spring2 n SED iv, 828 So Co 'spring of the year' for sense 1.
1 1984 KELLAND 111 Like most young men of his time, he did a trick at fishing and spent a few springs at the icefields. 1987 POWELL 50 So the spring of the year is the most difficult time to hunt sea birds for a living.
6 Attrib, comb ~ baiting, ~ bloom: seasonal occurrence of plankton in the cold coastal waters of the middle latitudes, ~ business: merchant-fisherman supply trade in preparation for the seasonal fishery, ~ fish, ~ fishery, ~ trip, ~ var.
1987 FIZZARD 149 'Salt fish, landed from the three spring baitings of the many bankers that sailed out of Grand Bank...was spread on the beaches to dry.' 1989 Gazette 3 Mar, p. 5 Much of the phytoplankton produced during the spring bloom sinks to the bottom--providing a nutrient-rich benthic layer. This phytoplankton detritus may be eaten by creatures living at the bottom, or may be a reservoir of food that is recirculated into the water column over time, extending the period of abundant production beyond the limited period of the spring bloom. 1896 Centenary Magazine [supplement] p. ii Monday, June 15th... Shops closed at six o'clock, p.m., the spring business being over. [1937] 1987 Evening Telegram 17 June, p. 6 Negotiations are now being carried on between the Portugal exporters group and the Gremio regarding the sale of spring fish to Portugal. 1988 ibid 6 May, p. 1 Mr Cashin said he is anxious to begin contract negotiations with fish companies for the caplin fishery and spring fishery. 1987 FIZZARD 126-7 Having taken on their bait, which was herring for the spring trips, the schooners were now ready for their first voyage of the season. 1989 Nfld Qtly lxxxv (1), 13 "Winter": Spruce and spring var Crackled in the Findlay Oval.
