[7] GILL-NETS IN THE COD FISHERY. 271 



The cod in the vicinity of the Loffoden Islands jire said to be some- 

 wljat erratic in their movements, and it frequently happens that they 

 an; found in the greatest numbers at some distance from the bottom. 

 The fishermen j/lace their nets at a depth wh'ere they think the fish are 

 most plentiful, and several expedients are made use of in order to find 

 this out, such as trying with a hand-line, and setting a gang of nets 

 with one end at the bottom and the other some distance from it, as re- 

 presented in Plate VI. 



2>rets are occasionally set floating, but this method is practiced but 

 little except at the stations east of Sorvaagen. One experienced in 

 fishing soon learns at what depth the largest numbei" of fish can be 

 taken, and places his apparatus accordingly. 



The fishermen all start in the afternoon at a given signal to set their 

 gear^ both nets and trawls being thrown out simultaneously to p^'cvent 

 tliem from becoming tangled, though this is sometimes unavoidable on 

 account of the vstrong winds and tides. The nets are shot across or 

 with the current. As soon as they are out the boats return to the 

 shore.* 



At the Loffoden Islands the fishermen start out together in the morn- 

 ing to haul their nets. In the darkness of the long nights they enter 

 their boats; for the brief daytime, often shortened by gloom j» skies, 

 would be far too short for the work which has to be accomi)lished. 

 They regard neither cold nor storm so long as the waves are not too high, 

 so as to make fishing impossible. Hauling the heavily weighted nets, 

 sometimes from a depth of 80 to 100 fathoms, is a task requiring the 

 united strength of the boat's crew. The nets are hauled into the boats 

 arid taken on shore, where they are cleaned and put in readiness to be 

 set again. But it must be remembered that in this region stormy 

 weather often continues for weeks at a time during the winter months, 

 making it impossible for the fishermen to go out to the banks, and as a 

 rule fishing cannot be carried on more than two days in the week. 



The daily fishing varies from a few scattering cod to several hun- 

 dreds. A catch of four to five hundred to a boat is considered very sat- 

 isfactory, although six hundred are often taken when everything is 

 favorable, even when they will not bite and hand lines or traAvl lines 

 cannot be used. If more than six or eight hundred are caught, the fish- 

 ermen are obliged to leave a ])art of the nets out until afternoon, as the 

 boats can rarely carry any more, especially in rough weather. 



The total catch of cod at the Lofibden Islands in 1878, according to 

 the report of the superintendent, was 24,600,000 in number. Of these, 

 upward of 14,000,000 fish were caught with nets, 9,'250,000 with lines. 



*At Sondmor, where the banks lie some distance from the coast, the fishermen 

 sometimes stay out overnight during the month of April, when the nights have 

 already become clear. Usually, however, these men haul their nets and return them 

 jigain to the water, while they start for the shore to dispose of their catch, 



