50 COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



A large run of pollock in the middle of May (as in 1905) greatly 

 interfered with the catch, but these fish left about May 21st, and the 

 scup fishing was accordingly improved. 



Mackerel. — Four mackerel were caught on the fourth of May, but 

 the first shipment out of Newport was May 14th, of 25 barrels. By 

 May 25th the shipments had increased to 300 barrels, and the big 

 "run" commenced on June 4th, when 1,200 barrels were landed at 

 Newport. The season drew to a close near the end of July. 



" Tinkers" arrived in this year on the fourth of June, somewhat 

 ahead of the usual time. 



Butter-fish. — This year the butter-fish arrived April 16th, a very 

 early date, and fishermen who had been trapping for twenty years or 

 more had seen nothing like it. The usual appearance is in May, and 

 ordinarily they come after the scup arrive, but this year the order 

 was reversed. Several good catches were made in the last part of 

 April and first half of May, and beginning with May 21st they were 

 very plentiful. 



Squiteague. — The first appearance of weakfish was one straggler 

 on May 4th. Two days later one-half barrel was caught. The big 

 run was about June 10th. 



Striped Bass. — Two striped bass were caught April 21st, two 

 weeks ahead of the usual date. May 9th, 430 pounds were caught. 



Sea robins made their first appearance April 13th. 



Squid came in May 4th, when five barrels were caught in one trap. 

 On this elate squid were worth more than scup. 



season of 1907. 



Scup. — Scup did not appear until May 2d. On this date three 

 were caught. Single catches were then made until May 10th, when 

 one and a half barrels were caught. There was a rapid improvement 

 in number, and on the fourteenth the big run began. The culmina- 

 tion date was May 21st, and on June 10th the catches began to dim- 

 inish. The season closed June 24th. 



The first week in June the fishermen were greatly troubled by the 

 jelly-fish, which were present in sufficient numbers to clog the nets. 



Mackerel. — The first mackerel made its appearance on May 2d, but 

 it was not until May 17th that the first catch was made. On this 



