690 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



fisheries are soon at their height. The vessels are usually provided with 

 dories, taking from three to twelve each according to the size of their 

 crews. Such fishermen as are unable to ship on the vessels now row or sail 

 out in boats. These often endure great hardships, as the wind may rise 

 suddenly and drive them out to sea giving them a hard pull of hours 

 before they can regain the shore, while an occasional unfortunate fails 

 to return. 



The pasture-school is composed of fish averaging probably between 12 

 and 14 j^ouuds, some being much larger while others are quite small. 

 In the faUs of 1877 and 1878 the fishing was unusually good until the 

 first of January, the average daily catch per man often reaching 800 

 to 900 pounds, while an active fisherman at times caught nearly twice 

 that quantity. 



At the present time there are but few towns on the north side of the 

 cape extensively engaged in the shore-fisheries, and for this reason little 

 is definitely known about the first appearance of the Ipswich Bay school 

 of cod-fish in that locality. We cannot even feel certain of the month 

 when they reach the grounds, as the fishermen have many and conflict- 

 ing opinions on the subject. From the best obtainable information it 

 seems probable that cod have visited these waters regularly for many 

 years, and that they were formerly taken in considerable numbers by 

 the boat-fishermen of the section who rowed out from the shore in i^leas- 

 ant weather during the winter months. But for a number of years 

 these grounds were nearly deserted, and it was not until 1877-78 that 

 the shore-fishermen of Gloucester and Swampscott learned their value. 



In January, 1879, after the fish had left "■ the pastiu-e " several vessels 

 sailed for Ipswich Bay, where they found the cod remarkably plenty, 

 returning in a short time with unusually large fares. The news spread 

 rapidly and soon aU the shore fleet were in the bay, while vessels of 60 

 to 70 tons abandoned the other fisheries and fitted out for this locality. 

 Vessels from other towns along the shore soon joined the fleet, and by 

 the middle of February 104 sail, with upwards of 600 men, were fishing 

 within a radius of five or six miles, and 20,000 to 25,000 pounds of round 

 fish were sometimes taken in a day by the crew of a single schooner. 



The above number of vessels was reached only during the height of 

 the season, and several causes operated to reduce the fleet so that at 

 times it was quite small. But allowing an average of 45 sail during the 

 entire four months, each vessel carrying six dories, the trawls averaging 

 800 hooks each, and we have the enormous number of 216,000 baited 

 hooks spread out upon the sandy bottom to tempt the spawning-fish. 

 It is not surprising, therefore, that the catch reached fuUy 11,250,000 

 pounds on this little patch of ground between the first of Febraary and 

 the last of May. 



Fishermen are agreed that the individuals comi)Osing this school 

 averaged larger than those of any school that had previously visited the 

 shore. There were almost no small ones among them, the great bulk 



