160 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



at Gloucester. The most successful vessel has made $380 since Novem- 

 ber 17; this was with 5 men and 16 nets. The fish all left the*bay in 

 one night. The net fishermen are getting ready to fish in Ipswich Bay. 

 Two boats which are now there are doing well. The fish sometimes re- 

 main there until April 1. The total value of the fish landed at Glouces- 

 ter by the aetters, thus far, i.s $15,000; 70 men and 140 nets have been 

 engaged. The outlook for a prosperous winters' work is good. 

 Gloucester, Mass., January 11, 1883. 



There are 10 vessels in Ipswich Bay using cod gill-nets. They are 

 using 15 nets to a boat and are doing well. During the last 20 daysthey 

 have landed at Rockport and Portsmouth 230,000 pounds of large cod. 

 Some of the boats have made $110 to a share, with 8 men to a boat. 

 The fish are in one small spot, and 150 nets are set on a spot of ground 

 half a mile long and quarter of a mile wide. The nets are often set 

 across each other, so that one man was obliged to haul 7 nets in order 

 to get his own. Those on top get the most fish. 



Gloucester, Mass., February 6, 1883. 



Net fishing is about ended for this winter; not more than two boats 

 are now fishing with nets. The reason why the boats took up their 

 nets so soon is because the nets were worn out, and they do not want 

 to get new ones. Fish have been scarce during the past week, and the 

 time for net fishing is short. The fish in Ipswich Bay are large. The 

 schooner Blue Jay was in Eockport yesterday with 135 fish which 

 weighed 4,134 pounds; these fish sold for 5h cents a pound. I think 

 the boats that have nets will do well; 5,000 pounds now is as good as 

 15,000 pounds in 1881. 



Gloucester, Mass., February 24, 1883. 



The fishing with cod gill-nets in Ipswich Bay has been good during 

 the last ten days. Some of the boats landed as many as 15,000 pounds 

 last week after two nights' fishing. All the boats which took their nets 

 up have gone with them to Ipswich Bay. The fish are very large and 

 fall of spawn. The crew of the boat Martha Jane shared $92 apiece 

 after fishing 10 days. This was with 8 men and 4 dories. 



The net fishing for cod is done for this year. The amount ot fish 

 landed here which were caught in nets this winter is 2,335,000 pounds. 

 These fish were weighed as they came from the water. During the 

 months of November and December, when fish were plentiful, there 

 were not many boats with nets, but in the latter part of the winter there 

 were 21 boats fishing with cod gill-nets. If the whole fleet had used 

 nets in the first part of the winter the catch would have been much 

 larger. The number of vessels fishing with nets is 21. Six dories with 

 cod-nets fishing out of Hamilton, with 3 nets and 2 men to a dory. 

 Number of nets used this winter, 420; men engaged, 180. The nets are 

 50 fathoms long. The weather this winter has been rough for net fish- 

 ing, the nets not being hauled more than two-thirds of the time. Three 



