138 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



altogether the character of ocean fisheries, fishing going on mostly in 

 the open sea and at a considerable depth, 50 to 100 feet and more. 



It is evident from all that has been said that the cod is a kind of fish 

 which prefers the deep waters or banks in the open sea, and that one 

 cannot calculate on its coming to a certain coast every year, and on 

 catching it with the apparatus usually employed in coast-fishing. It has 

 been shown by actual observations that the Baltic also contains a con- 

 siderable number of codfish on those bottoms and banks which extend 

 almost along our entire coast. Fishermen who expect annual produc- 

 tive codfisheries must therefore possess the necessary apparatus for deep- 

 water fishing. We shall now give a few brief directions how to carry 

 on these fisheries. 



As the banks on which the codfish stay the greater part of the year 

 are situated at a considerable distance from the shore, it is evident that 

 the fisherman should have a good vessel, strong and large enough to 

 reach the shore when a storm should spring up. For this purpose the 

 boats used for salmon-fishing on the coast of Bleking, known by the 

 name of " Blekings-ekor," are well suited. These boats are large enough 

 to offer ample protection for the fish which have been caught, so the 

 fisherman runs no risk of having his fish spoiled before he comes home. 



Cod-fishing on banks may be carried on with so-called "hand-lines" or 

 " codfish-lines," with *' angling-lines," and with nets. As the "hand- 

 line" is so well known, it will not be necessary to describe it. 



The " angling-line " (long line or trawl-line), with which fishing in the open 

 sea can and should be carried on, resembles a common long fishing-line, 

 only with this difference, that it is furnished with floats which keep the bait 

 from the bottom, as otherwise it would be eaten by different marine ani- 

 mals. The line should be made of such strong material that it will not 

 tear when being hauled in : when laid, it should of course be steadied by 

 weights sufliciently heavy to prevent its being driven away in stormy 

 weather. To mark the place where the line is laid, a buoy is used, with 

 a flagstaff and flag large enough to be easily seen when the fisherman 

 comes to haul in his line. As bait may be used, pieces of herring or 

 other fresh fish, worms, snails, and muscles. The line may be laid either 

 in the morning or in the evening, and in favorable weather the fisher- 

 man should so arrange it that he can stay at the fishing-place until it 

 is time to haul in the line. During this time of waiting, the crew may 

 employ themselves by fishing with " hand-lines." 



l^et-fishing in deep water or in the open sea should be carried on with 

 common codfish-nets, which, however, should be a little deeper than 

 those used in coast-fishiDg. Each set generally has 24 nets. When the 

 nets are to be set, they are fastened to two ropes of about the same 

 length as the depth of water where the nets are to be set. To the ends 

 of these ropes an anchor is attached ; to this is fastened another rope 

 reaching to the surface, and having at its end a buoy to indicate the 

 place where the fisherman has to look for his nets. These, which have 



