HALIBUT PISHlN-G GEOUNDS OP THE PACIFIC COAST. SO 



necessary to feel our wsij. Entering the bay as far as the ice wovild 

 I^ermit, the ship hiy to and a halibut trawl was set close to Point 

 Latouche parallel to the shore, one end of the trawl being in 30 

 fathoms and the other in 60 fathoms of water, bottom hard sand. 

 Less than one-half mile from the shore the depth was 163 fathoms. 

 The trawl remained down 1 hour and 30 minutes and captured 2 

 halibut and 7 dogfish. The halibut weighed 42 and 55 pounds, re- 

 spectively, and were 42 and 47 inches in length. 



Several Indians, engaged in hunting hair seals, came alongside, 

 and they informed us that they caught halibut in all parts of the 

 bay where the water was not too deep. The water varies greatly in 

 depth, as was indicated by the sounding taken from the ship and also 

 by the trawl line, the ends of which were about the same distance 

 from the shore, but in depths with a difference of 30 fathoms. Fish- 

 ing in this bay would have to be confined chiefly to localities near 

 the shore. At times, moreover, it would be difficult to fish with 

 trawls in this part of the bay on account of the large masses of 

 floating ice, which break off from the face of Hubbard Glacier and 

 are scattered by wind and current over the fishing ground. In the 

 lower part of the bay and in all parts of Yakutat Bay it is said to 

 be possible to fish at all seasons, weather permitting. In the even- 

 ing the Albatross anchored off Yakutat village. 



Yahdat. — The Indians of Yakutat have always done more or 

 less fishing for halibut in Disenchantment and Yakutat Bays, where 

 suitable depths and the right character of bottom are found; also 

 on " spots " near Ocean Cape. 



It is said that there are many " spots " of good halibut ground in 

 this vicinity, which Indians locate by landmarks. Regular halibut 

 fishermen would meet with little difficulty in locating the best 

 ground, as a single dory would cover a much larger area than the 

 entire number of canoes usually engaged in fishing. Indians ordi- 

 narily fish with a single wooden hook on well-known grounds wdiich 

 have always supplied their wants, and in consequence they have never 

 considered it necessary to extend their knowledge regarding the 

 abundance or scarcity of halibut beyond local " spots." A small 

 fleet of halibut fishermen would soon discover the grounds knowm to 

 the Indians and locate the best grounds lying between Ocean Cape 

 and Icy Bay. 



At the time of the salmon run halibut are frequently caught in 

 Yakutat Harbor. This season it was reported that several, weigh- 

 ing 200 pounds each, were caught by cannery men from the cannery 

 wharf, attracted by the offal from the salmon cannery. The taking 

 of halibut in a harbor is no criterion that they are to be found in 

 quantities on grounds near by; those captured in the manner de- 

 scribed are generally stragglers. 



