696 REPOKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



When trawlers are numerous and there is a disposition to dishonesty 

 or " mooning," as the fishermen style it, which consists in taking the fish 

 from the trawls belonging to another vessel under the cover of darkness, 

 each vessel usually anchors near her own trawls in the evening ; but 

 ordinarily, when near home, or during stormy weather, the vessels 

 seek shelter in the Imrbor for the night, starting out in time to reach 

 their grounds at early dawn. Great quantities of fish are often taken 

 on a single trawl, and when a dory has been filled she hoists her signal, 

 and a boat is sent out fix)m the vessel to lighten her. The largest catch 

 by any shore- vessel during the winter of 1878-'79 was made by the 

 schooner George A. Upton, of Gloucester, from Ipswich Bay. This ves- 

 sel landed an equivalent of 5o,90G i)ounds of round fish as the result of 

 two and one-half days' fishing with eight dories, the trawls averaging 

 900 hooks each, selling her trip for $569.56. 



The method of catching cod with gill-nets, though so successfully 

 used by the fishermen of Norway, has never been adopted by the fisher- 

 men of our coast. Knowing of the profits derived from the use of their 

 nets by these foreign fishermen. Professor Baird, who is ever anxious to 

 introduce among the Americans any methods that will result to their 

 advantage in the prosecution of the fisheries, decided to make experi- 

 ments with them at Cape Ann, with a view to their introduction among 

 our shore cod-fishermen. Accordingly he secured from parties in Norway 

 a set of these nets and forwarded them to Gloucester, to be thoroughly 

 tested by the employes of the Commission at that place. They reached 

 the hatchery when the pasture-school was on the shore, and were set 

 on the favorite fishing-grounds a number of times. But the strength 

 of the twine had probably been affected in transit, and the nets proved 

 far too frail. The strong tide and rough water caused them to catch 

 among the rocks, where they were badlj" damaged; while numerous 

 holes indicated clearly that large fish had torn their way through the 

 nets, only such being retained as had become completely rolled up in 

 the twine. The nets were always taken from the water in bad order; 

 but the capture of 800 pounds on one occasion, even under these circum- 

 stances, seemed to indicate that nets of sufficient strength might be 

 used to good advantage, at least, on the smooth fishing-grounds along 

 the coast. 



5. — THE BUT QUESTION. 



With so large a fleet engaged wholly in hand-Uning and trawling, the 

 question of obtaining and preserving bait is of the utmost importance 

 to the fisherman, and on its abundance or scarcity depends largely the 

 success or failure of his season's work. Cod-fish, though having the 

 habit of snapping at, and at times swallowing, anything that may come 

 in their way, are on the whole quite dainty fish, and when one expects 

 to be successful in catching them for profit, he must have not only a 

 good quality of bait, but also a kind that the fish are known to prefer. 

 So peculiar are the fish in this particular, that the fishermen have differ- 



