  the 
  local 
  demand, 
  it 
  naturally 
  fol- 
  

   lows 
  that 
  a 
  fisherman 
  may 
  often 
  be 
  compelled 
  to 
  throw 
  away 
  fish 
  that 
  

   he 
  has 
  worked 
  hard 
  to 
  catch 
  but 
  cannot 
  sell. 
  

  

  As 
  has 
  been 
  indicated, 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  kingfish 
  is 
  prosecuted 
  only 
  

   from 
  November 
  to 
  about 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  March. 
  In 
  April 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  the 
  fish 
  

   leave 
  the 
  coast, 
  presumably 
  to 
  spawn. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  think 
  the 
  fish 
  

   go 
  off 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  to 
  spawn, 
  after 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  they 
  go 
  in 
  

   what 
  is 
  termed 
  "The 
  Bay," 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  supposed 
  to 
  stay 
  until 
  their 
  

   return 
  in 
  the 
  fall. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  summer 
  the 
  larger 
  boats 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  employed 
  in 
  win- 
  

   ter 
  catching 
  kingfish 
  turn 
  their 
  attention 
  to 
  anything 
  that 
  ofters 
  a 
  chance 
  

  

  