676 HISTOKY AND METHODS OF THE PISHEEIES. 



into which the flounders swim at high water. At low water the nets are left dry and the fisher- 

 men go out and secure their catch. 



At Isle au Haut the nets used to catch flounders and sculpins measure 20 to 30 fathoms in 

 length, 2 fathoms deep, and have a 4-inch mesh. They are set mostly on the edge of the bar, 

 where the water is about 3 or 4 feet deep, at low tide, and are generally set across the tide, in the 

 following manner: Two stakes are driven into the flats at distances apart corresponding with the 

 length of the net, and guy -lines, 10 to 15 fathoms long, are fastened to their tops by one end, 

 the other end being attached to the extremities of the net, which are on the deep-water side of the 

 stakes. The net is held on the outer side by lines fastened to killicks. This arrangement allows 

 the top of the net to rise and fall with the tide, the lower part, being heavily weighted, always 

 keeping on the bottom. The lower margin of the net being quite stationary, it follows that 

 when the ebb tide sweeps across it, it forms a bight or curve, causing a large part of the net to 

 lie spread out on the bottom; when the fish begin to move off from the bar on the ebb tide, they 

 meet with this obstruction, and such as are not meshed settle down upon that portion of the net 

 which lies upon the bottom ; when the fishermen haul the net, at low tide, they pick up the bottom 

 as well as the top, and by careful manipulation gather all the fish into one place, in a sort of 

 bag, resembling a purse-seine. The net with its load is hauled into the boat, and the former is 

 then disengaged. This method of fishing has recently come into practice, and not quite one-fourth 

 of the fishermen have yet obtained the nets. 



Flounders and sculpins are not as abundant now as formerly in many places, although there 

 does not appear to be any immediate danger of the supply becoming exhausted. The use of fish 

 heads in large quantities during the fishing season somewhat relieves the drain upon this impor- 

 tant source of bait. 



About some of the islands off Bristol, Me., where flounders are scarce, but where cunners 

 abound, the latter species takes the place of the former as lobster bait. For securing the cunners a 

 box-shaped lath pot, about 2 feet high, 18 inches square, and open above, is used. It is ballasted, 

 baited with herring or some other kind of fish, and lowered to the bottom. It is usually hauled 

 every five minutes, and by drawing it up quickly the cunuers which have been attracted into it 

 by the sight of the bait are prevented from escaping. By this method of fishing sufficient material 

 for the baiting of the traps is obtained in a comparatively short time. 



In addition to the above mentioned species, many other kinds of fish are occasionally used for 

 bait, when they can be easily obtained. A correspondent at North Haven writes that the heads 

 and livers of sheep are also sometimes put to the same use. 



QUANTITY OF BAIT USED IN MAINE. The quantity of bait consumed in the lobster fishery 

 is very great. At Bristol, Me., each lobstermau setting sixty pots uses about half a barrel of 

 bait every time he hauls his pots, which, in fair weather, is once a day. In the neighborhood of 

 George's Island, Maine, half a barrel of bait, on an average, is used for every fifty traps, baiting 

 every other day, when the weather is favorable and the traps hauled daily. At Jonesport, Me,, 

 the average amount of bait used by each boat or set of traps during the season is estimated as fol- 

 lows: Herring, 17 barrels; sculpins, 10 barrels; flounders, 7 barrels ; total, 34 barrels. 



The total amount of flounders, sculpins, and herring used for lobster bait on the Maine coast 

 in 1880 far exceeded 30,000 barrels, of which about 10,000 barrels were of flounders, 16,000 of 

 sculpins, and 4,000 of herring. No estimate has been made as to the quantity of other fish and 

 fish heads used for the same purpose. Herring are employed more commonly along the eastern part 

 of Maine than along the western part. At Jonesport, 12,000 barrels of herring were consumed in 

 1879, and about 10,000 barrels of flounders and sculpius. 



