[59] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 



and the fish captured. It is often the case, too, when mackerel are 

 moving rapidly for the men in the dory to throw bait ahead of the 

 school, and while the fish are thus induced to stop, the seine-boat circles 

 around them, the net is thrown out, a-nd while yet engaged in feeding 

 the fish are inclosed in the big purse. Many good catches are obtained 

 in this way. The favorite bait is slivered and salted menhaden, of 

 which each vessel usually carries five to ten barrels. Many if not all of 

 the vessels, however, at the present time, depend entirely upon small 

 mackerel, which they catch and salt. The bait-mill, bait-boxes, and 

 bti it-throwers are similar to those used in the mackerel hook fishery, and 

 arc used in the same mauuer. 



(d) Methods of seining by day. — The following description of the method 

 of seining mackerel is mainly from the pen of Mr. J. P. Gordy: When 

 a vessel is on the fishing grounds and there are no signs of fish, if the 

 weather is favorable, a man is stationed at the mast-head on the look- 

 out, while the rest of the crew, excepting, of course, the man at the 

 wheel, lounge lazily around, amusing themselves as they feel inclined. 

 If a whale is seen blowing or a vessel is "putting out her boat," the 

 man at the wheel steers toward them. The skipper is usually on deck 

 directing the evolutions of the vessel, and is consulted before any change 

 is made in the course of the vesstl. When signs of fish begin to be numer- 

 ous and sea geese and gannets are plenty, and whales and porpoises 

 show themselves frequently, the "fishy men" of the crew stop lounging 

 and begin to survey the surface of the water intently. At such times 

 one can count half a dozen here and there in the rigging, carefully observ- 

 ing the movements of other vessels, if any of the fleet are in sight. 

 "There's crooked actions, men," the skipper exclaims, meaning that some 

 vessel in sight suddenly alters her course, and that she is either on fish 

 herself or sees another vessel that is. When one school appears, another 

 is likely to be seen, and when a vessel has "crooked actions," those who 

 observe them bend their course in the direction in which she is sailing. 

 When a man sees fish, he shouts, " I see a school." "Where"?" asks 

 the captain. The direction is indicated. "How does it look; is it a 

 good one?" He wants to know whether they are tinkers or whether 

 the fish seem large. If they are abundant, he will wait until he gets a 

 "sight" at a good school. Much attention is paid by the lookouts to 

 the manner in which the school of fish is moving. The seiners prefer 

 those schools which are "cart wheeling,"* or going round and round in 

 circles in a compact body, in the act of feeding. Fish which are "cart- 

 wheeling" can be surrounded with a seine much more readily than those 

 going straight ahead in one direction. 



If the man who has found the school is not experienced, the captain 

 examines it for himself, and if satisfied that it is a good one he shouts, 

 "Get in the seine boat; look alive,, boys." As a pack of school-boys 



* This habit of circling, which the mackerel j>erforrus, is also called " milling" by the 

 fishermen. 



