The Doryman's Reflection: A Fisherman's Life

Description

Fishermen exist as relics, the last hunter-gatherers among us. Their boats, crammed with ropes and nets, carry the mystique of a near-forgotten world ruled by the elements. This is the story of Bernard Raynes, one of Maine's last independent commercial fishermen. The author, now an accomplished writer, was once Raynes's apprentice then a young man with no experience who came to Maine with a dream of working on a boat. In the early 1980s, these two men shared some of the fishing industry's best years. But their world changed. Author Paul Molyneaux discusses the factors personal and political, environmental and economic that led to the decline of New England fishing. While Raynes still hangs on, thanks to a philosophy of hard work, consolidation leaves few choices for young fishermen. For over three centuries, Raynes's ancestors invested their futures in the lives of fish. They learned to think like fish. Few today could match his skills, but they don't have to. Technology has edged Raynes out, and his fishing legacy will sadly die with him.

Paul Molyneaux began working in commercial fishing as a "lumper," unloading scallop boats, in 1976. He now writes about fisheries and marine issues for The New York Times, Yankee Magazine, and National Fisherman. He and his family split their time between Mexico and Maine.

"The seemingly inexhaustible resources of the New World triggered a fish rush that would continue into the twentieth century. The story of what happened during the last moments of that rush is brilliantly told by Paul Molyneaux in The Doryman's Reflection." - The New York Review of Books "The seemingly inexhaustible resources of the New World triggered a fish rush that would continue into the twentieth century. The story of what happened during the last moments of that rush is brilliantly told by Paul Molyneaux in The Doryman's Reflection." - The New York Review of Books