Cape Breton's Magazine

Jack Ingraham, Neil's Harbour CONTINUED FROM INSIDE FRONT COVER get some grub and stuff aboard the boat. Then they got into ice over there, you know, and it come to blow. Come a norther. Oh, blow a gale. There was another big schooner beside them in the ice. And they drove away. And when the blow was over, they (had) left Newfoundland and they were 50 miles off Scatari. Things were pretty bad for them in the ice, and the boat leaking--so they left their boat and they went aboard the New? foundland schooner. Took what seals they had. They gave it to the Newfoundlander. He took them back to Newfoundland. And they got back home here sometime in June. And every year--I always used to go down to (Uncle Reuben's) place. He had a house there where the doctor's office is. I'd go down there pretty often. And every year, for 10 or 15 years in a row, on the first of March, he'd tell me all about that trip. I got his picture in the house, too. Uncle Reuben.... I fished from when I was I quit when I was sixty, fished in a rowboat firs all--the first three to fishing haddock. You'd c' a rowboat then than you big one. Used to get two sand pound in a day. Aft' split, you know. We only trawl. Just, I suppose, off the shore. Close in dock would school right And four lines, floated. 14 years old, and I had to quit. I t, no motor at four years. I was atch more fish in can catch now in a and three thou- er they were had four lines of it'd be 300 yards to the shore, had- along the shore. with floats on rONGRATULATIQN' I am pleased to orrer my congratulations ana nest wisnes to Cape Breton's Magazine on your 25th anniversary. Yours is one of tne true success stories in Canadian periodical publisning. You nave created a magazine tnat is unique, instantly recognizable ana treasured Ly so many readers wno nave a love for Cape Breton. As tne Minister responsime tor Nova Scotia cultural policies and programs, I am nappy to celetrate a pumication that is botk a successful cultural enterprise and a permanent treasure trove ot tne Cape Breton culture. 'er Ik nexf 25 yanf Ts?m Education and Culture Honourable Robert S. Harrison, Minister them, about eight fathom under water. When they were biting, you'd just pull it in and take them off and run it out again. Two runs and the boats we had carried about 1200 pounds. That's two good runs would load them. There was an awful lot caught. Then they got traps. Fish traps. They still got them, you know. First, there was no sale for fresh fish-- it was all salt. Salt them and dry them. And they never stopped from the time they put the trap out. Every day they worked till sundown. Same the next, day after day. Salting fish and drying them. Then it would be September before they'd get them dry. There was no such a thing as wonder? ing if they'd get any haddock. Their trap would be full all the time. After awhile they got cold storage and they started buying fresh fish. Take them to the cold storage and make fillets. That'd be Sydney and Halifax. The boats would come to Ingonish and pick up the fish. Different days one trap company would get 100,000 pounds of haddock. Half cent a pound. Now that got scarcer and scarcer since the draggers are cleaning them up everywhere. They're pretty near a thing of the past now. Now they catch nothing but mackerel. I don't know if they ever did get a haddock or not this year in Ingonish. No more had? dock. Now, if they get them they get about 12 cents a pound for them. It always seems like anything's a good price, you can't get it. That's the way it is with fishing, huh? Uncle Reuben was Reuben Payne of Neil's Harbour. Readers are reminded that this was part of our conversations with Jack Ingraham in 1972. We asked Jack once how he knew when to stop fishing for the year • because he told us they'd often fish well into December. He said you'd watch the rocks along the shore when you were bringing your boat into the harbour. And you'd see a lop of wave go over a rock and fall away. And the time of the year that you'd actually see that water freeze that quick to the rock • that was the time to quit fishing for the year.