﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  CXV>IX 
  

  

  Harbor 
  — 
  in 
  tlie 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Dakin 
  Cove 
  (Avalon) 
  to 
  86 
  fathoms, 
  oft" 
  the 
  

   southeast 
  end 
  to 
  50 
  fathoms, 
  and 
  oft" 
  the 
  south 
  end 
  to 
  132 
  fathoms. 
  The 
  

   results 
  are 
  appended 
  in 
  detail 
  by 
  stations. 
  The 
  largest 
  catches 
  were 
  

   made 
  with 
  the 
  drag 
  seine, 
  large 
  numbers 
  of 
  smelt 
  and 
  small 
  herring 
  

   being 
  taken 
  ; 
  with 
  other 
  gear 
  the 
  results 
  were 
  disappointing. 
  

  

  At 
  Avalon, 
  one 
  morning, 
  some 
  25 
  or 
  30 
  walleyed 
  mackerel 
  {Scomber 
  

   colias) 
  and 
  about 
  a 
  dozen 
  rockflsh 
  [Sebastodes) 
  were 
  taken 
  with 
  the 
  

   triple 
  mesh 
  gill-net; 
  a 
  few 
  yellow-tails 
  had 
  also 
  recently 
  been 
  taken. 
  

   Hand-line 
  fishing 
  oft" 
  the 
  eastern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  did 
  not 
  meet 
  with 
  

   much 
  success, 
  but 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  oft" 
  what 
  is 
  known 
  locally 
  as 
  Silver 
  

   Canon, 
  where 
  the 
  chart 
  has 
  character 
  of 
  bottom 
  marked 
  "rocky," 
  we 
  

   took 
  by 
  hand 
  lines, 
  in 
  depths 
  ranging 
  from 
  90 
  to 
  132 
  fathoms, 
  a 
  large 
  

   number 
  of 
  rockfish 
  {Sebastodes), 
  the 
  largest 
  weighing 
  8 
  pounds. 
  

  

  The 
  fishing 
  here 
  is 
  entirely 
  in 
  spots: 
  As 
  the 
  vessel 
  drifted 
  over 
  a 
  

   favorable 
  locality, 
  ju'obably 
  a 
  small, 
  exposed 
  rock 
  area, 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  five 
  

   rockfish 
  would 
  be 
  taken 
  on 
  one 
  line. 
  A 
  few 
  minutes 
  afterwards 
  the 
  

   place 
  would 
  be 
  passed, 
  and 
  then 
  a 
  long 
  wait 
  until 
  we 
  drifted 
  over 
  

   another 
  spot. 
  All 
  the 
  places 
  were 
  visited 
  that 
  are 
  known 
  locally 
  as 
  

   good 
  fishing-grounds 
  around 
  the 
  island, 
  but 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  could 
  be 
  ascer- 
  

   tained 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  large 
  fishing-banks 
  on 
  the 
  shore 
  shelf 
  of 
  this 
  island. 
  

   On 
  the 
  south 
  and 
  southeast 
  sides 
  are 
  a 
  few 
  small, 
  rocky 
  patches 
  in 
  deep 
  

   water, 
  80 
  to 
  130 
  fathoms, 
  where 
  if 
  one 
  knows 
  the 
  exact 
  ranges 
  — 
  a 
  ship's 
  

   length 
  makes 
  a 
  difterence 
  — 
  a 
  person 
  desiring 
  to 
  handle 
  100 
  or 
  more 
  

   fathoms 
  of 
  line 
  can 
  obtain 
  several 
  varieties 
  of 
  fish 
  in 
  large 
  numbers. 
  

   The 
  visitor 
  to 
  the 
  winter 
  resort 
  at 
  Avalon 
  can 
  go 
  to 
  these 
  spots 
  and 
  get 
  

   a 
  " 
  good 
  day's 
  fishing," 
  and 
  the 
  small 
  village 
  at 
  that 
  point 
  can 
  also 
  be 
  

   supplied, 
  but 
  the 
  grounds 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  relied 
  upon 
  for 
  large 
  markets. 
  

  

  Migratory 
  fishes 
  come 
  to 
  these 
  shores 
  during 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  summer 
  

   in 
  large 
  numbers 
  for 
  spawning, 
  and 
  the 
  summer 
  visitor 
  finds 
  many 
  

   different 
  species 
  in 
  abundance. 
  During 
  our 
  visit, 
  smelt, 
  small 
  herring, 
  

   and 
  anchovies 
  were 
  plentiful, 
  the 
  seine 
  bringing 
  in 
  large 
  numbers; 
  and 
  

   the 
  local 
  authorities 
  stated 
  that 
  a 
  little 
  later 
  all 
  the 
  fishes 
  so 
  well 
  known 
  

   in 
  these 
  waters 
  would 
  be 
  abundant, 
  such 
  as 
  mackerel 
  {Scomber 
  colias), 
  

   yellow- 
  tail 
  {Seriola 
  dorsalis), 
  bonito 
  {Sarda 
  chilensis), 
  albacore 
  {Germo 
  

   alalunga), 
  barracuda 
  {SpJiyrwna 
  argentea), 
  etc. 
  

  

  The 
  fisheries 
  around 
  Santa 
  Catalina 
  Island 
  are 
  not 
  vigorously 
  pros- 
  

   ecuted; 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  few 
  fishermen 
  at 
  Avalon 
  who 
  supply 
  the 
  local 
  

   demands, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  more 
  at 
  Isthmus 
  Cove 
  who 
  ship 
  occasionally 
  to 
  San 
  

   Pedro. 
  These 
  latter 
  were 
  engaged 
  in 
  setting 
  pots 
  for 
  the 
  spiny 
  lobster 
  

   during 
  our 
  visit, 
  and 
  making 
  some 
  preparations 
  for 
  summer 
  fishing. 
  

   The 
  demand 
  for 
  fresh 
  fish 
  by 
  neighboring 
  cities 
  on 
  the 
  mainland 
  is 
  easily 
  

   met 
  by 
  local 
  fishermen, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  demands 
  become 
  greater 
  this 
  island 
  

   may 
  supply 
  a 
  larger 
  amount 
  daring 
  the 
  summer 
  season. 
  When 
  the 
  

   sardine 
  cannery 
  at 
  San 
  Pedro 
  is 
  running, 
  large 
  hauls 
  are 
  made 
  on 
  this 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  channel, 
  and 
  no 
  doubt 
  fish 
  of 
  different 
  species 
  can 
  be 
  

   taken 
  here 
  in 
  sufiicient 
  numbers 
  for 
  canning 
  or 
  salting, 
  but 
  the 
  supply 
  

   near 
  the 
  large 
  cities 
  is 
  ample 
  to 
  meet 
  their 
  wants. 
  

  

  