REGULATION OF THE SEA-FI8HERIE8 BY LAW. 87 



P. Southwick's statement : 



Is seveuty-six years of age. When about t^yenty years old, went sev- 

 eral times to the Vineyard Ishmds, with a seine, to fish for bass ; some- 

 times staid two weeks, but never with success ; did not realize enough 

 to pay expenses, and often not enough to pay for food consumed while 

 so engiiged. 



The fishermen used to say fish were less plenty than formerly, as long- 

 ago as I can recollect. 



Mr. T. Stevens, one of our oldest hook-and-line fishermen, says that 

 he, with two others, went to Martha's Vineyard to fish for tautog about 

 thirty-five years ago ; would get from one thousand to three thousand 

 l)ounds in a week's fishing. Went east because they could do better 

 than at home. 



Newport, Ati(just 12, 1871. 



William Sisson, of Westerly, commenced fishing fourteen jcars ago ; 

 fished all the time since, except from 1S(j1 to ISOa, from June to Octo- 

 ber. Used shore-seine; fished from Long Island to Cape Cod with it. 

 Find bass first appear on western part of fishing-grounds ; later, hirther 

 east. The first that come are smaller. Have not failed to catch good 

 fares any year that I have been fishing, but never caught more than at 

 the present season. The S])awn is well developed in most of the bass 

 now ; saw last week small bass, smallest four inches long-, at Waquoit. 



Horse-nuickerel are not so plenty the present season, but have been 

 very much more plenty the last few years than when I first fished; 

 think three to one. 



Bass feed on the bottom, on small fish, worms, and roots ; swim near 

 the surface, sometimes vei-y fast, so that it would take a smart sail boat 

 to keej) up ; catcli them best on the flood-tide. 



Both bass and horse-mackerel attack birds. Have seen small quan- 

 tity of spawn of bass in seine. They go together to spawning-grounds 

 in the rivers. Have seen scup cut by horse-mackerel, and have tnken 

 from them the tail-end of scup that I think would weigh half a pound. 

 I think them very destructive to all kinds of smaller fish, more so than 

 anything- 1 know of. 



Fish are just as plenty as ever, but more wild, and keep more off 

 shore, owing to traps and other fishing for them. Bass will take hook 

 any time. 



STATEMENT TAKEN FROM MY BOOKS OF THE FISHERY AT PINE TREE. 



In 1806, up to May 11, caught $2 25 worth of fish. On the 11th 

 caught 108 barrels of scup, at $2 per barrel. 



In 1807, up to May 14, caught $10 worth of scup. On the 14th caught 

 76 barrels, at $2 a barrel. 



In 1808 fished from May 1 to 23. Total sales of all kinds of fish, 

 $80 72. 



In 1809, May 6, catch, 2 scup ; 10th, catch, 1 barrel ; 13th, caught 32 

 barrels, at $3 a barrel. 



In 1870, May 2, catch, 11 scup ; 8th, 6 barrels ; on the 15th, GO barrels, 

 at $2 per barrel. 



This fishery had been fished about seven years before I fished it in 

 1800; and I am told that large bodies of scup were taken as early as 



