FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
259 
get nto the traps and cause considerable injury to the twine. I have taken as many 
as 45 sturgeon at one lift, and they would weigh from 100 to 800 pounds each ; third, 
cotton twine lasts a very short time when set in salt water." 
The salmon fishing on the reef, which extends outward from Point Roberts a dis- 
tance of 2 miles, is mostly done by the Indians. About two-thirds of these fisherman 
come from British Columbia. In 1889 there were 16 nets operated on the reef. Each 
net consists of a piece of webbing about 30 by 40 feet, made of 32-thread cotton twine 
and having a mesh of 3£ inches. It is hung “ on a third,” with the exception of 
about 4 feet at one end, where it is taken up sufficiently in hanging to form a small 
bag at the top of the net. 
Each fishing canoe has two places to fish on the reef, one for high water and one 
for low water ; the object being to secure as nearly as possible a depth of water which 
does not exceed 8 feet. 
Under natural conditions the reef is covered with kelp throughout its length, the 
kelp floating at the top of the water. A channel is'cut through this, and in the 
passageway so prepared the net is set, and short leads of kelp are run out at angles 
from the opening so as to direct the fish into the net. The kelp is all submerged when 
the tide is running, but nevertheless has a tendency to lead the fish to the channel. 
In operating the net two canoes are so anchored that they will be on opposite sides 
of the channel, and between them the net is held in position by an arrangement of 
guy lines. From the head anchor runs a double line, one part extending to the canoe 
and the other running to the net. What is termed a “ side anchor” is placed a little 
astern, so that by hauling in on the line attached to it the net can be kept taut. As 
has been stated, there are a number of lines extending from each canoe to the net, 
and a small stone is bent on to the head anchor line close to the net, so that the latter 
will sink more quickly than it otherwise would. 
The canoes lay side by side in the tide j the net is thrown over, the side lines are 
set up and spread out, the front of the net goes to the bottom, and the top or back is 
just under the water. The net is now set for fishing, although three sides of it are 
open so that fish can go out. Salmon are never meshed in this form of apparatus. 
The oldest or best fisherman stands as lookout, and each of the crew has a 
line leading to the net. When the lookout has seen fish pass on to the net he gives 
the order to haul in on it, and the sooner the apparatus can be lifted the greater 
number of fish will be secured. When fish are thus' seen the side lines are tripped 
and the canoes come together so that the net can be gathered up into a sort of bag. 
The fish are then rolled into the canoes, something after the manner of gathering 
up a seine, and as soon as the apparatus is emptied it is again thrown over and 
spread as before. It often happens that salmon are not seen until they have been on 
the net and have turned to go off. In such cases a water haul is generally the result. 
M. — - 
* Mr. Kirby has made an inquiry in this connection as to whether there is auy prep- 
aration for the preservation of cotton twine which is better than coal tar. I will 
say that in the preparation of seines and other apparatus for the use of the U. S. Fish 
Commission I have had them both tarred and tanned. This method of preparation 
has been found very satisfactory, in that it has all the preservative qualities of coal 
tar when the net is set in the water, and the additional advantage that the twine is 
somewhat more flexible and not liable to spoil by heating when dried and packed in 
bulk. The Dutch method for preserving cotton twine used in the herring gill net is 
as follows : The tan is made by boiling catechu in water in the proportion of one 
pound of the former to two and a half gallons of the latter. When it is sufficiently 
strong the nets are soaked in it for 24 hours, after which they are dried. They are 
tanned and dried three times, and then soaked in linseed oil. A pound of oil is pro- 
vided for each pound of net, and they are allowed to remain in it as long as any will 
be absorbed. They are then well drained and spread out on the ground to dry, after 
which the process is completed by tanning them once more. 
J. W. Collins. 
