As the result of some experience in tropical waters, the following is submitted to the members of the INSTITUTE as a means for giving healthy occupation to the men on board naval vessels stationed in the Caribbean and other tropical waters with incidentally the result of supplying, under favorable conditions, fish for the entire crew. If tried on a large scale, with equipments fitted for the purpose, it could be made of some commercial importance in some harbors.
A plan has been devised and has worked so successfully on board the Eagle that I think it worth while to publish it for the benefit of members of the institution who may have occasion to be irritated by the sight of quantities of fish in tropical waters, which will not take a bait and which are much needed for use of the crew. To such I recommend the following plan of utilizing articles found in the regular equipment of naval vessels having electric lighting plants.
When alongside a wharf, or at other convenient times, take the ship's seine and fold it in three, so the center of the purse comes in the center of the rectangle thus formed. Marl the edges together with spun yarn, stopping all holes noticed when net is stretched, by a few turns of rope yarn. Pass a head rope and a foot rope, 2-inch hemp, across the rectangle thus formed, securing head and foot ropes of seine to take strain, and bind over and stop the ends of the rectangle when the seine is folded. Lash weights on bottom of seine to overcome buoyancy of corks and sink corners.
When at anchor in tropical waters, test for fish by hanging gangway cargo light, or small arc lamps fitted with conical tin screen. If quantities of minnows come around, followed in two or three hours by large fish, hang the seine horizontally between the port lower boom and a strong back rigged as a boom well forward on the port bow, by whips through blocks at end and heel of each boom. Rig out a small spar and hang cargo light over center of net, by a whip, so that it can be raised or lowered as desired. When all fitted, lower net down near the bottom, keeping it clear of anchor and rocks. It must be well down, the further the better.
In two or three hours' time, if any large fish are seen near the surface, haul up by running outhauls and inhauls together, timing last haul so as to enclose fish at surface, until edges of net are out of water all around. Any fish can now be taken out by a scoop-net worked from the punt, or hauled on deck, or taken into a punt by casting off lashings and making a hole in net.
The net is now lowered and another haul made when sufficient fish show themselves. The anchor watch and a few idlers can lift the net above water without disturbing any one. If a big haul comes, a fishing detail will be required to get the fish on deck, clean fish and stow in cold storage room.
On board the Eagle, in a favorable locality, by making one haul at 8.30 p. m., and another just before dawn, we have caught so many fish that we have supplied every body on board and a fishing village besides. The varieties caught are cavallo, moon fish and herring, all excellent food.
The quantities of fish vary greatly at the same anchorage for different stages of tide, amount of moonlight and state of sea. Very few fish will be seen under the following conditions:
Bright moonlight first part of night; very rough weather or when water is muddy; anchorages in shoaler water, also at other times when schools of fish will leave suddenly, from no apparent reason, and remain away, possibly on account of sharks or other enemies below the surface.
By testing with the gangway light near the water every night, a good idea can be obtained of when it is worth while using net.
For this purpose a rectangular net, thirty by one hundred (30 x 100) feet, made for the purpose, would be more convenient, as the weights and floats of a regular seine make it heavy to handle out of water. As it probably will be some time before regular nets are furnished, the seines on board will have to be used. They can be stopped in shape and stowed by merely taking off the extra weights. In case the service of the seine is required full length, it can be opened out in a few minutes.
It will be seen that the only thing original is the combination of the bright light at the surface of the water, to draw the little fish for bait to attract the bigger ones, and a lifting net to get them out of water, all improvised from the regular equipment of a United States naval vessel. Though simple, I have found it so effective that the men have had more fish than they cared to eat for two weeks at a time, and have given away every day twice as many as are used.
By cleaning fresh fish with a regular detail, and putting the fish within half an hour in cold storage, a very agreeable addition of fresh fish is furnished the men's bill of fare in places where such additions are doubly valuable owing to the absence of markets.
It will be noticed that use is made only of articles in the regular equipment of United States naval vessels fitted with electric lights, also that the fishing is done from anchorages for naval vessels and from the ship itself.
That the work required is small.
That it can be carried on without interfering with the regular routine, as it is done by night, and also that it can be carried on in a flagship without interfering with the appearance of the vessel, as the net can be rigged and unrigged in a few minutes and only kept out after sunset.
There is another point which may be of interest. A great difference has been found in the quantities of fish at anchorages a hundred yards apart. As a rule, I have found the greatest quantity of free swimming fish in the channels just inside the entrance to harbors where the water is the deepest. The best locality in any harbor can only be learned by experience.
I would be pleased to have the results of this plan of fishing communicated to me, with data as to the influence of the light of the moon, by any member of the INSTITUTE availing himself of the opportunity for a trial in tropical waters.
In conclusion, I will state that on the morning of the 26th of November, a few days ago, from one lift of the net, at 5.00 a. m., so many fish were caught that it was unsafe to lift the fish on deck, and they were taken out through a hole made in the bottom of the net by casting off the stops securing the folds of the net. Besides what were used on board, over eight hundred (Soo) were given away to natives on shore, enough to give a mess of fish to the crew of any second-rate vessel.
Should a single mess of fish be furnished a vessel stationed in the Caribbean waters, through the details given in this paper, its object will have been attained.