COD FISHING. 7 



at any time more readily than other bait, though they, too, are pre- 

 ferred running. 



The caplin must be purchased at Miquelon, as it can not be taken 

 from home nor obtained from the English colonies. The cod is a 

 particular fish and must be given good bait, otherwise he will not bite. 

 Bait tainted from lack of ice is not satisfactory. 



The cod fishing is done in from 20 to 120 fathoms of water off the 

 coast of Newfoundland and on the Banks, and in from 100 to 135 

 fathoms at the edge of the Banks. Off the Bachalia Banks of New- 

 foundland the work is conducted in 80 to 140 fathoms of water, but 

 the fish are not so good as they are on the other banks. 



The second trip is generally made in July or August and the return 

 made in October or November. This trip is generally confined to 

 Quero and the Grand Banks. The area of the Grand Banks is repre- 

 sented by a distance of 300 miles north and south and 200 miles east 

 and west and lies to the southeast of Newfoundland. The bait used 

 on this trip is principally squid, caught on the fishing ground. 



The usual equipment is eight dories ; none of the boats carry more 

 than ten. Each dory is 15 feet long and is carried midship. When 

 starting to fish, four tubs of baited lines are put on a dory. Each 

 tub contains nine No. 18 lines. Each line is 50 fathoms or 300 feet 

 long, so that one tub will run a string 450 fathoms or 2,700 feet, and 

 the four tubs clear a distance of 1,800 fathoms or 10,800 feet. Each 

 line carries 85 to 95 hooks or 800 hooks to the tub, 3,200 hooks to the 

 dory. A vessel with ten dories will set 32,000 hooks at a time, which 

 if stretched out in a straight line would extend about 20 miles. The 

 hooks are attached to the line by means of shorter lines or gangings. 

 These gangings are from 27 to 28 inches long. 



When the vessel arrives at the fishing ground, soundings are made 

 to determine the depth and character of the bottom, it being always 

 preferable to locate over a pebbly ocean bed. What is called a flying 

 set is made ; that is, the trawls are set while the vessel is in motion, 

 and if it shows that fish are abundant the vessel is anchored. In 

 making this flying set the dories are towed astern of the vessel until 

 the right spot has been selected, then one of them is dropped. This 

 dory rows off in a direction at right angles to the course of the vessel, 

 the trawl being thrown out as the dory proceeds, until it is all set. 

 As the vessel proceeds on its course dories are dropped at intervals, 

 all of which row off in the same general direction. 



When all the dories have started, the vessel returns diagonally 

 across the fishing grounds, and the first dory, which by this time has 

 set its trawl, is picked up, then the next one, and so on until all are 

 secured. The vessel takes a course diagonally across the fishing 

 grounds to the starting point and, after cruising around for a short 

 time, the dories are again dropped in the same order as in the first 



