BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 15 



Northern Eagle, 8,000 pouuds of which were caught iu a siugie moiii- 

 ing. Two other vessels, which were absent the same length of time, fishing 

 at the same place with trawls, got only 4,000 and 8,000 pounds, respect- 

 ively. Since that time she has made another trip, taking the same 

 amount, 35,000 ijounds, in four days' fishing, 18,000 pounds of which 

 were caught in one day. On this day the schooner Christie Campbell, 

 of Portsmouth, set ten trawls (each trawl having 1,000 hooks) close to 

 the nets. The 10,000 hooks caught about 2,000 j)ounds of fish to the 

 18,000 taken iu the nets. 



Captain Martin began fishing with the nets November 27^ 1880, and 

 up to the 20th of January, 1881, had caught 111,000 i)ounds of cod. 

 None of the trawlers took more than one-third of that amount, though 

 fishing at the same place. The netted fish are larger than those caught 

 on trawls, averaging, during the first six weeks' fishing, 23 pounds each. 

 Among these were individuals which weighed 75 and 80 pounds aj)iece, 

 but no small fish, such as are frequently taken on trawls, and can be 

 sold only at a reduced price. In addition to the advantages already' men- 

 tioned, no bait is, of course, required for net-fishing, and not only is the 

 expense for this article saved, but the loss of time and trouble incident 

 to securing it and also to baiting trawls is dispensed with. In consid- 

 eration of these facts it is not strange that quite a lively interest has 

 been manifested in the fishing communities, and that many vessels, both 

 of the shore and bank fleet, are being supplied with this kind of appa- 

 ratus for the cod-fishery. The advantages that may be secured by our 

 bank-fishermen from the use of these nets can hardly be overestimated. 

 It is altogether probable that they may be profitably emjiloyed on most 

 of the larger fishing grounds, especially the Grand and Western Banks, 

 and Banquereau. There is no good reason to doubt the practicability 

 of underruuning nets on these banks, especially on the shoaler parts. 

 They surely may be set and hauled on auy part where cod are now taken. 

 The use of these would obviate the necessity of leaving the bank before 

 a trip had been secured, as must now be done by trawlers, in order to 

 obtain a suxiply of bait. It is the general custom of the trawl-fisher- 

 men to use fresh bait, and since this will not keep longer than two to 

 three weeks, it is easy to see that much time must be lost in seeking for 

 it. Indeed, the supply is at all times so uncertain that some vessels are 

 not actually engaged in fishing more than one-half of the time, and it may 

 be safely said that bank-fishermen dp not spend much more than two- 

 thirds of their time on the fisuing ground, the remainder being occuined 

 in the search for bait. Again, a large sum of money is j)aid for bait, 

 and, all things considered, it is quite apparent that even if the daily 

 catch should be smaller than when trawls are used, the profits of the 

 trip would be much greater. 



As has been mentioned, however, nets have been found to work much 

 better than trawls at Ipswich Bay, both on account of the quantity and 

 quality of the fish taken. Since these facts are established, there is no 



