FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
263 
Captain Tanner gives the following account of fresh-halibut fishing 
by the Mollie Adams in the summer of 1888 , which shows the abundance 
of fish at that time : 
After disposing of her cargo of seals, the Mollie Adams at once refitted for the 
fresh-halibut fishery, and made four trips in quick succession, landing 145,000 pounds 
of halibut, the stock of which amounted to $3,000, the crew sharing $75 each. The 
expenses of the trips were high, however, $15 per ton being paid for ice on the first 
one, although on a subsequent trip it was obtained at $8 per ton, which was con- 
sidered very low by the dealers. The high price demanded for ice is one of the chief 
obstacles to the development of the fresh-halibut business on the Pacific coast. 
Could this necessary article be obtained at reasonable figures, the western fishermen 
would stand a better chance of competing successfully with the eastern markets in 
supplying the fresh trade. The Mollie Adams landed her cargo at Seattle. * * * 
Capt. S. Jacobs and others interested in the fishery are seriously considering the 
expediency of building ice houses at Seattle, and making the attempt to cut ice for 
their own use the coming winter. It is stated that ice 6 inches thick was cut in the 
vicinity of Seattle during the winter of 1887-88. If this is true, however, it was 
an exceptional season, as many of the old residents in the region claim that the 
weather is never cold enough there to make ice over 3 inches thick. Should the 
effort to obtain the ice in Puget Sound prove unsuccessful, it is thought to be feasi- 
ble to make use of large scows in bringing down supplies from the glacier region of 
Alaska. The expense of obtaining the ice by this method, including the cost of 
building and towing the scows and of cutting the ice, it is considered will be much 
less than by the present one. 
Captain Tanner also makes the following statement concerning a 
fletched-halibut trip made by the same vessel : 
July 24 the schooner Mollie Adams left Seattle, bound north on a fletched-halibut 
trip, the first one of its kind that had been undertaken on the Pacific coast. But few 
halibut were captured until the schooner arrived off the southern extremity of the 
Queen Charlotte Islands, where they were found in great abundance and of larger size 
than on the grounds off Cape Flattery. A few of those taken were estimated to weigh 
over 300 pounds each. About half of the number obtained were large enough for 
fletching, the remainder being used as bait or thrown away. The trawls were not 
left down over night, the fish biting so rapidly that all the available time was occu- 
pied in caring for the day’s catch. Only one cod was caught during the trip. Dogfish 
were numerous, but did not seem to interfere with the halibut taking the bait, as is 
the case at this season farther south. 
The fishing was carried on in depths of only 30 to 45 fathoms, sc that the use of 
hurdy-gurdies was not resorted to. Halibut fishing in this region is very much easier 
than on the Grand Bank. Operations were continued without intermission until 
August 26, when a severe gale of wind sprang up from the southeast, lasting two days. 
The heavy sea produced by the storm caused the Adams to drag her anchor several 
times, but she finally “ brought up ” and rode out the gale without sustaining any dam- 
age or loss. This was the first time that this vessel had been tested at her anchor in 
a heavy sea, and her sea-going qualities were thoroughly established. From the ex- 
perience of the Adams it is probable that fishing vessels would have no difficulty in 
making two or more fletched trips for halibut each season to the neighborhood of the 
Queen Charlotte Islands. Such trips made to Greenland and Iceland consume an 
entire season, and to this extent the fishermen of the western coast have an advan- 
tage over those of the eastern coast. 
On the morning of September 8 the Adams, having “wet” all her salt, started for 
home with 150,000 pounds of fish. Light winds prevailed during the passage of eight 
days to Seattle. Previous to the return of the Adams, her owner, Captain Jacobs, 
