THE MACKERIL-HOOK FISHERY. 277 
Soura coast or New ENGLAND.—Of late years a small quantity of extraordinarily fine 
mackerel have been caught in the vicinity of Block Island in summer and fall. In previous years 
the mackerel fishery in this vicinity was chiefly carried on in the spring. 
THE COAST OF THE MIDDLE STATES FROM MonTAUK Point To DELAWARE.—This fish- 
ery was chiefly carried on in May, and in many respects corresponded to the spring mackerel fishery 
described in another section of this chapter; this is now prosecuted with seines on the same 
grounds, and the fish are mostly taken to New York for sale, principally in a fresh condition, 
though formerly they were generally salted. 
THE EASTERN COAST OF Nova ScoT1a.—In this region, although great quantities of mack- 
erel are sometimes taken in pounds, nets, and seines, in the early summer and fall, they are very 
rarely taken on the hook. About 1854 and 1855 several fares of extremely large mackerel were 
caught at Sable Island by Cape Cod vessels. 
2. THE FISHERMEN. 
The men engaged in the mackerel hook fishery, especially in the period of its culmination, 
were almost exclusively natives of New England. From 1850 to 1870 the provincial element in 
the fleet gradually increased. When this fishery was most prosperous not less than 10,000 men 
and boys were employed on board the vessels belonging to the American fleet. The vessels engaged 
in this fishery carried very large crews; in fact, larger than have ever been carried by other ves- 
sels. Not infrequently a schooner of 80 to 100 tous would carry twenty men, and, in some instances, 
twenty-four. Among the crew were generally three or four boys, sometimes five, from ten to seven- 
teen years of age. These boys fished from the extreme ends of the vessel; they were frequently 
very successful, and by the training in this fishery fitted themselves to assume responsibilities in 
the fishing fleet at a much earlier age than otherwise would have been possible. At sixteen or 
seventeen years of age many of the boys ranked among the first of the crew to which they belonged, 
and it sometimes happened that the command of a schooner was given to the most enterprising 
before they were out of their teens. 
e 
3. THE VESSELS. 
Prior to 1848 the mackerel fleet was made up exclusively of the old-fashioned square-stern 
schooners registering from 25 tons to 80 or 90 tons, old measurement, and of pinkies registering 
from 20 to 60 tons. Newburyport had a large fleet of pinkies, registering, old measurement, from 
40 to 60 tons. Most of them carried a flying jib. 
From 1848 to 1850 the necessity for swifter vessels was felt, and various experiments, which 
are described in the chapter on the schooner, were made. From this time on, all the vessels added 
to the fleet were of improved model, approximating, more or less closely, to the modern type of the 
fishing schooner. These vessels were in those days known as “sharp-shooters.” As early as 1855 
the character of the fleet had become very much modified, there being a large percentage of 
modern-built vessels, and the pinkies and square-stern schooners were retained only by conserva- 
tives and at the smaller ports, especially those on the coast of Maine. Many of these old vessels 
had by this time been withdrawn from the mackerel fishery and employed in other branches of the 
fisheries. As early as 1870 the old square-stern vessels and pinkies had entirely disappeared from 
the fleet, most of them long before that date. 
The mackerel:hookers, when fitted out for fishing, had the decks clear. Upon the starboard 
side of the vessel were arranged line-cleats. These were in early times small narrow cleats of pine 
nailed to the inside of the waist, but after the introduction of finer vessels the fishermen became 
