2G6 HISTOEY AND METIIODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



The introduction of this simple net-bag undoubtedly saves to our fishing fleet many thou- 

 sands of barrels of mackerel each season. 



The " spiller " invented by Mr. Willard is simply a sheet of netting 540 meshes square, bound 

 around with rope; it is made of five sheets of twine, each 108 meshes deep and 510 meshes 

 long. These sheets are laced together. This net, when in use, is suspended from its four corners 

 to the side of the vessel and the outriggers, mentioned above, and hangs something like a hammock. 

 From its shallowness, however, it was not so well adapted to the purpose for which it was designed 

 as was the deeper bag-shaped net subsequently devised by Captain Merchant, and which has been 

 described above.* 



The mackerel pocket is hung to 1^-inch rope, and on the portion of this which comes next to 

 the vessel are strung egg-shaped wooden floats. These are only for the purpose of securing the 

 edge of the net-bag firmly to the rail of the vessel. The border of the pocket being drawn over 

 the rail, a board is laid on top of it and held in position by wooden pins passing through both 

 board and rail, the net being thus fastened between the two. 



To the outer edge of the mackerel pocket, either Williard's or Merchant's, is attached a rope 

 bridle, the ends of which are fastened at a distance of about 9 feet from each outrigger; a thimble 

 is seized into the upper part of this bridle, and when the mackerel have been turned into the 

 pocket the fore and after staysail halyards are bent into this thimble, and the outer edge of the 

 pocket is supported thereby so as to take as much strain as possible oif the outriggers, which are 

 only 4 inches in diameter. The outer and upper corners of the " spiller" are supported by ropes 

 which run through single blocks attached to the farther ends of the outriggers. By means of 

 these ropes the outside edge of the pocket may be raised or lowered. When a school of mackerel 

 has been caught in the seine the pocket is slacked down to the surface of the water, and its outer 

 edge having been fastened to the cork rope of the seine, the fishermen gather in on the twine of 

 the latter, and, by dextrous management, turn the whole body of fish into the bag provided for 

 their reception, and where they can be kept alive, as previously mentioned, until such time as they 

 can be properly cared for. The mackerel having been transferred to the pocket, its outer edge is 

 usually raised slightly above the water. When the vessel is rolling and there are many fish in the 

 pocket there is often considerable strain brought to bear on the outriggers, which, however, being 

 supported by guys or tackles to the standing rigging, rarely break. It may be assumed, perhaps, 

 that the enormous catches of some of the mackerel schooners in the summer of 1881 and succeeding 

 years are due very largely to the use of this implement. Never within the previous history of the 

 fishing business of New England have so many fish been caught or so much money made by a 

 single vessel in the mackerel season as was the case in the season of 1SS1. The schooner Alice, of 

 Swan's Island, Maine, is reported by the secretary of the Boston Fish Bureau to have taken 4,900 

 barrels of mackerel, the value of which exceeded $28,000. The schooner Edward E. Webster, of 

 Gloucester, caught 4,500 barrels of mackerel, stocking more than $26,000. A long list of other 

 large catches might be added in proof of the efficacy of the mackerel pocket, but for obvious rea- 

 sons they rre omitted here. 



5. THE CARE OF THE FISH. 



The manner of c.\ring for the fish is very similar to that upon the mackerel schooners fishing 

 in the old way with jigs (described below), excepting that a larger quantity is likely to be taken at 

 once, necessitating much more haste in salting or dressing them. When haste is necessary, the 

 process of "plowing" is usually deferred until after the fish have been salted. 



The "mackerel pockets" constructed by Capt. George Merchant are 36 feet long, 30 feet deep, from 15 to 18 feet 

 wide across the mouth; 2-inch mesh, and knit of 12-21 half-patent twine. 



