The
old wharf at the end of the causeway was a popular spot for the San
Quentin kids. It jutted out into deep water and was a good place to
go fishing. In the early days, when the Narrow Gauge railway was
operating, it was especially attractive. There was a Chinese camp
across the bay at Point San Pedro, sometimes called Mc Near's Point.
This is not far from what is now known as Peacock Gap. The Chinese
were shrimp fishermen, and they fished for bay shrimp with nets in
the vicinity of Twin Brother's Lighthouse. They would bring their
catch to camp; wash and boil them and pack them into large rattan
baskets, the kind that the Chinese used extensively at the time.
They
would bring the baskets of shrimp by boat to San Quentin Point to
ship them by train to the market in San Francisco. This depot was the
nearest place to their camp where transportation could be obtained.
They would be at the pier early in the morning to meet the first
train out, so that their shrimps would reach the San Francisco market
as early as possible.
We
kids new about this arrangement and would plan to be on hand when
the Chinese landed. We would ask for shrimps to use for fish bait and
the Chinese were always quite generous and would let us fill up our
bags with Bay Shrimp. We would fish all day, and there were plenty of
shrimps to eat for lunch. Oh, how we loved those delicious Bay
Shrimp. Gourmet food!
We
usually brought home a good string of fish also. We caught pogies
(perch), rock cod, and an occasional striped bass.
Author:
William J. Duffy, Jr.
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