BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 269 
The vessels remain at anchor in the harbors, and the boats with the nets 
! aboard are rowed out a few rods from the shore where the nets are sunk 
from 2 to 10 fathoms below the surface, according to the depth at which 
the herring are swimming. They are set with, rather than across, the 
tide, and if the current is strong they are placed singly, but if in com- 
paratively still water two are usually fastened together and set as one. 
s These are placed in the water late in the afternoon, and at the first gray 
of morning the fishermen start out to haul them. If herring are suffi- 
j! ciently plenty to warrant them in resetting their nets in the same place, 
|j they are underrun, the fish being removed and the nets again returned 
to the water to remain until the next morning, while the fishermen re- 
j turn to the vessel with the catch, or, if the weather will admit, at once 
| spread the fish out upon the shore to be frozen. If, however, the her- 
ring are not found sufficiently abundant to satisfy the fishermen, the nets, 
j with the herring still clinging to them, are drawn into the boat, after 
which they return to the vessel, which gets under way and proceeds to 
| some other locality where it is hoped the fish will prove to be more abun- 
dant, the nets being overhauled while on the way and put in readiness 
| for resetting in the afternoon. 
The nets used are about 25 to 30 fathoms long, 3 to 4 fathoms deep, 
and average about 2J inches stretch mesh. Nets of good material and 
properly rigged cost about $20 each. A vessel when properly equipped 
has two nets to the man, but many of the poorer ones carry an average 
of only one. 
Early in the season, and at other times when the weather is warm, 
considerable difficulty is experienced in properly freezing the fish, but 
every opportunity is utilized, and if there is any indication that it will 
be cold during the night the fish are spread out thin upon the grass or 
gravel of the shore or upon some convenient wharf. The fishermen 
visit them frequently at night to stir them, so as to allow those under- 
neath to be exposed and frozen. This is ordinarily done, when they are 
spread thickly, by kicking or moving them about with the feet, but 
if the weather is not very cold they are spread so lightly that it is not 
necessary to stir them. 
As the first frozen herring brought to market usually bring a much 
higher figure than those brought later, an effort is made to utilize the 
first frosts for this purpose, and usually small lots are obtained by men 
fishing off the northern end of Grand Manan shortly after the middle 
of November. During the warmer weather of midwinter the fish are 
often kept in the hold of the vessel for two or three days until a suit- 
able time for freezing arrives. 
The fishermen usually carry their fish to Eastport for a market, but this 
is not always necessary, as quite a fleet of vessels are employed in mov- 
ing about among them to purchase any quantity that they may have on 
hand. Some sell their catch daily, while others freeze their fish and 
