﻿CLit 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  each 
  line, 
  and 
  the 
  line 
  further 
  relieved 
  bj^ 
  a 
  glass 
  float 
  at 
  each 
  100 
  

   fathoms. 
  The 
  glass 
  floats 
  are 
  excellent 
  if 
  properly 
  made 
  ; 
  those 
  sup- 
  

   plied 
  seemed 
  to 
  be 
  thin 
  and 
  not 
  well 
  sealed 
  — 
  about 
  half 
  becoming 
  

   "drunken" 
  under 
  the 
  pressure, 
  and 
  therefore 
  useless. 
  

  

  The 
  positions 
  were 
  obtained 
  by 
  sextant 
  angles 
  on 
  shore 
  objects 
  and 
  

   compass 
  bearings, 
  yet 
  in 
  several 
  instances 
  some 
  difflculty 
  was 
  experi- 
  

   enced 
  in 
  recovering 
  the 
  buoys. 
  Large 
  buoys 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  used 
  without 
  

   increasing 
  the 
  gear 
  very 
  much 
  in 
  weight, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  if 
  the 
  size 
  

   were 
  very 
  much 
  increased 
  the 
  jumj) 
  of 
  the 
  buoy 
  in 
  a 
  seaway 
  would 
  move 
  

   the 
  moorings. 
  A 
  very 
  small 
  metal 
  nun-buoy 
  painted 
  red 
  and 
  white, 
  

   fitted 
  with 
  a 
  socket 
  for 
  the 
  staft" 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  white 
  flag, 
  would 
  be 
  most 
  

   suitable. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  that 
  a 
  vessel 
  could 
  lie 
  near 
  the 
  nets, 
  but 
  some 
  

   method 
  would 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  adopted 
  to 
  light 
  the 
  buoys 
  for 
  night 
  work. 
  

   This 
  course 
  would, 
  however, 
  be 
  frequently 
  defeated 
  by 
  the 
  weather. 
  

  

  The 
  weather 
  on 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Coast 
  is 
  not 
  favorable 
  for 
  these 
  investi- 
  

   gations. 
  The 
  prevailing 
  northwest 
  winds, 
  while 
  not 
  blowing 
  a 
  steady 
  

   gale, 
  at 
  times 
  approach 
  it 
  and 
  send 
  in 
  a 
  sea 
  too 
  heavy 
  for 
  work 
  of 
  this 
  

   nature. 
  When 
  the 
  winds 
  slacken 
  the 
  fogs 
  relieve 
  them. 
  Moderate 
  and 
  

   smooth 
  seas 
  are 
  necessary 
  to 
  work 
  the 
  nets 
  and 
  use 
  the 
  beam 
  trawl 
  

   successfully, 
  and 
  clear 
  weather 
  to 
  locate 
  the 
  positions. 
  

  

  The 
  greatest 
  enemies 
  to 
  the 
  nets 
  were 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  sharks, 
  for 
  which 
  

   the 
  gilled 
  fish 
  no 
  doubt 
  formed 
  a 
  tempting 
  bait. 
  A 
  bite 
  of 
  the 
  net 
  was 
  

   usually 
  taken 
  with 
  the 
  fish. 
  In 
  some 
  instances 
  the 
  nets 
  came 
  up 
  almost 
  

   in 
  ribbons, 
  and 
  one 
  set 
  was 
  always 
  under 
  repairs. 
  From 
  15 
  to 
  20 
  nets 
  

   are 
  needed 
  in 
  these 
  investigations. 
  When 
  detained 
  at 
  an 
  anchorage 
  on 
  

   account 
  of 
  unfavorable 
  conditions 
  outside, 
  the 
  drag 
  seine 
  was 
  used, 
  

   surface 
  gill 
  nets 
  and 
  hook 
  trawls 
  set, 
  and 
  boats 
  employed 
  in 
  trolling 
  

   and 
  hand-line 
  fishing. 
  

  

  Many 
  fish 
  taken 
  by 
  hook 
  trawl 
  and 
  gill 
  nets 
  were 
  found 
  completely 
  

   hollowed 
  out, 
  nothing 
  remaining 
  but 
  the 
  head, 
  vertebra, 
  and 
  skin. 
  

   This 
  is 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  slime 
  eel, 
  which, 
  introducing 
  itself 
  inside 
  the 
  

   fish, 
  sucks 
  out 
  the 
  fleshy 
  portion. 
  A 
  few 
  specimens 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  beam 
  

   trawl 
  have 
  been 
  preserved. 
  

  

  The 
  fishermen 
  of 
  Santa 
  Cruz 
  and 
  Monterey 
  state 
  that 
  they 
  took 
  

   salmon 
  in 
  the 
  bay 
  every 
  month 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  1896-97 
  ; 
  that 
  the 
  

   salmon 
  follow 
  the 
  bait, 
  anchovies, 
  and 
  sardines, 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  taken 
  when 
  

   the 
  bait 
  is 
  inshore; 
  that 
  no 
  salmon 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  gill 
  nets, 
  but 
  that 
  

   during 
  the 
  summer 
  when 
  the 
  run 
  is 
  large 
  they 
  take 
  several 
  tons 
  a 
  day, 
  

   and 
  all 
  by 
  trolling. 
  During 
  our 
  visit 
  no 
  salmon 
  were 
  taken. 
  

  

  Referring 
  to 
  the 
  investigations 
  by 
  deep-sea 
  gill 
  nets 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  

   that 
  at 
  every 
  station 
  occupied 
  there 
  was 
  good 
  live 
  bottom, 
  and 
  at 
  every 
  

   set, 
  except 
  No. 
  6, 
  fish 
  were 
  taken, 
  showing 
  that 
  the 
  nets 
  were 
  doing 
  

   their 
  work; 
  but 
  in 
  no 
  instance 
  were 
  any 
  anadromous 
  fishes 
  captured. 
  

   Judging 
  from 
  the 
  forms 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  fish 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  nets, 
  the 
  hauls 
  

   of 
  the 
  beam 
  trawl, 
  the 
  general 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  bottom, 
  and 
  considering 
  

   the 
  subject 
  of 
  structure 
  and 
  pressure, 
  it 
  is 
  my 
  opinion 
  that 
  anadromous 
  

   fishes 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  ocean 
  depths. 
  

  

  