Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-11-24

one Delng aOJacent 10 llllamoOk Jock,
short distance south of the mouth OF the
Columbia river. Heceta bank has a
length Of about twenty miles and width
Of about ten miles. The bottom is very
uneven and supports an exceedingly rich
growth Of animal life, affording abundant
food for fishes. Several varieties OF rock
cod were very plentiful, and other valu-
able species were not uncommon, one
small halibut also being captured there.
The Tillamook rock ground is only
adapted to boat fishing, but in June four
halibut were taken upon it, while an
abundance Of founders, rock-cod and
other species were secured by means Of
the beam trawl,. both in the vicinity of
the rock and elsewhere along the coast
The Investigations Of the Albatross in
dictate, however, that halibut fishery as a
separate industry could not profitably
carried on in this region.
A halibut bank, resorted to by the
Indians, being close to the shore in the
vicinity Of Cape Flattery and extends
thence northwestward about fifteen miles
with depths OF thirty-fve to seventy-fve
fathoms. Halibut are said to be album
dant there from early in the spring until
the middle of June, when the bank be-
comes infested with dog6sh and sharks.
The bottom is exceedingly variable and
was found to be very rich in life. North
Of this bank as far as Barclay sound,
Vancouver island, the bottom is smoother
and less promising in every respect. A
second halibut bank occurs off Flattery
rocks and extends in the direction of
Cape Flattery, but it is smaller and much
less important than the first. In the
course Of the fishing trials made by the
Albatross, during the fall Of 1883, it be-
came evident that the sharks and dogfish
had taken possession Of the grounds al
most to the entire exclusion OF the edible
fishes. On the principal bank halibut
were taken in two localities, six SEeci-
mems in all, averaging in one case Az
pounds each, and in the other IS pounds
each. Five halibut were secured north
Of this ground, but only one weighing 140
pounds, on the bank off Flattery rocks
In June, 1889, three days only were spent
in this locality, and.they were chiefly oc
cupied with determining, the contour Of
the outer edge OF the larger bank. In one
short trial with the trawl line eight hall
but averaging thirty-fve pounds in
weight, and several other food species
were captured, dogfish being scarce.
According to the testimony OF fishermen
who have recently operated in this region,
halibut are abundant from March until
into June, and vessel fishing may be con-
sidered advisable only between March
and September l..
Beginning early in 1888 a. number q.
tr;ps sor fresh halibut were made from
different ports in the state Of Washington.
Some proved very successful, while on
others poor fares were obtained or the
vessels were absent long time. Diff
culties have also been encountered in the
maintenance OF this fishery through the
competition Of Eastern markets, the cost
of transportation and the price of ice.
The Gloucester schooner Molly Adams
secured it's first fares of halibut on the
bank Of Cape Flattery, and the same YES
sci, fishing nineteen days off the Queen
Charlotte islands, obtained 100000
pounds of halibut, Of which one-half were
large enough for fetching The crew
shared about SO a piece for each fishing
day. The yacht G. H. White has made
three trips to Flattery bank since the fall
of 1888, taking in all about 100, 900 pounds
Of halibut, OF which 10000 were shipped
fresh to New York, the remainder being
smoked. The schooner Rosie Olsen took
| $4,000 pounds off Cape Scott, during a
trip Of five weeks in the spring, while the
schooner Oscar and Hattie had long ex-
perience off the southeastern coast Of
Alaska and off British Columbia, lasting
from January to June, 1899, fare of
LAC, 900 pounds, the fish averaging sixty
FIVE pounds in weight being finally
secured.