50 FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1907. 



curing. The fishermen fletch, usually, as a last resort and because 

 they can not dispose of the fish in any other way, although occa- 

 sionally in summer a few of the vessels make regular fletching cruises. 



Frequently the dealers make a contract with a vessel owner to 

 take all of his catch for the season at a certain fixed figure, but when 

 the fish are received on consignment the commission charged is gen- 

 erally 5 per cent. The dealers usually purchase outright, at the 

 current rates, the fish landed by the small boats. A serious handi- 

 cap under which the Scow Bay dealers and fishermen labor at present 

 is the difficulty of sending and receiving cable messages. At the 

 present time the nearest cable office is at Wrangell, about 35 miles 

 away, and as the regular steamers touch at Scow Bay only on two 

 days a week, it is frequently necessary to dispatch a boat specially 

 in order to send off a message from Wrangell, while messages received 

 at that office are held until the first mail steamer arriving after the 

 receipt of the message leaves Wrangell for the north. The establish- 

 ment of a branch office of the Government cable at Petersburg, at 

 the head of the Narrows, would be welcomed not only by the halibut 

 dealers and fishermen, but also by the salmon men who congregate 

 here in the summer months. 



Fishing vessels usually carry from 3 to 7 men and from 1 to 3 dories. 

 This allows 2 men to a dory, while the cook remains aboard and 

 maneuvers the vessel when necessary. The lay is usually as follows: 

 All expenses are taken out of the gross proceeds, the vessel receives 

 one-fifth of the net proceeds, and the rest is divided equally among 

 the crew. Should the captain own the vessel he also receives his 

 share as a fisherman. The vessel furnishes the outfit at the com- 

 mencement of the season, but after that all fishing gear bought to 

 replace that lost or worn out is counted as part of the expenses. 

 Some few vessel owners furnish vessel and everything necessary but 

 provisions, and pay the fishermen 27 cents each for fish 15 pounds 

 and over; all below 15 pounds count 3 for 1. 



On the launches and small boats the ov/ner gets one-fifth of the 

 gross proceeds for the use of the boat, and the balance is then divided 

 equally between the men fishing, the crew furnishing everything but 

 the launch. 



Trawls are employed almost exclusively. The quantity used to 

 a boat varies considerably. In the upper portion of southeast 

 Alaska a dory will have out from 5 to 7 skates. A skate comprises 

 7 lines of 50 fathoms each, and each of these lines will have about 

 25 hooks on gangions, or side lines, which are set 6 feet apart. The 

 no. 6283 "English" fishhook is generally used by the white fisher- 

 men, but the Indians employ a hook of their own manufacture. 

 The shank of the latter is of wood, sometimes elaborately carved, 

 with a metal tip. In the lower part of southeast Alaska from 2 to 4 

 skates to the dory are generally used. Ordinarily there is an anchor 



