42 FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1910. 



Halibut frequent the sandy banks on which coral and a small 

 shellfish known to the fishermen as "sea cocks" abound. The 

 latter is sought by the halibut as a choice morsel of food. The fish 

 is a very voracious and promiscuous feeder. The stomach of one 

 opened at the Ketchikan plant of the New England Fish Co. con- 

 tained an octopus, a crab, a salmon, and a dogfish. Sand launce and 

 fish eggs of a large size appear to be its favorite food at certain seasons. 

 One dealer reports finding a 6-inch section of a tree branch in the 

 stomach of one. The fishermen say that frequently when pulling 

 up a hooked halibut, other halibut will follow the hooked one to the 

 surface, biting at its tail and body. 



A few female halibut with roe reach the dealers, but the fish are 

 usually dressed on the banks, and the roe, when present, is thrown 

 away. Several fish with roe were received by the New England Co. 

 in August and September. 



METHODS AND CONDITIONS. 



Within the protected area in summer the fish are scattered con- ' 

 siderably, but during the winter they school on banks in the waters 

 noted above. During this season the greater part of the year's 

 catch is made by the smaller vessels, which are unable to stand the 

 rough weather usually encountered on the banks in the open ocean. 



Dealers located at Hoonah, Juneau, Douglas, Scow Bay, Peters- 

 burg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan handle the fish from the fishing boats. 

 Scow Bay, which is on Wrangell Narrows, about 5 miles from its 

 head, is the principal shipping point. Here are moored several large 

 house scows, floats, and barges, alongside of which the fishing boats 

 tie up and deliver their catch, to be boxed in ice for shipment and put 

 aboard the regular steamers for Seattle, which pass through the 

 narrows every few days. The fish are cleaned and packed in ice in 

 bins aboard the vessel on the banks. The fishermen furnish their 

 own ice, which is frequently secured from icebergs which have broken 

 off from nearby glaciers and are floating around in the bays, sounds, 

 and straits. The dealer furnishes the shooks for making the boxes, 

 which hold about 500 pounds. Where glacier ice is not available 

 the fishermen buy from the artificial ice plants, paying from S3 to $5 

 per ton. 



A few years ago halibut weighing over 50 pounds were usually 

 fletched aboard the vessel, but the demand for fletched halibut is so 

 small, and the price realized is so inadequate to the work involved, 

 that but few are now prepared in this manner, and these usually on 

 shore. In fletching the sides are taken off in two complete pieces, 

 which are then put into bins and buried in salt so that the brine will 

 run off. It usually requires about three weeks for the fish to strike 

 properly. Half-ground California salt is used in curing. 



