130 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
made of wicker work, and are similar to those used by the Irish market 
fishermen sailing from Boston. They cost 50 cents each. 
The method of fishing with trawls is sin ilar to that on the Atlantic 
coast, when sailboats are employed. The lines are first baited and coiled 
in the baskets ready for setting. When the fishing ground is reached 
the buoys, anchors, and buoy lines,* are bent to the ground lines, and 
when all is ready the boat stands along under easy sail (or is rowed if 
there is no wind) while the first buoy is thrown over, followed by the 
buoy line, after which the trawl is paid out. If the euds of the sections 
in the baskets have not previously been tied together they are quickly 
bent - at the proper time ; and this goes on until all the hooks are out, 
when the last end of the ground line is followed by the anchor, buoy 
line, and buoy. Five to 35 baskets of trawl are set at one time, the 
quantity varying with conditions of weather, etc. The gear is hauled 
in the ordinary manner and the fish are generally stowed in tiers in the 
hold, where they are arranged heads up, and lie that way until the boat 
reaches the market dock. 
The herring gill nets used in San Francisco Bay are 30 fathoms 
long. Seven to ten of these are set in a string. Each boat usually 
has ten nets, but all of them may not be set at the same time. Smelt 
nets are often set for herring, according to Alexander. These are 40 
fathoms long, 10 to 12 feet deep, with mesh varying from 2 to 2^ inches. 
They cost $25 each. As a rule, 5 smelt nets are set in a string. 
Salmon gill nets vary in size w ith the locality, those used in the bays 
aud the Lower Sacramento being larger than the up-river gear. The 
former range in length from 40 to 50 fathoms, are 40 to 45 meshes deep ; 
mesh, 8J to 8f inches. Several are fastened together for drifting, mak- 
ing essentially one net of 250 to 500 fathoms in length, worth from 
$200 to $400. Each boat usually has ten nets, with an average value 
of $30 each. The method of operating these is the same as on the Sacra- 
mento River. 
The sea-bass gill nets are 20 fathoms long, 8J-inch mesh, aud 40 meshes 
deep. They are made by the»fisherinen. The bulk of the twine of which 
they are knit comes from Boston, Mass. ; some is imported from Europe ; 
the former costs 60 cents per pound and the latter 85 cents. 
The barracuda gill nets are essentially the same as used elsewhere, 
and are operated in a similar manner. 
The trammel nets, locally called “ drift nets,” or “ 3-mesh nets,” are 
usually 50 fathoms long and 10 to 11 feet deep. The large mesh varies 
from 17 to 18 inches and the small mesh from 5^ to 6 inches. They cost 
$30 each. The web for the central net is machine-made, but the rest of 
the net is made by the fishermen. 
The parauzella is the form of net ordinarily used for catching floun- 
ders and such other species as can be taken in this apparatus. By 
* Stones are very often used for anchors, and tin cans are in favor for buoys. 
