78 U. S. BUEEAU OF FISHERIES. 



PURSE SEINES. 



This form of apparatus is in quite general use in Puget Sound and 

 southeast Alaska, and has proved highly effective in these deep, swift 

 waters. These seines are about 200 fathoms long, 25 fathoms in the 

 bunt, and 20 fathoms in the wings, all with a 3f-inch stretch mesh. 

 The foot line is heavily leaded and the bridles are about 10 feet long. 

 The purse line is made of H-inch hemp. The rings through which 

 the purse line is rove measure about 5 inches in diameter and are 

 made of galvanized iron. 



Purse seining for salmon in Puget Sound and waters north of same 

 is one of the most important methods in use in the fisheries. In the 

 type of vessel used in this fishery there has probably been greater 

 improvement than in any other branch of the fisheries of the coast. 

 In the early days row scows were in use, but now vessels with power 

 are used. 



In 1903 the first gasoline-powered purse seine boat appeared on the 

 Pacific, coast salmon fishing grounds ni Puget Sound. Tlie vessel was 

 named the Pioneer and she was equipped with a 5-horsepower engine. 

 The first season she easily demonstrated her vast superiority over 

 the other purse seiners in the quickness with which she could reach 

 a school 01 fish after it was sighted and in surrounding it with her 

 seine. The next year there were a few more built or equipped, and 

 the number has steadily increased until at the present time practi- 

 cally all except a few in southeast Alaska are equipped with motor 

 engines. 



The first power seine boats were only about 30 feet in length and 

 had small power. As they were few in numbers, there was virtually 

 no competition, and high power and speed were not a necessity. As 

 the boats increased in numbers, howcA cr, competition became keener, 

 and the first types of boats with their small power were quickly 

 thrown into the shade by the newer types, whicli averaged between 

 45 and 55 feet in length, with 45 to 75 liorsepower engines. 



When motive power was introduced in the vessels, it was natural 

 that the fishermen should soon introduce winches for the purpose 

 of hauling in the nets, as the whole work could then be done by the 

 one engine. 



The purse seine vessels are built with rounded sterns. On an 

 elevated section of the stern is set a movable platform on a pivot. 

 The after end of this platform has a long roller. The purse seine 

 is stowed on this platform, the head rope with corks on one side 

 and the foot line on the other, so that there will be no tangling when 

 the seine is paid out. 



When the lookout sights a school of fish, the seiner is run down 

 close to it and a rowboat launched. One man takes his place in 

 this with the rope from one end of the seine and acts as a pivot, 

 while the seiner circles around the school, the crew paying out the 

 seine as she moves along. When it is all out, the vessel runs along- 

 side the rowboat and takes aboard the other rope. Attaching this 

 and the rope from the other end to the power winch, the circle around 

 the fish is rapidly narrowed, and the slack of the seine as it comes in 

 is stowed back on the platform. Around the bottom of the seine 

 and through galvanized-iron rings about 5 inches in diameter runs 

 the purse line. As this is hauled into the boat, the open space at 



