FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 93 
been encountered, and the shipments have steadily increased. The 
halibut fleet has increased from the 2 sail vessels just mentioned, in 
1888, to a fleet of 97 vessels in 1915, most of them hailing from Seattle. 
While sail vessels were at first employed in the fishery, in 1915, with the 
exception of 5 steamers the halibut fleet consisted entirely of gasoline 
vessels, ranging in size from a few boats under 5 net tons to one of 
115 net tons, and were usually owned by corporations. Thecrews vary 
from 5 to 19 men on the gasoline boats and from 37 to 44 men on the 
steamers. Some of the smaller boats do not carry any dories, the 
fishing being done from the deck. A large majority of the vessels are 
engaged exclusively in the halibut fishery, but a few discontinue purse 
seining at times to catch halibut. The number of dories carried varies 
from 2 on the small gasoline vessels to 12 on the larger steamers. The 
eee cook, and deck hands of a halibut vessel very seldom do any 
shing. 
Halibut are caught exclusively on trawl lines. The amount of gear 
used to a vessel ranges from 2 to 8 skates, a skate having a uniform 
length of 220 hooks placed 9 feet apart. There are ordinarily 7 lines, 
each 50 fathoms in length, to askate. The lines are always set with 
the tide and wind. The men usually start out at about daybreak, and 
sometimes lines areset aslateas5p.m. The gearis allowed to remain 
out about an hour before fishing is begun. From three to four hours 
are required to lift and fish a gear, the time varying according to 
amount set. The baiting is done on the fishing grounds just before 
setting out the lines. From the latter part of November to the last 
of January torches are used early in the morning and in the evening 
while fishing. The hooks commonly used are the Arthur James and 
Mustad hooks, Nos. 6283 and 6284, and are seized on the line with 
No. 12 linen twine. 
Herring is the principal bait used; salmon are also used, but only 
in small quantities. Large numbers of herring from Puget Sound are 
utilized, but the main supply comes from Alaska, where many fisher- 
men are occupied exclusively in catching bait for halibut vessels. In 
starting on ahalibut trip itis customary to take 10 barrels of bait to 
each dory. A steamer will sometimes take as much as 200 barrels of 
herring on a trip. Bait is taken from Seattle only when going on a 
short trip. The herring bait is always used fresh, and in 1915 the 
cost was about $2 per barrel of 200 pounds. The price was about the 
same in Alaska. 
In the early days of the fishery halibut were taken almost exclu- 
sively in the vicinity of Cape Flattery, but now the vessels go from 
150 to 1,500 miles from Seattle, the nearest fishing bank being the 
one off Cape Flattery and the most distant one the Portlock Bank. 
The average length of a trip is 15 days, but some trips to near- 
by banks are made in 7 or 8 days. Besides the halibut banks 
already named, Hecate Straits and Yakitat Bank may be mentioned. 
The most prolific of these is Hecate Straits, 350 to 500 miles from 
Seattle. Very few vessels from Seattle go farther north than these 
grounds. While in that region the most convenient place for rebaiting 
is at Prince Rupert, Canada. In recent years, under an order in 
council passed at Ottawa, United States vessels can buy bait only 
upon condition that the catch is landed at Prince Rupert. This has 
had a depressing effect upon the halibut trade of Seattle, resulting in 
some of the larger wholesale firms moving to Prince Rupert. 
