The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-25
PUGET SOUND rIsHEnIra
=. IS. Afssworth's Address Before the
worries Fair Fisheries Congress.


worries Fair Fisheries Congress.
Following is the text of the address de-
Iivered before the fisheries congress of the
Worlds far, Chicago, September 70, 1888,
BY T. T. Ainsworth, of this city;
AT . fisheries congress il is probably
expected that anyone participating will
take one OF two sides of the topic. He will
either talk Of the scientific names and the
naoitats CT the varieties of the fish of
any given locality. or ne will treat his sub
1ect from q hsherman's standpoint and
deal with the kinds Of food FISH. methods
oil their capture and their influences sur
rounding the transfer of the catch to the
consumer. Having been engaged all my
life IN the hshing business as a means OF
obtaining livelihood and OF establishing
business. / wish to talk of Puget sound
hsheries from business point of view.
Puget sound IL well known as the
American Mediterranean. Ii Is undoubt-
eddy the finest inland sea Of the American
continent aud though its waters are filled
with valuable food fish, the business OF
catching and marketing them has only be-
gun within the last few years. The prin-
c.pal food fish of the Sound is the salmon,
but he appears IN several distinct varieties,
and fortunately for our business the run
ming seasons or times for catching them,
are as various rs the varieties, atfarding
work the entire year around. The first
variety TO put in an appearance Is known
TO our trade as the stee!head. whose season
on Puget sound is from December l 10
March 1. This salmon weighs on an av-
srags fourteen pounds each. The next
salmon We call the spring tyee. or chinook
salmon. which ranges In weight from
twenty to fifty pounds 10 the full grown
fish. This variety runs from April l to
July l. Next comes what We call the Jack
salmon, running from August 10 seaem-
Der 10. The jacks range from ten totwtnty
pounds each. The siiverside salmon put
in their appearance from September TO
about October 20. They weigh from SIX
To eight pounds. On the lower Sound,
near the mouth Of the Fraser river, the
silvsrside has its mate in tho salmon
known to our trade as the sockeye. which
Is OF q similar size. and on the Columbia
river this sock-eye salmon is called the
blueback salmon. The sock-eye is caught
near Point Roberts from July 1 to August
10. This fish - caught at the place named
while on its way to the Fraser river to
spawn. On October % the silversides are
succeeded by the fall salmon, weighing
from twelve 10 twenty pounds, and " hose
run lasts until December !, thus COM
pleting the year with a chain OF salmon
seasons furnishing work for our crews
and profitable business for our shippers
the year through. Every alternate year
the hnmphack salmon puts in its appear
Il
August TO about August p. The aver
age weight of this variety is about SIX
pounds.
'Sext TO the salmon, the hsiibut ranks
In importance as q commercial food fish of
Puget sound. From February To about
May the halibut are caught in the vicin-
ity Of Port Townsend. foilowing this
season the fish are caught on the Cape
Fiattery haIthut banks. situated on the
southwest coast of Vancouver island, ex-
tending westward ia numerous small
shoals or banks for twenty to forty miles.
Few haiibut are found south of the Wash
ington coast, but they are found in na-
merous localities along the northern
shores as far as Bering sea. The halibut
Leave the Fiattery banks about October l,
but are taken after that time on the more
northern banks, though during the
months of December and January is il
difficult to catch them on account of the
rough weather. The Flattery halibas
range in weight from fifteen to twenty
pounds, ana occasionally they are taken
weighing as high rs 30 pounds each. The
Pacific coast halibut are sometimes crlti-
csed rs inferior 10 the Atlantic halibut.
but this criticism has arisen not from the
quality OF the tIsh but from their size. The
average halibut from the Fiatsery banks
is not considered large enough for fitch
ing purposes. but the halibut taken on the
more northern banks are equal in every
way 10 the Atlantic hait6ut. aud further
more expert Atlantic fishermen, who are
now investigating the subject, assert that
the quality of the fiattery haltbnt IS fully
equal to that OF the Atlantic haiihut
The true cod Is found in different To-
caiites in Puge; sound. bat not in sGifi-
Gent quantities for curing purposes.
though enough are caught So supply tue
fresh fish market. The cod - taken IN
large numbers further north, and the IN
dgsgry of curing them tor market Is al
ready assuming large proportions. several
of the companies engaged IA the SorS be-
ing composed OF Puget sound fishermen.
among the smaller commercial food
fish We have great quantities ot smell.
nerring, fisundvTs. rcck cod aud salt water
perch These tsh are used III tue local
lSh markets and are shipped in ice to the
interior markets,
The oyster of Puget sound is small. but
where knosu II Is = prime favori's> On
PUGET SQUAD there are FL acre. OF Ster
beds in cultivation. and the average out
nut for the year o! 1892 waS Jst sacks peE
week, which yielded she oysteTmen su In
come Of about S4S,e0a
The method used IN taking the salmon
varies with the habits OF tie FISH. The
s,eei-hcsds DO not run IN schools, end they
are therefore always caught Win tae giu
neg Tee tvee salmon are also caught
principally with gill nets, but few are
caught IA traps, TIE JACKS, SltSsFSlaess ia3A
sa4 hnmphack salmon are caught IN
Puget sound setnes. These se.nss are from
go 20 + - feet long and about i.5 isei
deem. They are han led by > crew OF nine
or tea men. Who 20 out With large secs.
watch Is anchored o. keps IN eae position
By part ~ the crcs, and izFee-siEed
ska Tae seine - cos.ed oa tie dseS 81
the sk5a vita tire lines fastened 80 the
scaW. When a school 81 salmon - slgnSed
she skin puts cut and circles about ine
school, ~ hen 10 is rushed Up snd arsSn TO
the scoe, where the catch = taken on
hoard. Sometimes fke schools prove 10 &c
small p hen caught and sometimes they es-
cape altogether. bGs Frequently catches are
made O. several Thousand asa 81 singss
hauL This is probably the most interest
ing aud exciting method Of taxing T4sa
pursued on Puget sound. This work il
always carried oa By fishermen Oh shsres
In crew OF nine the catch Is divided into
eleven shares Two 81 Which 80 - tae
owner OF the seiae. II the owner IS one ot
the crue he j. usually - sde captain and
gets enc and hasf additional shares Tor
/ beng captain, and the ba.aaee Is DIVIDED
equally among fhe mem eefs cf the crew.
The fish are sid 10 the esuEsry men and
she fresh tsh dealers. sozas seasons a. &c
much a fish and in o&Asr seasons al 50
much q poani, tie price varying accord