SALT-HALEBUT FISHERY. 



117 



Table for July and August, representing the times of setting and hauling trawls, $c. Continued. 



Average time between setting and hauling in July, 3 hours. 



Average time between setting and hauling in August, 2 hours, 53 minutes. 



Average depth of water in July, 45.5 fathoms. 



Average depth of water in August, 33 fathoms. 



Number of fish caught in July 3,764-)- 



Number of fish caught in August ......... ............. 4,852 



Total 8,616+ 



8. THE HALIBUT IN ITS EELATION TO THE PISHING. 



In the preceding tables, under the head of "Eemarks," quite frequently occurs the phrase 

 "Shifted position," which signifies, in this connection, a little more than merely changing the 

 position of the vessel; it implies that the fish, for some reason, are no longer to be caught where 

 they may have been, up to that time, quite abundant. Are the fish of a roving disposition, or do 

 the individuals remain within restricted limits? I shall not attempt to decide, but will merely 

 mention some facts which may have a bearing on the question. 



The fishermen seldom expect to catch many fish near the vessel after the first flitchiug. If 

 you ask for an explanation of this, they will tell you that the "gnrry" drives the balikut away. 

 By "gnrry," they mean the refuse of the fish which is thrown overboard at the time of flitching. 

 There is only a single case, that I know of, which would seem opposed to this explanation. It is 

 that of a large halibut which had eaten the head, backbone, and viscera of a fish that had been 

 flitched. It cannot be that the flesh of their own species is distasteful to the halibut, for this is 

 what the fishermen use for bait, nor can it be that they mistake the white gleam of the flesh for 

 sharks, for the sharks caught here were of a very dark color. Whether we know the cause or not, 

 it is none the less true that the fish cease to bite near the vessel after the first flitchiug, whereas, 

 if this operation be delayed, or if the tide at that time be strong enough to carry the gurry away 

 a considerable distance, the fish continue to bite freely. Considering, then, that the gurry has 

 this effect, what is the result of remaining in one spot several days? Evidently the mass of 

 gurry will increase, and, being drifted by the tides, will cause the vessel to be the center of an 

 ever-increasing spot where the halibut will not bite. It is thus necessary either to set the trawls 

 at a greater distance from the vessel or else to move her to a new spot. The latter method, of 

 course, is the easier. 



On the 23d, 24th, and 25th of July over 1,500 fish were taken from a limited area, at some 

 distance from the vessel, where the gurry did not reach, because the tide ran in the opposite direc- 



