266 HISTORY AND METHODS 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 540 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 14-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 off 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 inuch money made by a 
single vessel in the mackerel season as was the case in the season of 1881. 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 cre omitted here. 
5. THE CARE OF THE FISH. 
The manner of caring 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, ° : 
