PACIFIC HALIBUT FISHERIES 9 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38a 



recumbent attitude in an athwartships bunk very unstable. In the evening, however, 

 the sea began to go down gradually, and after supper a Seattle schooner hove in sight 

 and anchored close by. 



On May 26, 27, and 28, we were fishing over the Goose Islands halibut grounds, 

 which cover an area some 30 miles square to the west of Goose islands in the southern 

 part of Hecate strait. This is an extensive gravel patch at a depth varying from 

 about 28 to 50 fathoms. Living half buried in the bottom are numerous orange red 

 sea-pens (Pennatulids) called " Stickfish," amongst other nautical designations. Their 

 length averages 4 inches, and their presence is hailed as a sign of good halibut feeding 

 ground. At the outside edge of the bank the depth descends rapidly to 90 fathoms, 

 and here the fishing was not so good, only a few halibut, black cod (Anoplopoma 

 fimhria) and a species of flounder being taken. Several other vessels, including a 

 steamer, were now working the same ground. A set which we made in 45 to 50 fathoms 

 yielded a total catch of 225 halibut, representing an aggregate weight of about 2000 

 pounds, none being larger than medium. It is characteristic of the summer schools of 

 halibut that they consist mainly of comparatively small and immature fish. On the 

 28th we suffered a repetition of heavy rain and southeast squalls, making dory-fishing 

 precarious, and we wound up the day by finding an anchorage in St. John harbour, 

 Bardswell group, to the south of Millbank sound. The Vancouver steamer which has 

 been referred to had already reached this haven of refuge. 



May 30 was the first really fine day of our voyage. Up till now the skipper said 

 the weather had been as bad as he had ever known it in winter. At daybreak we 

 steered west by south half west across Millbank sound towards the Outer islands 

 below Price island, and made a set across the wind from 50 to 60 fathoms on the 

 Price Island ground about 8 miles WSW. of Price island. Amongst the halibut there 

 were two large fish. I made an oblique haul of the tow-net over this ground, finding 

 many calanoid copepods, but phytoplankton (Algw) predominated, and there were no 

 fish eggs. In the afternoon we steered to the northwest across Laredo sound towards 

 entrance island at the south end of Aristazable island. Here a set was made in 30 

 fathoms about three-quarters of a mile from the shore, amongst rocks. Some large 

 halibut were taken, a male ling cod, which milted freely on deck, many red cod, and 

 a few variegated black and yellow rock fish (Sehastodes nehulosus). The halibut 

 averaged a good deal larger than those from the gravel patch of the Goose Islands 

 ground. 



The Horseshoe bank was broached on May the 31st, a set being made in 40 to 50 

 fathoms on a sandy bottom. The position is midway between Lyell island (Queen 

 Charlotte group) and Estevan island below Banks island, both points of land being 

 visible in the distance on a clear day. A mark buoy was put out near the southern 

 end of the s§t and the four dories lowered their lines in parallel strings about half 

 a mile apart, in such a way that the first line of hooks lay towards the southeast, the 

 last line towards the northwest. The catches made by the individual dories, commenc- 

 ing with the most southerly, were the following: No. 1 caught 107 halibut; No. 2, 117; 

 No. 3, 57 ; No. 4, 18. This is instructive in exhibiting the schooling habits of the 

 halibut, fairly large numbers being taken at one end of the set, few at the other end. 

 Some of the halibut had been feeding on sand launces (Ammodytes personatus) . The 

 hooks also brought up a so-called bastard halibut (Atheresthes stchnfitas), sometimes 

 wrongly called " turbot," four true grey codfish, and the empty egg-capsule of a large 

 skate. Altogether, three sets were made on this day, the total catch for the day 

 amounting to 580 halibut, about 7,000 pounds. After supper the men were busy 

 dressing the fish and packing them in the ice hold. We anchored in 35 fathoms at 

 a good distance from the mark biioy, and on the following day resumed the fishing on 

 the same ground. The catch included a medium-sized male halibut, whose large- 

 lobed testes contained ripe fluid milt. The maturity of the male is no guide to the 

 incidence of spawning. It was the only case of the kind which came under my obser- 



