BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 49 



Vol. V, UTo. 4. Washington, I>. C. Jan. 19, 1 885. 



14— NOTES OIV THE CO© GILLNET FISHERIES OF GLOUCESTER, 



MASS., 18S4->85. 



By S. J. MARTIN. 



[From letters to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



The first cod gill-nets were set September 30, but no cod have yet 

 been caught in them. Yesterday a boat with five nets caught 50 large 

 pollock. Gill-net fishing will be carried on to a much greater extent 

 tli is year than last. 



Gloucester, Mass., October 5, 1884. 



The ten boats that are fishing with cod gill-nets catch mostly large 

 pollock. These fish average 23£ pounds as they come from the water. 

 I have seen a lot of 6,000 pounds landed, which averaged 24 pounds to 

 the fish. One pollock was landed which weighed 37£ pounds. The 

 average weight of pollock caught on hand lines is 13 pounds. 



In seven days and with twenty -four nets, the schooner Dixie landed 

 135,000 pounds of pollock and 5,000 pounds of large cod. Her nets are 

 50 fathoms long and 2 fathoms deep. With sixteen nets of the same 

 size, the schooner Hector took 20,000 pounds of pollock and 1,000 

 pounds of large cod last week. 



This afternoon the whole ten vessels that are using nets were in with 

 their decks full of large pollock and large codfish. They landed 140,000 

 pounds of pollock and 5,000 pounds of cod. Pollock sold to-day at 50 

 cents a 100 pounds. It is being dressed and gotten ready to ship to 

 Boston, Monday morning. The large pollock make very nice steak, 

 and are considered better for frying than cod. 



The hand-liners all catch small fish, and they are quite angry toward 

 the gill-netters. In some instances they have anchored on top of the 

 gill -nets, injuring taem. The people gather along the wharves to see 

 the large pollock unloaded from gill-net vessels and the small pollock 

 unloaded from hand-line vessels, and think it a great curiosity. 

 There have been 3 puffers caught in the cod gill-nets. 



Gloucester, Mass., October 26, 1884. 



The amount of fish caught in gill-nets and landed here during the 

 past week is as follows : 915,000 pounds of pollock and 67,000 pounds 

 of large cod. 



Considering the number of boats, nets, and men engaged in fishing, 

 the catch yesterday exceeds anything on record. Thirteen small ves- 

 sels, fishing with cod gill nets, landed last night and this morning 

 250,000 pounds of pollock and 20,000 pounds of large cod. These fish 

 Bull. U. S. F. C, 85 4 



