Out and About

Today was a good day to be a sternlady. Although I'm tired and sore from our long (9-day) stretch of setting traps, I was refreshed after a good night's sleep. Our current goal is to prepare for summer fishing.

Yesterday we put the cage on the boat. The "cage" is literally a metal cage that keeps lines and buoys from getting entangled in the propellor in the summertime. Fishermen remove the cage when they shift traps offshore in the fall. The cage increases the boat's drag in the water, which decreases fuel efficiency. Since the fall fishing sites are a long steam and the buoys are fewer and further apart, it makes sense to take the cage off for the winter.

We're currently focused on getting our "gang" of traps in the water and preparing for the shedders to migrate close to shore. We have all but 22 of the brand new traps built. That will give Cap a total of 200 blindingly-yellow new traps. The other goal is to shift the 400 traps that are 10 miles to the southard in close to land. We only have 2 more loads to get to accomplish this, one of which we'll get tomorrow. Today's goal was to set 110 traps (2 boat-loads worth).

Enough with logistics! Today was one of those days when I remember why I'm lobstering. It was sunny, warm and flat-calm on the water. All creatures large and small seemed to be out and about, indulging in glorious summer. We worked around the islands all day. I thought I smelled watermelon in the southerly breeze drifting to the boat from Loud's Island. On Haddock Island, we spotted an eagle family. First I saw the dad. He was a brutish bird perched high in a spruce, overlooking his domain. Below him roosted a huge nest that I think I could comfortably sleep in if I could reach it. Mom was sitting defensively next to the nest watching over two fledglings whose heads just cleared the nest's edge. They looked like a happy family.

North of Haddock we crossed a school of what was probably herring. Ironically, the seiners were working just up the Sound, but it seemed that the birds had found the motherload just south of the seining site. Cap pointed out three harbor porpoises surfacing in unison, no doubt having quite a meal. Shags (cormorants) plunged into the water from a good height and emerged from with fish wiggling in their bills. Gulls squacked and scirmished over the fresh fish. Nearby some seals sunned on a ledge, taking advantage of the dry breeze and the warm sun.

Even the banter on the VHF radio seemed a little more light-hearted than it has been. The general feeling around the harbor is anticipation of the shedders arriving. The guys are discussing sports, little league, and are exercising their good will more than ever to bring eachothers traps in from offshore. Everyone's a little cheerier. My favorite comment on the radio today was:"What a couple of bookends!" I missed the context, but I believe he was referring to some lazy folks who were just sitting around-- maybe even on a shelf!

Summer has finally arrived and, boy, am I glad. It's been a long winter. Now for the fun part of fishing! You're not likely to find me on shore much from now on. I'm most likely out and about on the water.