50 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Scup we used to get in the Bay, generally full of spawn in the spring, 

 and in old times we could get them till October ; but now it would be 

 about impossible for a man to get half a dozen, where ten years ago he 

 could get two or three hundred. They have become less and less every 

 year. This year, as compared with last, I do not think there is more 

 than half a crop. For the last six years they have grown less and less. 



We think the ponnds cause the trouble. We think these grounds are 

 the place for the fish to spawn. This seems to be the home of the scup, 

 on this sound here. They are never caught in Barnstable Harbor ; but 

 the pounds off that harbor get bass and blue-fish. The general impres- 

 sion about here is that the pounds injure the fishing; and if the ques- 

 tion of having pounds or not was put to vote in this county, seven- 

 eighths of the people would vote against them. 



Shad used to be taken in the pounds, but for some years I have not 

 seen a box of shad on the shore. 



There are not more than one-third as many persons employed in con- 

 nection with the fisheries on the shore as there were five years ago. 

 Those who have lost their business of fishing have gone away. There 

 are three places in the village of Hyannis where the fishermen bring- 

 in their fish to be sent to New York to market; and they now bring in 

 at each place about a ton a day. At each place about sixteen boats are 

 employed. We give two cents a pound this year, but vary some accord- 

 ing to the market. We used to give three and four cents a pound. 



Hyannis, September 18, 1871. 

 Charles H. Walley : 



I have always lived here, and have followed fishing the last three 

 years, with a boat. Blue-fish have not been caught more than half as 

 plenty this year as last. 



The highest price paid by dealers here for blue-fish was two cents a 

 pound, unless for a few days they may have paid three cents. 



Very few blue-fish are caught now ; only one or two in a day. 



Of bottom-fish (scup, tautog, and bass) they get from twenty-five to 

 seventy-five pounds a day, in good weather. 



Very few rock-bass are caught here. 



Scup have not been near as plenty this year as last. June is the best 

 time for scup, but this season there were very few. 



Timothy Crocker, (a dealer in fish : ) 



Blue-fish have not fallen off in number as much as other fish. I think 

 the pounds have had a tendency to make fish scarce; also traps and 

 seines. I do not think blue-fish will trouble scup or rock-bass veiy 

 much. We used to find menhaden and squid in the blue-fish in the 

 spring. 



Scup and sea-bass have fallen off very much within the last five 

 years. I have not seen Uny more show of little scup tliis year than 

 last. 



Four years ago Mr. Loring and I loaded a vessel with sea-bass in 

 one day, and had fifty barrels a])iece to liead-up and send to New York, 

 besides. They were all taken with the hook. 



I have had about twelve regular boats fishing for me this summer. I 

 think they averaged about one hundred pouiuls a day during the season. 

 One day I had l),(l()() pounds brought in. I had more fish in 1809 on 



