Sea Bass, Wolf's Bay
When the The Great Strife ended, and the remnants of the armies aligned with the The Gods of Coercion found themselves crowded into the regions around Wolf's Bay, they were faced with a struggle to survive. Most were in lands far from their original homes. Many did not have the skills to coax sustenance out of the relatively poor soils in the region. They turned to the bay itself for food, and fishing became their principle survival occupation.
About 700 years ago, a new approach to sea bass fishing was introduced. The name of the inventor of the "floater net" - most likely a Gnome, given its visible absurdity - is lost to time, but this device allowed a single boat to lay out a "blanket" of netting supported by floats. The nets included extra flaps of netting that dangled vertically, interspersed with bait bags containing chopped bits of clam, mussel, crab, and fishbone to attract the sea bass up from the rocky bottoms and into the tangles of netting. A single crew of six could catch more with a floater net than a "dozen boat" of line fisherfolk could amass.
By about 500 years ago, Tyrnabay had long forgotten its meager beginnings and had become a rather prosperous nation. Farming had become established and a variety of foods were available to the folk. Reliance on the sea was still part of this, but the bay - and the sea bass - were not the primary sustenance any more. In fact, as other choices became available, most folk would shun the sea bass as "commoner food" or, worse, "destitution food". Some fishing continued, but it was greatly reduced.
Whatever the reason, sea bass fishing exploded almost overnight. WIthin a few years, there were so many netboats on the water that Wolf's Bay entire shoreline looked like one huge marina. This only lasted about 20 years or so, though, before suddenly, the netboats began coming back empty. They had been too successful, and had fished out the entire population of Wolf's Bay Sea Bass.
Unfortunately, the bay's undersea wildlife also proved to be challenging. While the several species of sharks and other large predator fish could provide much meat, they were dangerous to catch. And their presence meant that there were not very many large schools of smaller fish to rely upon.
One species of fish was relatively safe to pursue, and was - at least at first - common enough to become a staple food source: the Wolf's Bay Sea Bass.
Alternate Name
Bay Rocker
Size (adult)
approximately 18in (38cm)
Weight(adult)
approximately 12lb (5.5kg)
Shape
relatively cylindrical body; large mouth
Coloration
mottled dark greens and browns (blending with rocky coastal bottoms)
One species of fish was relatively safe to pursue, and was - at least at first - common enough to become a staple food source: the Wolf's Bay Sea Bass.
History
At first, the fish were caught using poles and lines by fisherfolk working from land along the bay's rocky shores, but soon these were replaced by folk fishing from small boats. Even so, the fish favored shallow rocky regions, and thus were difficult to catch using anything other than single hooked lines. They were plentiful, though, so boats with ten to twelve fishers could be productive. Since that many lines in the water required cooperation and coordination, set crews who became familiar with each other's actions began to take over the business of landing sea bass and feeding the people. This continued for almost 1400 years.Wolf's Bay Sea Bass
About 700 years ago, a new approach to sea bass fishing was introduced. The name of the inventor of the "floater net" - most likely a Gnome, given its visible absurdity - is lost to time, but this device allowed a single boat to lay out a "blanket" of netting supported by floats. The nets included extra flaps of netting that dangled vertically, interspersed with bait bags containing chopped bits of clam, mussel, crab, and fishbone to attract the sea bass up from the rocky bottoms and into the tangles of netting. A single crew of six could catch more with a floater net than a "dozen boat" of line fisherfolk could amass.
By about 500 years ago, Tyrnabay had long forgotten its meager beginnings and had become a rather prosperous nation. Farming had become established and a variety of foods were available to the folk. Reliance on the sea was still part of this, but the bay - and the sea bass - were not the primary sustenance any more. In fact, as other choices became available, most folk would shun the sea bass as "commoner food" or, worse, "destitution food". Some fishing continued, but it was greatly reduced.
Over-Fishing
This all changed about 200 years ago. Suddenly, Wolf's Bay Sea Bass became a delicacy, with the population at large rapidly switching from viewing it with disdain to treating it as a status symbol. The origins of this change are uncertain, but most believe it can be tracked back to a royal banquet that featured "historical foods of Tyrnabay" at which a particularly succulent recipe for preparing the fish was first unveiled.Whatever the reason, sea bass fishing exploded almost overnight. WIthin a few years, there were so many netboats on the water that Wolf's Bay entire shoreline looked like one huge marina. This only lasted about 20 years or so, though, before suddenly, the netboats began coming back empty. They had been too successful, and had fished out the entire population of Wolf's Bay Sea Bass.
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