192 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The remaining cod gill-net fishermen are doing well. Net fishing will 

 probably be over by May 1. 



Gloucester, Mass., April 20, 1884. 



The cod gill-net fishing for this season ended yesterday morning. 

 There have been 578,000 pounds of codfish caught in the cod gill-nets 

 during the month of April. The amount of fish caught in nets from 

 October 1, 1883, to April 26, 1884, has been large, exceeding the catch 

 inshore of any previous six months. I have from time to time given 

 you the figures. The schooner Morrill Boy, with a crew of seven men, 

 divided into two gangs, and six nets to a man, began its winter's work 

 on November 10, 1883, and has landed $4,300 worth of fish. Each of 

 the crew made $410 clear of all expenses. 



Catching fish in nets is exi)ensive. The expenses of each of the crew 

 of Morrill Boy were $100. The nets alone cost $14.50 each, and glass- 

 ball anchors, buoy lines, and buoys had to be purchased. 



Five boats that commenced work on November 1, 1883^ with a total 

 of forty-two men, did good work, each man having cleared $400. These 

 men fished every night. The expenses of each of these men were also 

 $100. There were fifty-two boats which used nets last winter, four 

 hundred.and sixty-eight men employed, and one thousand five hundred 

 and sixty nets used. The average price of the fish landed was $2.50 

 per hundred, and $285 the average share of each man. 



Gloucester, Mass., April 27, 1884. 



Three small boats, with five cod gill-nets to a boat, set their nets in 

 Ipswich Bay last week, after the cod gill-netters had taken up their 

 nets for the season. They caught 38,000 pounds of large codfish, half 

 male and half female, notwithstanding there were two days that they did 

 not haul their nets. If all the netters had set their nets, as many fish 

 would have been caught last week as was taken during any week in the 

 winter. I do not know how long the fish will remain in the bay; here- 

 tofore none had been taken later than May 1. 



Gloucester, Mass., May 11, 1884. 



There have been caught in cod gill-nets during the past week 62,00§ 

 pounds of codfish. 



Gloucester, Mass., May 18, 1884. 



There were 18,000 pounds of codfish caught in cod gill-nets last 

 week. The last fish were taken on May 20. 



Gloucester, Mass., May 24, 1884. 



During the past month there were 128,000 pounds of codfish caught 

 in cod gill-nets. 



Gloucester, Mass., June 4, 1884. 



