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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [88] 
  

  

  Mullet 
  are 
  caught 
  from 
  October 
  1 
  to 
  December. 
  At 
  this 
  season 
  tney 
  

   go 
  in 
  schools 
  along 
  the 
  shore, 
  and 
  are 
  seldom 
  fished 
  for 
  in 
  a 
  greater 
  

   depth 
  than 
  G 
  feet. 
  

  

  Sea 
  trout 
  are 
  taken 
  with 
  other 
  fish, 
  in 
  spring 
  and 
  fall. 
  

  

  Redfish 
  are 
  also 
  caught 
  in 
  limited 
  numbers, 
  mixed 
  in 
  with 
  other 
  

   kinds. 
  They 
  are 
  in 
  little 
  demand^and 
  are 
  never 
  fished 
  for 
  as 
  a 
  specialty. 
  

  

  It 
  may 
  be 
  stated 
  that 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  mullet 
  is 
  the 
  principal 
  fishery 
  

   in 
  the 
  fall, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  taken 
  at 
  that 
  time 
  arc 
  usually 
  caught 
  

   with 
  the 
  mullet. 
  It 
  would 
  appear 
  from 
  the 
  statements 
  of 
  the 
  fishermen, 
  

   and 
  from 
  my 
  own 
  observations, 
  that 
  the 
  food-fish 
  on 
  this 
  coast 
  have 
  a 
  

   habit 
  of 
  "running" 
  together 
  that 
  is 
  seldom 
  seen 
  in 
  Northern 
  waters 
  ; 
  

   therefore, 
  not 
  only 
  may 
  the 
  same 
  locality 
  be 
  a 
  fishing 
  ground 
  where 
  

   many 
  species 
  can 
  be 
  taken, 
  but 
  a 
  dozen 
  kinds 
  may 
  be 
  caught 
  in 
  one 
  

   haul 
  of 
  the 
  seine.. 
  

  

  2. 
  APPARATUS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  FISHING. 
  

  

  Boats. 
  — 
  The 
  boats 
  used 
  for 
  seining 
  at 
  Saint 
  Joseph 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  sharpy 
  

   type, 
  and 
  locally 
  called 
  "skiffs." 
  According 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Pitts, 
  they 
  are 
  

   long, 
  narrow, 
  and 
  deeper 
  in 
  proportion 
  than 
  this 
  style 
  of 
  flat 
  bottomed 
  

   craft 
  is 
  usually 
  made, 
  being 
  21 
  to 
  25 
  feet 
  long, 
  3 
  to 
  5 
  feet 
  wide, 
  and 
  18 
  

   to 
  20 
  inches 
  deep. 
  They 
  have 
  a 
  rather 
  narrow 
  stern, 
  across 
  which, 
  on 
  

   top 
  of 
  the 
  gunwale, 
  is 
  a 
  platform, 
  5 
  feet 
  square, 
  for 
  the 
  seiue 
  to 
  lay 
  on. 
  

   There 
  are 
  four 
  thwarts 
  for 
  the 
  rowers 
  to 
  sit 
  on. 
  Sails 
  are 
  seldom 
  used. 
  

   The 
  boats 
  are 
  rather 
  roughly 
  built, 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen 
  themselves, 
  red 
  

   cedar 
  being 
  used 
  for 
  frames, 
  yellow 
  pine 
  for 
  plank, 
  and 
  galvanized 
  iron 
  

   nails 
  for 
  fastening. 
  Six 
  men 
  constitute 
  a 
  crew 
  for 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  boats, 
  

   and 
  they 
  are 
  called 
  a 
  seine 
  gang. 
  

  

  Seines. 
  — 
  The 
  average 
  length 
  of 
  a 
  seine 
  is 
  115 
  fathoms. 
  For 
  one-half 
  

   its 
  length, 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  or 
  bunt, 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  uniform 
  (V 
  of 
  11 
  feet, 
  

  

  when 
  hung, 
  but 
  from 
  this 
  it 
  tapers 
  to 
  4 
  feet 
  at 
  the 
  extreme 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   wings. 
  The 
  bunt-pocket 
  is 
  20 
  feet 
  long, 
  its 
  moutyi 
  made 
  square, 
  each 
  

   side 
  having 
  100 
  meshes, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  seine 
  in 
  its 
  bunt- 
  

   The 
  mesh 
  is 
  2-.J 
  inches, 
  stretch 
  measure. 
  Cork 
  floats 
  and 
  lead 
  sinkers 
  

   are 
  used 
  on 
  these 
  seines. 
  

  

  Methods 
  of 
  fishing. 
  — 
  The 
  methods 
  of 
  seining 
  are 
  essentially 
  the 
  same 
  

   at 
  Saint 
  Andrew's 
  and 
  Saint 
  Joseph 
  as 
  at 
  Pensacola, 
  the 
  only 
  difference 
  

   being 
  that 
  no 
  end 
  ropes 
  are 
  used 
  at 
  the 
  former 
  places, 
  the 
  men 
  always 
  

   jumping 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  to 
  drag 
  ashore 
  the 
  wings 
  of 
  the 
  seine 
  if 
  they 
  do 
  

   not 
  reach 
  the 
  land. 
  

  

  . 
  3. 
  CARE 
  OF 
  THE 
  FISH. 
  

  

  The 
  early-caught 
  fish 
  are 
  often 
  marketed 
  fresh, 
  but 
  with 
  this 
  excep 
  

   tion 
  they 
  are 
  salted, 
  and 
  packed 
  iu 
  " 
  Boston 
  barrels," 
  that 
  are 
  obtained 
  

   from 
  Pensacola, 
  to 
  which 
  port 
  they 
  are 
  shipped 
  from 
  the 
  North. 
  About 
  

   a 
  bushel 
  of 
  salt 
  is 
  required 
  for 
  a 
  barrel 
  of 
  fish. 
  

  

  The 
  above 
  applies 
  more 
  particularly 
  to 
  the 
  fish 
  taken 
  at 
  Saint 
  Joseph. 
  

   Many 
  of 
  those 
  caught 
  at 
  Saint 
  Andrew's, 
  as 
  stated 
  elsewhere, 
  are 
  dis- 
  

   posed 
  of 
  to 
  the 
  local 
  country 
  trade. 
  

  

  