AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1765 



Q. You keep your ears and eyes open all the time yon are fishing 7 A. Yea. 



Q. It is not necessary, actually, to go in and try if you find veaaela leaving a place 

 without catching anything, to discover that this is the case f A. No. 



Q. And you have to judge as to the presence offish, a good deal from the report* of oth- 

 ers? A. Yes. A great many men have a choice as to fishing ground* ; this in the ouw 

 everywhere, whether in cod, halibut, or mackerel fishing. Some fish one way and acme 

 another. 



* * . 



Q. From your experience in the bay a pretty long one do you attach much importance 

 to the right of fishing within three miles of the shore ? A. Well, no, I do not think it IB of 

 any importance. It never was so to me. 

 By Mr. Weatherbe : 



Q. You never fished so close to the shore as that ? A. Sometimes we did. We fished 

 within five miles of Bird Rocks. 



Q. And within four miles of them f A. Well, yes. 



Q. But you did not generally run in so close f A. We might have done so. I conld not 

 tell exactly how far off we fished. We used to catch our fish on difiereut days in different 

 places. 



Q. You were asked whether you would not have your ears open and your understanding 

 to know where other people caught their fish, and your answer was that some people had 

 their choice ? A. Yes, sir. 



Q. That is to say, that some people have their choice to fish in certain places and -others 

 in different places ? A. Yes. 



Q. And that is the only answer you gave ? I suppose that you did hear where others 

 were fishing. Have you given a full answer ? A I have given a full answer. 



Q. You must have heard where others have fished ? A. Of course, if a man gets a full 

 trip on Orphan Bank he will go there again. 



Q. He does not care where others have fished ? A. No. 



Q. Then it is possible that some fish altogether in one place and some altogether in 

 another place ? A. Well, I don't know anything about that ; I only know my own ex- 

 perience. 



Q. Then you can give no idea where fish are caught except your own actual experience t 

 A. Well, I know where people have said. 



Q. That is just what Mr. Dana asked you. I want to take the same ground that he 

 did that your ears were opened and you understood. Your answer was simply that some 

 had their choice ? A. If I spoke a vessel and he said there was a good prospect at Bradley 

 I should go there. If he said there was good fishing on the Magdalens I should go there. 



Q. I thought that your answer was that some would have their choice ; that no matter 

 what they heard they would still go to the same places ? A. I would go where 1 got good 

 catches the year before. 



Q. Then you didn't hear of others fishing in other places? A. I have heard of them fiah. 

 ing at Bradley and Magdalens and up the gulf. 



Again : 



Q. Now, I don't want to trouble you with reading any opinions, but about what time was 

 it ascertained that the mackerel- fishing was inshore? A. I could not tell. 



Q. At the time you mentioned it was not known that it was an inshore fishery at allt 

 A. No, not to my knowledge. 



Q. It was after it was ascertained that it was an inshore fishery that you heard 

 cuhyfcbout the limit? A. Yes. 



By Mr. Dana : 



Q. I wish to ask you with reference to the last question when you ascertained 

 mackerel fishery was an inshore fishery ? A. I stated it was not in the year 1 



Q. Mr. Weatherbe asked you when you first ascertained that the mackerel h.shery 

 inshore fishery, and whether this or that happened before you ascertained that 

 shore fishery. Now, have you ever learned that it was an inshore fishery in diatiu 

 an ontshore fishery ? A. No. 



Q. Well, what do you mean when you speak of " after you understood it was 

 fishery." Do you mean mainly or largely inshore T-A. No. We would hard! 

 any inshore in the first part of the season. Some parts of the year they d 

 shore and off shore, too. 



Q. Taking them all through, where did you catch them ! A. Mos 

 off shore. 



By Mr. Weatherbe : 



Q. I asked when it was that the difficulty first arose about the limit, and 

 after it was considered an inshore fishery: that is. '39 ?-A. I referred 

 was an inshore fishery when they fished there. When vessels didn 1 1 

 not call it an inshore fishery. 



