report of commissioner of fish and fisheries. [260] 



1855. — Large hauls in Halifax harbor. 



The Halifax Colonist of the 3d instant says : " Large hauls of mack- 

 erel have been taken, within the last few days, along the shores from the 

 head of the Basin to Portuguese Cove, wherever there was a seine set. 

 Some of these fish will make superior No. l's, and the quantity taken is 

 valued at a very large sum of money." — (Gloucester Telegraph, Novem- 

 ber 14, 1855.) 



1855. — The baymen. 



All of the bay vessels have now arrived home but three, and those, 

 we understand, are on their way. A larger quantity of mackerel has 

 been taken this year than last, and some of the vessels have made a 

 good year's work, but the average of the vessels is not much better 

 than it was in 1851, the expenses of the business being so high and the 

 quality of the mackerel being so low. The season closes later this year 

 than usual, some of the packers having several trips still on hand to 

 pack out. — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 28, 1855.) 



1855. — Eeminiscences of capt. j. w. collins. 



The spring mackerel on the southern coast, in 1855, were small, aver- 

 aging 12 inches or less in length. They were fairly abundant, but being 

 so small, and also very poor, were low in juice and scarcely worth 

 catching. 



In the summer mixed mackerel were very abundant in the Gulf of 

 Saint Lawrence. It should, however, be mentioned that but few of 

 these were of large size, that is, of suitable size to cull as No. 1 fish. 

 The great majority of the mackerel were of small size, ranging in length 

 from 10 J to 12 inches. These were exceedingly plentiful, and, especial- 

 ly during the early part of the season, took the hook very readily, so 

 that some of the vessels succeeded in obtaining full fares in a very short 

 time, in fact, in some cases the only limit being the time required by 

 the crews to catch and dress the fish. 



I went south early in May in the schooner " Matilda," about 45 tons, 

 old measurement. We fished principally at Sandy Hook and along the 

 back side of Long Island. The best day's fishing (about 30 wash -bar- 

 rels) was obtained a little to the westward of Montauk Point. We were 

 absent about four weeks, bringing to Boston a fare of about 50 barrels 

 of salt mackerel. 



About the middle of June I went to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in 

 the same vessel. Our skipper had been one of the " Lucky ones" who 

 had succeeded in getting a fare of large mackerel on Yankee Bank the 

 previous summer, and being fully impressed with the idea that he could 

 again do the same, and thinking the small mackerel hardly worth sav- 

 ing, he made it a rule to throw away all but the largest fish during the 

 first trip; thus, it frequently happened that, from a catch of twenty to 



