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Fishing Equipment
 ntil the nineteenth
century, the cod fishery was essentially a handline fishery.
Handlines were very simple tools of 25 to 50 fathoms (40 to
80 m) in length, depending on the depth of the water. They
were weighted with a sinker that was 10 to 15 centimetres long
and between 700 grams and 2.3 kilos.
Two wires were often twisted around each other and inserted into
the sinker. A ferrule was fastened to the wires to prevent the
line from getting twisted when the cod was hauled to the surface.
Tied to the ferrule or directly to the line were two snoods of
half a fathom each (80 cm). The hooks were attached to the
snoods and baited with capelin, herring, squid, mussels, the
viscera of the cod, etc.
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Equipment used in the green fishery on the
Grand Bank, 18th century
A Barrel with a padded rim in which
fishermen stood to maintain their balance and protect themselves from
the water |
B Barrel with a cutaway edge for the cod livers |
C Gaff |
D Baskets |
E Small salt shovel |
F, G, H, I Handlines with sinkers and hook |
L Iron rod on which the cod was hung while the tongue was removed |
M Header's knife |
Ma Knife used to remove the sound |
N Splitter's knife |
O Splitter's knife |
T Pew for handling cod |
V Pew prong without the handle
Based on Traité général des pesches,
by Duhamel du Monceau, in Encyclopédie, fisheries plates
(Paris: Éditions Panckoucke, 1793)
(Collection of Nelson Cazeils, Biarritz, France)
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Equipment used in the dry fishery along
the coast, 18th century
C Small gaff |
D Baskets for transporting salt |
F, G, H, I Line with sinker, snoods and hooks |
T Pews or pikes, and a boat hook |
X Large salt shovel |
Y Small barrels for storing fish oil, salting tongues, etc.
Based on Traité général des pesches,
by Duhamel du Monceau, in Encyclopédie, fisheries plates
(Paris: Éditions Panckoucke, 1793)
(Collection of Nelson Cazeils, Biarritz, France)
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Hooks of various sizes for the cod fishery,
18th century
From Traité général des pesches,
by Duhamel du Monceau, 1772
(National Library of Canada)
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Lures and jigs for the cod fishery,
18th century
Based on Traité général des pesches,
by Duhamel du Monceau, in Encyclopédie, fisheries plates
(Paris: Éditions Panckoucke, 1793)
(Collection of Nelson Cazeils,
Biarritz, France)
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A jig consists of one or two hooks attached to a lead lure shaped
like a small fish. The fishermen released the jig at the end of a
line and jerked it back and forth as they drew it in. The cod got
caught on the hook as it passed by but did not swallow the jig.
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Net, 18th century
The bottom edge of this net has ellipsoidal weights.
From Traité général des pesches, by
Duhamel du Monceau, 1772
(Canadian Museum of Civilization)
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Net, 18th century
The bottom edge of this net has cylindrical lead weights.
From Traité général des pesches, by
Duhamel du Monceau, 1772
(Canadian Museum of Civilization)
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