Columbus Day Trip
Looking back in time and remembering my dad Captain Matthew Parisi of Gloucester, I can never forget what he taught me as to where to fish each trip.
But every Columbus Day he had special spots.
Sometimes it would be like off Thatcher’s Island, Middle Bank or off the Cape in the shoal water.
The herring would be around at that time of year to spawn and the haddock, cod and other ground fish would come to eat the spawn.
One trip I remember was off Cape Cod, and it was just us and one other boat fishing there on Columbus Day, a Boston Beam Trawler Ohio and the captain was Nunny Quince from Gloucester.
We started at night and caught ten thousand lbs of haddock in one hour.
We fished forty-eight hours straight, and loaded up with about one hundred thousand lbs of haddock and cod. So did the Ohio.
It was about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, we were out of ice and the boat full.
I thought we were headed for Boston Fish Pier, but instead my dad said drop the anchor.
The crew was stunned!
How come were not headed for Boston?
In the meantime we saw the Ohio head for Boston Fish Pier!
After three hours my dad blew the horn and told the crew to hoist the anchor. We were headed to Boston!
When we arrived we did not see the Ohio.
That morning, the auctioneer said over the mike, “I have bad news” as the trawler Ohio would not arrive.
She hit the rocks off Magnoila.
Thankfully the crew were all safe.
I wondered why my dad would drop anchor instead of driving on to Boston.
It was because he lost his first boat fishing for red fish with crew that had no sleep.
Looking back, I learned a lot from my dad.
So guys, go fish in those spots.
Who knows, perhaps the fish will be there on Columbus Day.
Thanks Dad.
Sam Parisis
