﻿200 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [74] 
  

  

  arid 
  of 
  varying 
  thicknesses. 
  Two 
  or 
  three 
  pieces 
  are 
  put 
  on 
  each 
  hook, 
  

   and 
  sometimes 
  more 
  are 
  used 
  if 
  the 
  bait 
  is 
  thin. 
  

  

  Methods 
  of 
  fishing. 
  — 
  The 
  methods 
  adopted 
  for 
  rinding 
  and 
  catching 
  the 
  

   red 
  snapper 
  are 
  peculiar, 
  and, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  we 
  arc 
  aware, 
  differ 
  from 
  those 
  

   of 
  any 
  other 
  fishery, 
  either 
  iu 
  America 
  or 
  Europe. 
  As 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  

   stated, 
  a 
  remarkable 
  habit 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  to 
  collect 
  in 
  schools 
  of 
  lim- 
  

   ited 
  extent 
  on 
  bottom 
  generally 
  composed 
  of 
  black 
  sand, 
  live 
  coral, 
  small 
  

   rocks, 
  and 
  coarse 
  gravel. 
  As 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  this 
  peculiarity, 
  a 
  vessel 
  may 
  

   be 
  within 
  a 
  stone's 
  throw 
  of 
  a 
  fine 
  school 
  of 
  fish, 
  and 
  not 
  a 
  single 
  sign 
  of 
  

   their 
  near 
  presence 
  be 
  manifest 
  to 
  the 
  fishermen, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  getting 
  a 
  bite 
  

   is 
  concerned. 
  The 
  natural 
  inference 
  to 
  one 
  unacquainted 
  with 
  the 
  busi- 
  

   ness 
  would 
  be 
  that 
  no 
  fish 
  were 
  near, 
  but 
  experience 
  has 
  taught 
  that 
  

   such 
  a 
  decision 
  is 
  liable 
  to 
  be 
  erroneous. 
  When, 
  therefore, 
  a 
  vessel 
  has 
  

   reached 
  the 
  ground, 
  aud 
  the 
  depth 
  and 
  the 
  material 
  brought 
  up 
  on 
  the 
  

   lead 
  are 
  both 
  indicative 
  of 
  the 
  possible 
  presence 
  of 
  snappers, 
  the 
  mate 
  

   of* 
  the 
  vessel 
  begins 
  throwing 
  the 
  sounding 
  lead 
  at 
  short 
  intervals, 
  the 
  

   hook 
  on 
  the 
  line 
  being 
  baited 
  before 
  the 
  sounding 
  begins. 
  So 
  ready 
  is 
  

   the 
  snapper 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  bait 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  confidently 
  expected 
  that 
  one 
  

   will 
  be 
  caught 
  on 
  the 
  sounding 
  line 
  almost 
  the 
  instant 
  it 
  reaches 
  bot- 
  

   tom, 
  should 
  the 
  lead 
  strike 
  the 
  ground 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  school 
  of 
  fish. 
  

   This 
  being 
  the 
  case, 
  the 
  vessel 
  is 
  not 
  hove 
  to 
  at 
  all. 
  If 
  the 
  wind 
  is 
  light, 
  

   she 
  stands 
  back 
  and 
  forth 
  — 
  usually 
  by 
  the 
  wind 
  — 
  with 
  a 
  good 
  full, 
  but 
  

   if 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  fresh 
  breeze 
  she 
  must 
  be 
  luffed 
  into 
  the 
  wind, 
  to 
  deaden 
  

   her 
  way, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  lead 
  will 
  reach 
  bottom. 
  Iu 
  either 
  case 
  the 
  mate 
  

   stands 
  on 
  the 
  rail, 
  grasping 
  the 
  main-rigging 
  with 
  one 
  hand, 
  and 
  heaves 
  

   the 
  lead 
  far 
  ahead 
  of 
  the 
  vessel, 
  every 
  few 
  minutes 
  ; 
  and 
  such 
  dexterity 
  

   is 
  acquired 
  in 
  this 
  operation 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  currently 
  reported 
  Lhat 
  some 
  in- 
  

   dividuals 
  can 
  throw 
  a 
  lead 
  over 
  120 
  fathoms 
  before 
  it 
  strikes 
  the 
  water. 
  

   One 
  who 
  falls 
  far 
  short 
  of 
  proficiency 
  in 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  is 
  not 
  

   accounted 
  a 
  good 
  mate 
  for 
  a. 
  snapper 
  catcher. 
  

  

  The 
  sounding 
  goes 
  on 
  continuously 
  until 
  a 
  fish 
  is 
  caught, 
  the 
  vessel 
  

   standing 
  off 
  and 
  on, 
  constantly 
  crossing 
  from 
  one 
  edge 
  to 
  the 
  other 
  of 
  

   the 
  fishing'ground. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  a 
  snapper 
  is 
  taken 
  the 
  main 
  boom 
  is 
  

   guyed 
  out, 
  the 
  jib 
  hauled 
  down, 
  and 
  the 
  vessel 
  hove 
  to. 
  While 
  this 
  is 
  

   being 
  done 
  a 
  buoy 
  with 
  anchor 
  and 
  line 
  attached 
  is 
  thrown 
  over 
  to 
  

   mark 
  the 
  spot, 
  or 
  else 
  a 
  dory 
  is 
  hoisted 
  out 
  and 
  a 
  man 
  springs 
  into 
  her 
  

   with 
  his 
  line, 
  throws 
  out 
  his 
  anchor 
  to 
  hold 
  on, 
  and 
  immediately 
  begins 
  

   fishing. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  possible, 
  all 
  hands 
  on 
  board 
  the 
  smack 
  get 
  out 
  

   their 
  lines 
  andbeginffco 
  pull 
  in 
  the 
  snappers 
  as 
  rapidly 
  as 
  they 
  ran. 
  In 
  

   a 
  short 
  time, 
  however, 
  the 
  vessel 
  drills 
  off 
  the 
  fish 
  and 
  not 
  a 
  single 
  bite 
  

   can 
  be 
  felt. 
  It 
  is 
  now 
  that 
  the 
  wisdom 
  of 
  putt 
  ing 
  a 
  mark 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  

   is 
  apparent, 
  for 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  difficulty 
  in 
  finding 
  it, 
  and 
  the 
  uncertainties 
  

   of 
  guessing 
  are 
  "eliminated. 
  Then, 
  too, 
  trials 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  on 
  all 
  sides 
  

   of 
  the 
  first 
  position, 
  if 
  deemed 
  desirable, 
  and 
  the 
  precise 
  locality 
  where 
  

   fish 
  are 
  most 
  abundant 
  can 
  be 
  fully 
  established. 
  This 
  point 
  having 
  

   been 
  settled 
  to 
  the 
  satisfaction 
  of 
  the 
  skipper, 
  the 
  anchor 
  is 
  generally 
  

  

  