The Fish on Fridays series is a collaboration between Gloucester photographers Kathy Chapman and Marty Luster. Look for various aspects of Gloucester’s centuries-old fishing industry highlighted here on Fridays.
This week we took a look at the longliner Iron Lady from Boston up for maintenance at Gloucester Marine Railways on Rocky Neck.
Longline fishing is a commercial fishing technique. It uses a long line, called the main line, with baited hooks attached at intervals by means of branch lines called snoods (or gangions).[1] A snood is a short length of line, attached to the main line using a clip or swivel, with the hook at the other end. Longlines are classified mainly by where they are placed in the water column. This can be at the surface or at the bottom. Lines can also be set by means of an anchor, or left to drift. Hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks can hang from a single line. Longliners commonly target swordfish, tuna, halibut, sablefish and many other species.
In the third photo below, note the transponders that are deployed to insure finding the location of the line at any time.
Photos © Kathy Chapman 2013
www.kathychapman.com and
© Marty Luster 2013
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Good Morning Gloucester 
Great Friday art series. Really enjoying these. Thank you.
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Think of the Dorymen of the Schooners doing this technique. Tub Trawling is what it was called. Imagine hauling in that long line with several 400 lb halibut fighting back. Also, preditors , shark, following the line in, looking for free grub. That may have been the beginings for Louisville Slugger. You would beat them on the head to make them manageable. But, alas, engine horse power, monofiliment plastic line, and sonar changed the game. Fed a lot of people, created a better living, and jobs, but here we are now.
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Love the Iron Lady shots. I took a bunch of just her rusted hull, which was so beautiful and colorful.
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