COMMERCIAL FISHING. 237 



HAKE The species included under this head are not true 

 hakes, but comprise different varieties of food fish found 

 off the Atlantic Coast from Newfoundland to Cape Hatteras, 

 which are variously known as "Old England hake", "squirrel 

 hake", "ling", "codling", etc. The average length is from 

 1 to 2 feet and the average weight from 3 to 8 pounds. 

 The catch is taken principally with lines. 



HALIBUT The halibut, the largest and most valuable 

 of the flat fishes, is found in the North Atlantic and Pacific 

 Oceans. It is one of the largest species used for food, 

 sometimes weighing over 300 pounds, but the average weight 

 is from 50 to 75 pounds. Small, young fish, weighing from 

 10 to 20 pounds, are called "chickens", and are much sought 

 after by epicureans. Most of the Pacific Coast catch comes 

 from the fisheries of Washington. Most of the catch is made 

 with lines, while some of the catch is taken with trawls. 



HERRING The herring is a very important food fish 

 found in the North Atlantic as far south as Sandy Hook; 

 it is never found in brackish or fresh waters. Herring weigh 

 from one-half to one pound and average in length about 10 

 inches. As a food fish they are used fresh, salted, pickled, 

 smoked and canned. They are also used extensively for bait 

 in the cod, haddock, halibut and hake fisheries. A large 

 number of vessels engage in the winter herring fishery off 

 the west coast of Newfoundland. The greater part of the 

 catch is taken with pound nets, trap nets and weirs. 



LAKE HERRING The ciscoes, or lake herrings, are mem- 

 bers of the whitefish family found in the Great Lakes and 

 neighboring waters. They are caught with gill nets, pound 

 and trap nets. 



LAKE TROUT The common lake trout is found in the 

 Great Lakes and in the smaller lakes of the Northern States. 

 In different localities these fish vary greatly in color, size and 

 shape, arid are known by the local names "salmon trout", 

 "lake salmon", "black trout", "reef trout", "longe", etc. The 



