PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 189 



few cases the junks have been sold to American fishermen, the num- 

 bers by which they were known to the customs officials being sup- 

 planted by names. The junks used in San Diego County have declined 

 from 13 used in 1888, in 1889 and 1890, to 1 in 1893. 



The shore fisheries of this county are carried on from small cat, sloop, 

 or schooner rigged boats, carrying a crew of two men, who reside in 

 San Diego and market their catch in that city. A small camp of Por- 

 tuguese fishermen is found at La Playa, on the side of the bay opposite 

 San Diego. These fishermen man their boats singly, and cure all of 

 their catch, most of which is pickled for the Sandwich Islands trade. 

 Of the quantity pickled, about three-fourths are albacore, one-eighth 

 bonito, and one-eighth yellow-tail. The entire catch is taken by trolling. 

 When fishing each boat uses four 15-fathom lines, each provided with a 

 single hook. Just above the hook a decoy bait is fastened consisting 

 of a piece-of bone sometimes cut to reserdble a small fish, but in most 

 cases simply a narrow fragment without definite shape. 



In the vessel fishery the same kinds of lines are employed, although 

 eight instead of four are used by each craft. The lines are fished from 

 the sides of the vessels, being rigged on poles in a manner similar to that 

 employed in the mackerel fishery of the Atlantic coast many years ago. 



In hand-lining the men use what may be designated a reverse trawl, 

 not noticed elsewhere in the United States. The line is from 100 to 150 

 fathoms long and is provided with 25 to 50 hooks attached to gangiugs, 

 which in turn are fastened to the main line at intervals of a foot apart, 

 beginning at the bottom. The hooks are baited with either fresh or 

 salted fish. Such lines are used from the sides of the vessels in from 

 15 to 100 fathoms of water. The fishermen seem pleased with this rig, 

 and comment on its superiority over other forms of lines. Having 

 dropped the line over the side of the vessel to the bottom, they have a 

 string of baited hooks suspended that attract the fish much more effect- 

 ively than would be the case with a single hook or a series of hooks 

 arranged on the ordinary trawl. As soon as the line reaches the bottom 

 the fishermen begin to draw it in and the fish follow it toward the surface. 

 Often as many as half the hooks are found to have fish on tliem. 



The fishermen report no scarcity of fish on the grounds adjacent to 

 the Bay of San Diego, but few fish are now caught inside of the bay, 

 where fine fishing was formerly enjoyed. The city sewage and the 

 dumping of city refuse and garbage just outside of the harbor have, in 

 the opinion of the fishermen, prevented the fish from entering the bay. 



In September, 1891, an experimental shipment of 3,600 pounds of 

 pickled fish was made to the Sandwich Islands. The fish met with 

 such favor that the business rapidly increased, until in 1892 the fish so 

 shipped amounted to 34,300 pounds. The largest part of the pickled 

 fish consists of albacore, which are taken in abundance at all seasons 

 of the year, and range in size from 30 to 70 pounds. The principal 

 part of the catch is taken by trolling on the grounds some 10 miles 

 southwest from Point Lorn a. The fish intended for the Sandwich 



