cool old stories

[quack quack]

When sch. Hattie A. Heckman, which has been seining, hauled out on Burnham's Railway Saturday afternoon, there was found, sticking in her port side amidships and just under the turn of


the bilge, a large swordfish sword, broken off.

The sword was evidently that of a very large fish and had been broken off pretty close to the snout. It struck out over a foot clear of the wood and the end was imbedded so deep that it had actually penetrated the three inches of hard pine planking

The fish had evidently mistaken the bottom of the vessel for a whale or some marine enemy and with the customary courage of its kind had attacked it immediately with its sword. The blow must have been a terrific one as the sword went through the planking. The struggles of the great fish to free himself must have been fierce.

Many visited the craft yesterday to see the strange sight.

Copyright © by R. Sheedy - all rights reserved.



July 1902

Drowned by Swordfish
Big Fish Hauls Isadore Bouchee From Dory
Road Line Had Hard Turn Around His Leg

Sch. W. B. Keep, Capt. John McKinnon, engaged in swordfishing, arrived form George's this morning with her flag at half-mast for the loss of Isadore Bouchee, one of her crew. The sad accident happened at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon. A big swordfish had been harpooned from the pulpit and Bouchee put off in a dory to pick up the buoy and haul in on the road line. The fish came in easy, and Bouchee had the road line all in but eight fathoms, when those on the schooner saw the line pull tight and, to their horror, noticed Bouchee go over the rail and disappear beneath the surface. The line had caught around one of his legs and when the fish darted off he had pulled the unfortunate man, who was unable to clear himself, overboard, and under water with the road line.

In less than four minutes another dory from the vessel was on the scene and two men were hauling as hard as they knew how on the line, but could not gain an inch. After a while the fish played out, and there, eight fathoms from the 400-pound swordfish, was Bouchee caught securely by the road line around the leg and evidently dead. He was taken on board the vessel and all efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, so the vessel headed for home to bring in his body.

Bouchee was 48 years old and leaves a widow at No. 12 Taylor street, Gloucester.

Copyright © by R. Sheedy - all rights reserved.



August 11, 1926

Wounded Swordfish Turned on Pursuer

Charles MacVane, a fisherman living on Long Island, Casco Bay, was hauled aboard the fishing schooner, Audrey and Theo of this city just as his dory pierced by the rapier of a giant swordfish, was sinking under him recently on Georges. The fishing schooner Alice M. Doughty of which MacVane was one of the crew arrived yesterday at Portland, after a 10 days trip to Georges.

The crew of the Doughty had succeeded in ironing a big fish and the customary buoy was attached to the line. MacVane, in a dory, started after the capture when the big fish rammed the bottom of the dory. A piece of planking a foot square was torn away and the sword of the fish came through, followed by part of his head. In less than two minutes the dory filled. MacVane's own schooner was half a mile distant and but for the lucky appearance of the local craft he probably would have drowned. The fish was captured.

Copyright © by R. Sheedy - all rights reserved.

[just2fish]

very cool, thanks quack... i enjoyed reading them.

[billspilingup]

Very cool, I think everyone has their own stories of these fish being absolutely nuts. I know I've seen my own boat whacked several times and my cousin and a friend of his had once released a fish (that was absolutely nuts to begin with) only to have it swim in a circle and jump up to whack at them while they were still leaning over the side. It narrowly missed their heads, beat up the hull some more, and then swam away.

[DonK]

"....Gloucester....they're always from Gloucester"

[JupiterSailfish]

What is a dory?

[DIRTYFOOT2]

its a little boat for fishing away from the " mother ship".

[Tuna Devil]

[quack quack]

They used to sit on a small metal plate so if a bill came through the boat it would not go up your azz.On top of that most of them did not know how to swim!!It was better to drown then be stranded in the water with no hope of rescue.

[JupiterSailfish]

I gotcha, thanks. I'm assuming the schooner is the main ship? It would be so amazing to see all that happening. I bet it was so intense.

After having a fish jump and bounce off the side of my boat, I wouldn't be in a wooden one

[Disco Lady]

Ñooooooooooo

[Shortfin]

I was told a story from an old timer that used to stick them off Cape Cod

They would stick the fish from the big boat and send the dory man out with the dart line , The big boat would then go in search for other fish.

The running joke was for the dory men , that if the line went slack make damn sure you are standing up

They said that it was the dory mans job to keep the fish from sticking his bill into the bottom and killing themselves they were fishing in under 200 feet of water sometimes less than 100 feet

It's funny i used to see them hanging these fish at the local fish market on the dock ,,

does that mean i am old ??

I can do this ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it was like 38 -40 years ago

[quack quack]

Yup they used to dart a fish then send a dory with two guys out to tend the fish.It is wild to think of harpooning swordfish from a sailing ship.The boats with motors came later and made it easier.Then jump in a small wood boat and try to tangle with a big pissed swordfish.My grandfather harpooned one and it charged the boat.It stuck its bill in to the back of the boat were the bottom and transom come together.They sawed off the bill and put the fish in the boat.Inside the boat the bill was sticking in about 2ft.They left it there the rest of the year.After hauling out they could not get the bill out.So they cut it flush on the outside and inside and painted over it.

[Another Grand]

QQ when I visited Marblehead and Gloucester, there was a museum that had pictures and replicas of all commercial fishing gear up there from back in the day....ancient cod jigs, line, etc......but the one thing I couldnt fathom is how these crazy bastards would go out in those "dories" sp?

At least for a cod

Now a good Tuna or Sword

[DonK]

I wonder if swordies gave them "nantucket sleigh rides" like the whalers experienced? Anyone up for a re-enactment? a 50-line sleigh ride?

[DIRTYFOOT2]

50 line sliegh rides sound fun . I'm game

[Tuna Devil]

I'm in.

[DonK]

I figure a couple of Sevylor inflatable rafts, a 'pooned slob, and maybe a bottle of jack? that oughtta do it

[snooknreds2]

I have wanted to hook into a sword and then fight it from a smaller launch boat for sometime now