Page 5 - Trap Fishing with Mike MacDougall

ISSUE : Issue 17

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1977/8/1

comer down the mesh a piece. They have to take all this twine into the boat as they can get hold of this strengthener. There's three men on each end of the boat. They each get to a strengthener, get it tight across from the kegs (1 and 6) • and they take a piece of rope • we call them stops • and tie it on. I put the pow? er boat at the comer where the fish will be gathered and tie on to that first strengthener (1). That will pen off the fish when the men cut it around. They just keep on pursing, hauling twine into the boat • and the next thing you know each group of three men has another strength? ener coming from the next kegs (2 and 5) • They pull till they get these tied. Then they both get their third strengthener. They are taking the whole bottom of that trap, plus the walls from this side, into that boat. When those six strengtheners are tied into that door boat, and they've got the bottom leads in over the gunwale of the boat • all but one man leave and get into the cut boat • and" they are going to cut all this twine right around (see arrow showing the path of the cut boat). If there's any fish in the fliesh, they'll shake and clean her out, taking the net in and shoving it overboard, and it's going underneath the boat. They have to cross the strongback, put it over the boat and take a rope from the strongback and tie it on the cut boat. They give them? selves lots of slack. But if there's any wind or tide, this rope keeps the cut boat from going down on the door boat and beat? ing your boats up. They keep cutting as far as they can get twine, pulling it • driving the fish to the corner where the collecting boat is. We purse with the tide and we put the collecting boat to where the tide is going. The collecting boat takes up a V-keg (a comer keg) and a centre keg. Then he takes all the cork between them and ties it along the rail. Then the collecting boat sends out a bail? er • just a scoop that would hold about 800 pounds of fish. And as you bail they have to draw that twine in more, get it singing tight again. You have to keep bringing the fish up so they don't go too deep for bailing. When we finish bailing, the collecting boat cuts loose, drifts away with the tide. When it's clear of our moorings, he starts his motor and he's away. Then the boys untie everything and throw the twine over and the trap is set back again. It falls into the right place. The fellow left on the door boat has all this time been letting his twine down. Now he unties his stops and lets the door down. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE Vi.A.3tttmm Sltin. laiiaLi wm INVIRNISS • miONI 2St-2400 • NOVA SCOTIA • *runi left at the Causeway • Rt>utt 19-1. It • a lovely way to go.** A Neight>orhood Store in a Beautiful Village Neifs Harbour 'CO-OP' D. GOLDMAN & SONS LTD. "Tilt HOMK OK KINK SKAKOOD" ??Gallant Street Glace Bay • Terminal Bldg., Sydney Airport

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