44. FISH—CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
trawl-fishing, on the ground that this method would soon exter- 
minate the haddock. It is impossible to trace with any degree of 
certainty the steps in the history of this fishery, since it is pur- 
sued fora few months in the year only, by vessels otherwise 
occupied a large portion of the time. Since the fish have always 
been disposed of in a fresh condition, they have been less care- 
fully recorded. 
FISHING GROUNDS. 
The winter haddock fishery is prosecuted, from October to 
April, on all of the inshore ledges and the nearest of the off- 
shore banks south of Sable Island bank and north of Cape Cod. 
The depth at which the fish are taken varies with the locality, 
but is within the limits of twenty-five and ninety fathoms ; 
usually in water deeper than thirty fathoms. 
In the fall, when fishing first begins, the vessels set their 
trawls along the coast from Nantucket Shoals to Grand Menan, 
in thirty to ninety fathoms of water. On the outside of Cape 
Cod the fishing is within five to fifteen miles of the shore; in 
Massachusetts Bay, principally on the outer slope of Middle 
Bank and the southern slope of the shoal ground that lies to the 
eastward of Cape Ann, usually called the “Southeast,” the east- 
ern part of the shoal-water of Jeffries Ledge, and along the coast 
of Maine within thirty miles of the shore, especially about 
Monhegan Fall, South-southwest and Western Ground. Fishing 
in this region continues until midwinter, and is kept up bya 
smaller class of vessels, such as those hailing from Portland, 
throughout the whole season. In the latter part of January and 
in February the larger vessels comprising the major portion of 
the Gloucester fleet, strike farther out to sea, fishing upon 
George’s Bank, usually in twenty-five to forty fathoms, near the 
localities frequented by the winter cod-fishermen, and also on 
the western part of the bank. They also fish on Brown’s Bank, 
in water about the same depth, and on Le Have and about Cape 
Sable. The fishing on Le Have Bank for haddock was first at- 
tempted in the winter of 1880-81.* This fishery has been attended 
* Capt. S. J. Martin, of Gloucester, writes, under date of May roth, 1881, as follows: 
“The first vessel that went to Le Have Bank for haddock was the schooner Martha C., of 
this port. She made her first trip there last winter.” 
