PROVINCETOWN — Throughout April, a few hardy fishermen have been departing from MacMillan Pier most mornings not to haul in a bounty of fish but instead to haul in lost […]
fishing
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Striped Bass Are on the Way Early
Circle hooks will reduce released fish fatalities, but what about jigs that come with Js?
Spring in New England has come upon us in its usual manic fashion, vacillating between howling, cold, damp nor’easters and beautiful, warm, summer-like days. But the trend this spring has […]
LIVELIHOODS
If Young Fishermen Learn Their Way In, Then What?
New federal program aims to rejuvenate a ‘graying’ fleet
Along the American coastline, historic fishing communities — from the tip of Cape Cod to Alaska’s Bristol Bay — are plagued with a problem. This time, it’s not overfishing, complex […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
North Winds Portend Cooling Waters
Wrapping up the season with hopes for the next one
There is no mistaking it: the fall season is upon us. Unrelenting winds from northerly quadrants have been buffeting us for days on end, and, as of this writing, the remnants […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Noble Rite of Passage Lives On
Zach Salvador brings in his first giant bluefin
One of the biggest heartbreaks for me through the years living here every summer is watching this classic fishing village become less and less of that. Families who could no longer […]
where's waldo?
Tempting Fate
Loads of stripers and bluefish — and one wacky human
Fishing heated up with the weather this past week. Striped bass have not gone into their summer doldrums and are feeding during the day in large concentrations all along Beach Point […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Surreal Fourth on the Waterfront
The good news is that the whales are back
This Fourth of July on the waterfront was certainly different than any other I have experienced in all my years here. The vibe was low-key, and it was very sad […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Big Stripers Are Caught — and Thrown Back
New rules put 35-inch upper limit on striped bass keepers
Things are beginning to look a little more normal on the waterfront. More and more boats are starting to open up and operate. The Bay Lady began sailing tours, and […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
While Waiting for Fish, We Count Sharks, Deer, and Coyotes
Not many stripers or blues, but the flounder are fat and fine
The Provincetown waterfront remains quiet, as commercial fishing boats go about their business of lobstering and scalloping, but the rest of the fleet is essentially tied to the dock waiting for […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
What Not to Eat, or Be Eaten By
The seals and sharks return, and pufferfish appear
PROVINCETOWN — The hot news on the waterfront this week is that the seals are back, and so are the white sharks. A gray seal with a rather large shark […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
With Fishing on Hold, a Bivalve Bonus Appears
In a spring like no other, sea clams are a welcome sight
Spring has been a very confused season so far. As I write this, snow is falling in the western hills of Massachusetts as well as my winter home in the […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Early Start to a Season in Doubt
The view from the water of a changed world for fishermen
As we begin another season on the waterfront, it would be an understatement to say its start, if it ever happens, won’t look like any other previous season’s start. Our […]
CEPHALOPODS
The Long and Shortfin Year in Squid
With scientific squidbits from the decade that was
“They showed up early and left quickly,” said a Provincetown harbormaster. “Shortfin squid are everywhere,” said Owen Nichols of the Center for Coastal Studies. “For longfin, the Nantucket Sound fishery […]
ECONOMY
Fishing Is Still the Most Dangerous Job
Fishing Partnership’s insurance plan, the model for ‘Romneycare,’ has helped
Close brushes with death are common for Outer Cape fishermen. Rick Marvin of Eastham, who fishes for lobster, bluefish, and crab, knows from experience that a routine move can quickly […]
the year-rounder
Fishing Is Our Essence
Has Provincetown learned Mary Heaton Vorse’s lesson?
PROVINCETOWN — My late father-in-law was a wonderful man, with a simple palate, a real meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. Whenever any of his three daughters (each an accomplished and inventive […]
