EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [112] 



that this mode of fishing is probably not so well understood on the coast 

 of Nova Scotia as in England. He however quotes from Yarrell an 

 account of drift-net fishing in England, which is altogether different 

 from that used in Nova Scotia and corresponds precisely with the drag- 

 net fishing also described in the beginning of this chapter. 



It is worthy of mention that mackerel as well as herring, on the coast 

 of Europe at the present time, are almost exclusively caught by the use 

 of the drag-net, the only other method in use being the equally old- 

 fashioned one of "drailing," which was abandoned by our fishermen 

 sixtv-five years ago.* The antiquated method of drailing was, however, 

 kept up by the fishermen of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence until 1800, or 

 perhaps even to the present time, for the purpose of obtaining mackerel 

 for bait to be used in the cod fisheries. 



F.— THE SPRING SOUTHERN MACKEREL FISHERY. 



The spring mackerel fishery is in reality a branch of the mackerel 

 seine fishery, and the methods employed in it are identical with those 

 described in the previous section of this chapter. In this place it is 

 necessary only to add a history of this fishery, a description of the 

 grounds frequented by the southern fleet, and a few statistical notes. 



31. — Fishing-grounds. 



The fishing grounds frequented by the southern mackerel fleet He 

 between Gape Hatteras and the South Shoals of Nantucket. The fish- 

 ing season is in the months of April and May. The first vessels go 

 south about the middle of March or soon after; but until 1878 no mack- 

 erel were ever taken before the 1st of April.t 



32. — Early catches of mackerel, 1878 to 1881. 



The earliest catches of the three past years are shown in the following 

 notes : 



EA*RLY CATCHES OF MACKEREL IN 1878. 



March 30. — Schooner " Lilian," of Noank, Conn., Captain Latham, off Chincoteague 



April 16. — Schooner "Sarah M. Jacohs," of Gloucester, Capt. Solomon Jacohs, 

 caught her first mackerel in latitude 36° 10' N., longitude 74° 45' W. 



April 18.— Schooner "Alice," of Swan's Island, Me., Capt. Hanson B. Joyce, master, 

 caught her first mackerel 23 miles southeast from Cape May. 



April 25. — Schooner "John Somes," of Swan's Island, Me., Capt. J. S. Staples, mas- 

 ter, caught her first mackerel 50 miles' southeast from Cape May. 



* Though drailing was ahandoued so long ago by the professional maokerel fisher- 

 men of New England, we are, nevertheless, told by Capt. Joseph Smith, of Gloucester, 

 that this method of fishing is still practiced by the Block Island boat fishermen. 



tSchooners "Edward E. Webster," "Nellie N. Rowe," and "Ivanhoe" sailed forthe 

 south on Saturday (March 11) in pursuit of mackerel, the " Webster" getting the start 

 by sailing at 4 o'clock a. in., and the others following at 4 o'clock p. m. This is the 

 earliest start ever made in the mackerel fishery. Last year the " Edward E. Webster" 

 6ailed March 15, which was unusually early, and obtained a fare within a week there- 

 after. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, March 17, 1882.) 



