612 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



reason to think there are carp. There are usually certain definite 

 beaches where the hauls are made, places that are known to be com- 

 paratively free of vegetation and snags. As the summer advances it 

 becomes more necessary to make the hauls on regular grounds, which 

 are thus kept comparatively free of weeds. Where the seine has not 

 been more or less regularly hauled the weeds become so abundant that 

 it is impossible to make a good seine haul over them, for the lead-line 

 trips and can not be made to hug the bottom. The various hauling 

 grounds are patrolled with considerable regularity, and as soon as the 

 fish come on in any numbers the fishermen are usually aware of it. 



For a seine of the size mentioned a crew usually consists of not less 

 than four men, though two crews sometimes help each other haul, 

 thus reducing the labor. Nominally the waters are free for any one to 

 fish in them, but as a matter of fact certain crews come to have a feel- 

 ing of ownership for the hauling grounds they have established, and 

 in this way the}' assume rights which are generally respected among 

 themselves by an unwritten law. 



Arrived at the hauling grounds, the fishermen proceed with cau- 

 tion, making as little noise as possible, so as not to frighten the fish. 

 A long brail rope is bent to each end of the seine. The free end of one 

 of these is left on shore, where a part of the crew remain as well, and 

 the others row the seine boat out in a big sweep around the hauling 

 ground. First the brail rope is paid out and then the seine itself, and 

 finally the other brail rope is carried to the shore at a considerable 

 distance from the point of starting. One person in a small duck boat 

 usually follows along the seine to see that it sets right, and that it has 

 not caught on any snags. The brail ropes are now passed around the 

 drums of wooden reels or windlasses, and wound slowly in, one man 

 keeping the line taut while one or two others wind in. In the mean- 

 time the fisherman in the duck boat follows along the net as it is gradu- 

 ally brought in, watching to see that it does not trip and freeing it if 

 it catches. 



When the brails have been brought close into the shallow water the 

 two ends of the seine are carried along shore to some median point, 

 and the net is now pulled in directl} T , hand over hand. In order to 

 keep the lead-line down to the bottom a " jack' 1 or "roller" is pushed 

 down into the mud, so that the line runs under a sort of wooden spool. 

 In this way the seine is gradually hauled in until all the fish are 

 bunched in a small portion of the bag (figs. 1 and 2, pi. n), from 

 which, with short-handled dip nets, they are either transferred directly 

 to floating wooden crates or live-cars, or are placed in a boat and later 

 transferred to the cars (fig. 3, pi. n.) The seine is then again loaded 

 upon the seine boat, and if another haul is not to be made soon is taken 

 ashore and spread out on a reel to dry. 



Under certain conditions special methods of seining are regularly 



