Fishing - most of us think
of fishing as a recreational pursuit, but there are those for whom
it is a way of life. These are the men and women who live in coastal
cities and put out in small vessels to battle blizzards and ice if
in the North, hurricanes and crushing heat if in the South, dangerous
gear that can kill in a moment, and marine creatures that can bite,
sting, or even poison the careless fisherman. Boats can capsize, cables
break, and sometimes their own hooks can carry an unsuspecting fisherman
over the side. Fishing is a dangerous business. The following are
not only historical essays about the men and women who put the bounty
of the seas on our tables, but also the stories of the scientists
that study the fish of the sea, their laboratories, and the ships
that have ranged throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in search
of the knowledge that will help us understand and manage our fisheries
resources for the good of future generations.
All of the following articles were extracted
from George Brown Goode’s 1884 compendium of Nineteenth Century
American Fisheries, “The Fisheries and Fishery industries of
the United States,” Section IV, Fishermen of the United States.
We are all indebted to Goode for capturing the culture of the American
fisherman.
