118 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME, 



Ranging from Behriug straits southward as far as the latitude of Sari 

 P"'ranc'iseo, halibut are, however, found in connnereial quantities only 

 from the latitude of central Oregon northward. By far the greatest 

 amount of halibut is taken in the waters of southeastern Alaska ; yet 

 not inconsiderable quantities occur in the region of Cape Flattery, 

 Washington, and oft' Newport, Oregon. Fairly successful fishing is 

 done off Smith river, in the northern part of California. 



The boats engaged in the halibut fishery vary greatly in size, from 

 small ones having a cargo capacity of 50,000 pounds to large ones 

 capable of holding 200,000 pounds of halibut. Each boat — unless it is 

 a very small one indeed — carries from two to twelve dories (flat- 

 bottomed rowboats of special design), from which the fishing is done. 

 Among fishermen, the number of dories carried by a boat is iLsed as an 

 indication of her size; thus, "She carries four dories," or "She carries 

 twelve dories." This phrase indicates, also, liow fnany fishermen are 

 employed on a lioat, for each dory is manned by two fishermen. 



The gear used in fishing for halibut consists of lines, set with hooks, 

 which are allowed to lie on the ocean bottom. These are called the 

 "ground line." Each line is about 225 feet in length; seven or eight 

 of them, fastened end-to-end, constitute a "skate" of gear, which has a 

 total length of nearly 1,600 feet — almost one third of a mile. To the 

 ground line are fastened, or "bent," short lines, called "gangings" or 

 "gangions, " at intervals of about nine feet; each gangion is five or six 

 feet long and has a hook attached to its free end. Hence, there are 

 about twenty-five hooks to a line; and a complete skate, of eight lines, 

 will have two hundred hooks. 



For bait, fresh salmon is said to be particularly desirable. Since this 

 can not always be readily obtained, the fishermen have various substi- 

 tutes for it. Frozen fresh herring is frequently used; and, as a last 

 resort, salt herring. If a boat's supply of bait becomes exhausted, the 

 men resort to the expedieirt of cutting up, and baiting the hooks with 

 fish other than halibut which have been taken on the liires. Red rock- 

 fish (Sehastodes sp.), "black cod" {Anoplopoma fimbria), and "ling 

 cod" {Ophiodoii clou gat us) all serve as this emergency bait, which is 

 technically known as "gurry." Oddly enough, ireither halibut flesh 

 iror ray flesh, when it is used for ])ait, is taken by the halibut! 



Wherr the boat has arrived on the fishing banks, soundings are made 

 until favorable bottom is located; a small sample of the bottom is 

 picked irp by soft soap or tallow in the lower surface of the sounding 

 lead. ]\Ieanwhile, the gear is baited, and everything made ready for a 

 "set." Frequently a trial set is made, to determine the prospects for 

 a good haul ; one skate of gear is usually put down and allowed to lie 

 for a couple of hours. If the re.ailts of this are good, the other dories 

 are lowered; if they are not good, the boat's berth is shifted and 

 reshifted until a favorable fishing place is located. 



In "setting" a skate of gear for fishing, the procedure is as follows: 

 To a small keg, which serves as a buoy, is attached one end of a long 

 line, the buoy line, whose length depends on the depth of the water; 

 the keg is then throwrr overboard, aird the line is allowed to rirn out. 

 The other end of the buoy line is ' ' bent on " to a small anchor, to which 

 one end of the ground line is also bent. Being put overboard, the 

 anchor sinks to the bottom, carrying down with it the ground line. 

 Then, while one man slowly rows the dor}^ in a direction previously 



