El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-22
Alaskan Fisherman Use Lines
so Miles Long to Catch HaIibut
AL
Frank G. Carpenter
Copyright. 1915. by Frank
C Carpenter.)


used in almost every part Of the United
States
Paved With Haibut.
The fishing center OF the territory
is still ketchikan and there are also
fleets that make their headquarters at
Petersburg Juneau and elsewhere. The
extent Of the fishing grounds is enor-
nous. There are some banks that seem
70 be paved with halibut, and the veg
sells bring them n ~ the thousand
OF pounds A single party has been
known to catch one hundred thousand
pounds in a day and fifty thousand
pounds a day is not uncommon
went out from Ketchikan brought in
more than a quarter of a million
pounds Of fish. The whole cargo had
been caught in one week. and every
pound of it had been taken with
hook and lire
The halibut is one Of the most inter
estlng fish that swim the seas. II
is the largest Of the flat fishes I
their tails, would reach high above my
head and some which. I venture are
over three feet in width. The average
halibut weighs about 100 pounds, and
some have been caught that may
weight as much as 300.
The hsliRut swims on the bottom OF
the sea. and chiefly on banks, several
hundred feet below the surface. 1t de-
YOURS all sorts OF fishes. One OF its
favorfte foods is the herring, which
is caught here in great quantities and
frozen that it may kept and used for
bait.
The herring are found in nearly all
the waters Of Alaska They move
about in large schools, some Of which
cover several square miles. Twice a
year they swim to the shores to spawn.
They come by the millions and in such
large schools that they can be scooped
from RI ~
Great Catches OF Herring Made.
Last year a great haul was made
along the face Of the dock of the New
English Fish company at Ketchikan-
One end Of the net was made fast to
the wharf, and the herring were drag
ged out by the thousand At that
same time more than 20O0 barrels Of
herring. were taken up by the four
seines in the Tongas narrows
One way Of catching these fish is by
driving nails into a board so that they
stick out several inches. The boards
are then dragged through the shoals
and the fish catch between the nails
and are pulled up by the boardful into
the boats. In one year more than a
million pounds OF herring were caught
at Prince Rupert and frozen by the
cold storage plants 10 be sold for bait.
Something like $4,000 pounds OF cod
fish are annually taken for the same
purpose.
The most of the halibut are caught
with the hook and line. The fishing,
however. has nothing gamey or sport
ing about IL. The lines are dropped
down into the sea in such a way that
the baited hooks rest on the bed OF
the ocean The lines are OF great
length. Some OF them are so miles
long. so that when loaded with fish IL
lakes the steam engine on the fishing
vessel the better part of a day to wind
them up. They are divided into sec
ha
buoy that rests on the surface. and
IS marked by a flag in the day time
and at night by a light.
The bulk of the halibut fishing is
low done by independent fishermen in
mall boats, although there are fishing
with fleets of large vessels.
The companies buy from the indepen-
Tents.
Fishermen Get Good Pay.
The fishermen who 90 out with the
steamers are often paid by their catch;
md a medium sized halibut vessel dis
purses about $4,000 a year in wages.
rhe men get on the average from 800 I
% S125 a month each. although on
ate Of a cent a pound for all that they
,atch. Many Of the independent boats
ire run in partnership, the fishermen
iividinK the profits.
Fresh haiibut is now selling on the
rharves of Prince Rupert for five
;ents a pound. The most delicious are
he small ones. known as chicken hal
but Such fish usually weigh less
han eight pounds The fish sent TO
he east run from eight pounds 10
eighty pounds or more. The fish are /
shipped on express trains in cold stoT- !
lge cars; and it takes from six to ten
lays to get them to the markets in the !
sstern part of the United States. They
ire consigned to wholesale dealers, |
Who usually have their sales on Fri |
lays. so that if they arrive earlier in |
he week they have to wait until then |
'efore they go to the retailers. 1t |
axes about 10000 pounds OF fish TO |
make one carload.
Large quantities OF fish are now |
rozen, and held here for some time !