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Fishing Grounds of the Gulf 1 02 GULF OF MAINE--Geographic And HISTORICAL Title What is apparently the very first reference to this entire body of water appears on some old Icelandic graphs that show, approximately, Cape Cod Bay within their southern locations and the Bay of Fundy in the northern. On these maps the cape itself was shown around the "Promontory of Vinland" and was because of the name Kialarnes, or the Ship's Nasal area, from its resemblance in form towards the high upturned prow of the aged Norse ships. Towards the whole part of the gulf was given the name Vinland's Haf. Oviedo (Historia General de las Indias) occasionally brands this gulf the Arcipelago de Los angeles Tramontana, or even the Arcipelago Septentrional--the north archipelago. He provides us to understand thathe and himself, or Chaves, had this information from the Report and Survey of Gomez, who, within his look for a northwest passageway to Asia in 1525, "discovered each one of these coasts lying among 41? and 41? 30' north". In truth, his careful explorations certainly covered all the territory between 40 and 45 levels. The Spanish language navigators who implemented Gomez, in explaining these coasts, when indicating this gulf, generally named it in respect of Gomez, the very first of their country to make a cautious survey of their shores. Thus it became referred to as Arcipelago de Estevan Gomez, and the mainland behind it as being Los angeles Tierra de Gomez. It was so known as on the chart of Ribero in 1529 who thus acknowledged the source of his information. The Biscayans implemented Gomez but later provided method to french anglers, who followed down the sequence of banks stretching southward from your Lavish Bank and came into these seas by way of Cape Sable. These gave to it the title Gulf of Norumbega or Ocean of Norumbega. The title Norumbega was for a time applied to the coastline areas and to the inland nation stretching away indefinitely westward and northwestward from your waters from the gulf. Later, with the coming of the English and the establishment of their colony in Massachusetts, the

Transcript of Fishing Grounds of the Gulf 1 02

Page 1: Fishing Grounds of the Gulf  1 02

Fishing Grounds of the Gulf 1 02

GULF OF MAINE--Geographic And HISTORICAL Title

What is apparently the very first reference to this entire body of water appears on some oldIcelandic graphs that show, approximately, Cape Cod Bay within their southern locations and theBay of Fundy in the northern. On these maps the cape itself was shown around the "Promontory ofVinland" and was because of the name Kialarnes, or the Ship's Nasal area, from its resemblance inform towards the high upturned prow of the aged Norse ships. Towards the whole part of the gulfwas given the name Vinland's Haf.

Oviedo (Historia General de las Indias) occasionally brands this gulf the Arcipelago de Los angelesTramontana, or even the Arcipelago Septentrional--the north archipelago. He provides us tounderstand thathe and himself, or Chaves, had this information from the Report and Survey ofGomez, who, within his look for a northwest passageway to Asia in 1525, "discovered each one ofthese coasts lying among 41? and 41? 30' north". In truth, his careful explorations certainly coveredall the territory between 40 and 45 levels.

The Spanish language navigators who implemented Gomez, in explaining these coasts, whenindicating this gulf, generally named it in respect of Gomez, the very first of their country to make acautious survey of their shores. Thus it became referred to as Arcipelago de Estevan Gomez, and themainland behind it as being Los angeles Tierra de Gomez. It was so known as on the chart of Riberoin 1529 who thus acknowledged the source of his information.

The Biscayans implemented Gomez but later provided method to french anglers, who followed downthe sequence of banks stretching southward from your Lavish Bank and came into these seas by wayof Cape Sable. These gave to it the title Gulf of Norumbega or Ocean of Norumbega. The titleNorumbega was for a time applied to the coastline areas and to the inland nation stretching awayindefinitely westward and northwestward from your waters from the gulf.

Later, with the coming of the English and the establishment of their colony in Massachusetts, the

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title Massachusetts Bay came into general use, although this name was afterwards restricted to thesmaller section of the gulf at present so termed.

The charter of Gorges (in Apr, 1639) specified the territory deeded to him because the Province orArea of Maine,[4] whence, perhaps, the current custom of talking about these seas as the Gulf ofMaine may have arisen. This latest title appears especially suitable, in view of the fact that thecurrent State of Maine lying immediately opposing its entrance capes, stretches along the internalborders of the gulf and with its deeply indented shoreline line occupies by far the best section of itscoasts. Thus the name has lastly enter into general use and acceptance in modern times. Evidently itwas initially officially used and proposed by the Edinburgh Encyclopedia in 1832 [5] and then wasadopted by the United States Coastline Survey.

[Footnote 4: "All that porcion, purport and parte of the Mayne Land of brand new Britain, we doename, ordeyne and appoynt shall forever hereafter bee named and called The Province and Countieof Mayne."]

[Footnote 5: Edinburgh Encyclopedia, Philadelphia version, by Thomas Parker, Vol. XVIII, p. 263.]

Explanation

A really peculiar and striking entire body water is it Gulf of Maine, markedly various in personalityfrom the other of the bays around the coastline type of the eastern U . S .. Especially will it differwithin the level of their seaside seas, where in all the other people, except the smaller New YorkBay, the shoal drinking water is found extending far out from the land.

In the Gulf of Maine, however, with the solitary exception from the vicinity of Ammens Rock and rollaround the eastern a part of Cashes Financial institution, the entire central region providesnavigable deep drinking water using a imply level of 100 fathoms, out of which increase the variousunder water plateaus, whose depths average about 50 fathoms and which make up the larger fromthe minn kota edge reasons. Along with these, many smaller sized banking institutions and "fishingareas" are normally found nearer the property in which they lay a along the 50-fathom bend.

In general this curve lies at a distance of about 16 miles from the coast line, but in many instances itapproaches much neared to the mainland. Out of this 50-fathom level the soundings decrease verygradually towards the 20 and 10 fathom marks.

These second option soundings tend to be held significantly in toward the coastline collection, evencarrying the strong water properly in to the river mouths, to ensure that in deeply indented hays, inlengthy inlets operating significantly into land, in the stream mouths, the deep water right behindthe difficult headlands, or perhaps in the lee of the thousands of browse-cleaned isles that line thecoast, are normally found countless secure anchorages inside simple operate of the fishing reasons,where the fleets may take shelter from a sudden blow or await the arrival of the "fish time," whenproblems might allow "making a set" underneath the hardships of winter minn kota edge.

If the marine features of this area are significantly distinctive from those of other seaside bodiesfrom the eastern United too, so and States the shore land, battered as it has been by sea and stormor used by glacial motion or Arctic currents, is no much less remarkable.

Hardly any other portion of the eastern U . S . features a similar coast, so serrated, indented, and

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tough, as has this shore type of the Gulf of Maine. Right here the battering from the causes of naturehas resulted in making thousands of secure harbors and havens for your navigator. All along shoreare strewn countless islands, a characteristic feature from the area and something noted withquestion by each and every earlier explorer. If near the land, are beautiful and smiling; if in the opensea, of rugged grandeur; and mainland and island alike are inhabited by a hardy and numerous raceof fisher folk, [6] These islands.

The tides within the Gulf of Maine have a very great rise and fall as compared with other seas in thisregion. At the south of Cape Cod tides are seldom over 4 feet in their range, but beginning at once atthe north of Cape Cod with a rise of from 7 to 10 feet these increase quite constantly as they goeastward reaching about 28 feet in the neighborhood of Passamaquoddy Bay, to touch their highestpoint in the Bay of Fundy, where in many places is a rise and fall of 50 feet, and in some few placestides of 70 feet are reported. These Fundy tides probably are the greatest in the world.

This great ebb and flow water assists to aid shipbuilding as well as the starting of vessels in additionto have the strong drinking water far up in to the inlets from the coastline and into the mouths fromthe rivers, creating these navigable for crafts of substantial dimension well into the property or asmuch as the lowest drops from the streams.

The climate right here is just one of extreme conditions, and, lying down because it does among 42?and 45? northern latitude, the region may be said to be cold. Evidently the seas from the Gulf ofMaine are not impacted by any stray present from your Gulf Flow, which passes at a substantialdistance from its mouth, therefore performing little to temper the chilly of this area possibly onproperty or at sea. Whether these seas are cooled additional by any stream from your LabradorCurrent may be questioned.

The winters are lengthy, generally bringing weighty snowfalls; and powerful gales are regularduring much of the fall and winter period. Probably the most dangerous of these "blows" come out ofthe mountain to the north and northwest of the gulf. Therefore, as well as the doubt of anopportunity to set equipment when as soon as on the minn kota edge reasons, the winter minn kotaedge here is not without having its component of serious threat. While the ice crop in northern NewEngland never fails, yet, perhaps because of the strong tidal currents of these waters, the principalharbors rarely are closed by ice, or, if closed, for but a few days only.

While the summers are relatively mild and in certain parts of them even extremely warm, fogs areweighty and practically continuous during the "dog times" (July 20 to Sept 1). when southerly andsouthern-westerly breezes deliver the nice and cozy damp atmosphere from your Gulf Flow into thecooler currents from your property. The fogs of Fundy are especially observed, even during thesewaters. Throughout the summer time months wind from your east and north bring the only clearweather experienced in the outer sequence of fishing grounds.

The main body from the gulf is situated approximately between 42? and 45? northern latitude. It isin type like a deep dish in whose external rim is created by Georges Browns and Bank Bank, with aslim, strong-drinking water spillway between: its region is fifty percent encircled in the hands of themainland, two conspicuous headlands getting to physical seaward to mark its wide entrance at theopposite sides--Cape Cod, Mass. [7] around the western side, and Cape Sable, [8] Nova Scotia,around the eastern flank, distant from one another about 230 kilometers. These two capes rangewith one another about ENE. and WSW, therefore matching alike the overall pattern from thecoastline line, from the island chains and of the offshore ledges within this area.

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From the base line hooking up these outposts of the gulf the space towards the Maine coastopposing averages about 120 kilometers. From Cape Sable, at its eastern finish, the coastlinedevelopments for some range to the northwest, whence a continuation of this course hits thecoastline of Maine close to Western Quoddy Head far away of quite more than 110 kilometers. FromWest Quoddy head to Cape Elizabeth (inside a immediate collection about 160 miles) the coastline,generally tough, rocky, and with numerous lofty headlands is extremely irregular and seriouslyindented and comes after a general span of WSW. Thence, the coastline, lower and getting more andmore sandy, starts to pattern much more decidedly southern-west till it gets to Boston, in the eventit turns to the southeast, and also to the eastern towards Cape Cod.

But this is simply not the whole tale. There stay outside of these mentioned limitations the Bay ofFundy in the northern, with a feasible area of 3,000 square miles; and at the southern Cape Cod Bay,whose region, with that from the seas west of the perpendicular drawn from your traditional westernfinish of the foundation collection that strikes the property in the locality of Portsmouth, N. H. makesan additional section containing close to 1,500 square kilometers. Within the limits thereforeinclosed there 30, are and roughly000 sq . kilometers of many effective ground most intensivelyfished through all the year.

The Bay of Fundy is divided at its head by Cape Chignecto, making two branches to north and toeastern--Chignecto Bay and Minas Basin. With these smaller areas, lying as they do entirely withinthe territorial limits of Canada, American fishermen have little to do, although both are valuable andproductive minn kota edge grounds.

[Footnote 6: William Strachey (1609), talking particularly of Casco Bay, however the words equallyrelevant to almost any stretch out from the Maine coastline, says "A very great bay where therelyeth soe numerous isles and soe thick and neere together, that can barely be discerned the number,yet may any ship pause betwixt, the best part of them getting seldom lesse drinking water than eightor 10 fathoms about them"--Background of Travalle into Virginia Britannica.]

[Footnote 7: This, the most striking cape from the Atlantic coast collection, produced a reallyprominent landmark for all of the early ocean voyagers nearing it, and all were greatly impressed byit, whether they originated from the south and fought their way via its shoals to eastward, or, fromthe northern, found them selves captured within the deep pocket which it makes with Cape Cod Bay.

The Spaniard Gomez (1525) provided it the title "Cabo de do Aricifes" cape from the reefs, referringto the harmful shoals to the eastward. The Frenchmen Du and Champlain Monts named it "CapeBlanc", as well as the Dutch pilots, also noting its sandy cliffs, known as it Witte Hoeck. The EnglishCaptain Anthony Gosnold, the first to make a direct passage to the waters of the Gulf of Maine fromEurope, although at first he called it "Shoal Hope", soon changed this, because of the success of hisfishing, to "Cape Cod", which title, commonplace though it be, has been the name to endure despitePrince Charles's attempt to change it to Cape James in honor of his father., even though the Englishmariners at first accepted his last name minn kota endura 30 of White Cape]

[Footnote 8: Cape Sable, at the southern finish of Nova Scotia, has kept this name from really agedoccasions. It is so pointed out on the Portuguese chart of the midst of the sixteenth century.]

BAY OF FUNDY

In the different months of the season the entire Bay of Fundy [9] is really a fishing ground forsardines and huge herring; and even though these are of relatively less importance in recent yearsthan formerly, the principal fisheries of this region nevertheless middle around the herring sectors-

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-the providing from the canning factories using the small herring used as sardines and the taking ofbig herring for bait and food. The sardine industry of the condition of Maine is essentially focused inthe area about and such as Eastport and Lubec, in which about 30 from the 59 factories and 16 ofthe 43 operating firms are located; so that, as the herring catches of recent years have dropped a lotlacking their previous dimensions, they still show imposing numbers.

In the past a lot of the capture was consumed in Saint. Andrews (Passamaquoddy) Bay and acrossthe northern shoreline from the Bay of Fundy to Lepreau Bay and Point. Lepreau. Of late many yearsvirtually no herring have already been taken in these waters, where the herring colleges that get toOctober were accustomed to stay until spring. Of past minn kota edge in this locality Capt. SumnerStuart, of Lubec, states:

"The herring left St. Andrews Bay and the Northern Shore about 1885. There is no summer nettingthere now. These seas and Lepreau Bay had been formerly very productive fishing reasons, itbecoming not unusual to take 5,000 (matter) big herrings (meals seafood) in a single haul. Theywere mainly winter and spring minn kota edge reasons for big herring. The fish appear to havevanished from all these reasons at approximately the same time.[10]

"In previous years (25 to thirty years ago) little herring had been powered ashore in such amountsby their enemies--squid, sterling silver hake and dogfish--it occasionally grew to become essential forthe respective authorities at Saint. John to use a snowplow to pay for them where they set rotting onthe seaside."

From the data of the sardine and smoked-herring industry for the year 1924 (annually, whether it isnoted, where the sardine industry nearly reached reduced--level tag for your package) the seas fromthe Bay of Fundy decorated to American purchasers on your own an overall total of herring forsmoking and canning reasons amounting to 76,756,250 pounds highly valued to the anglers at$957,665. This displaying, bad because it is in comparison with the figures of other years, in no waysignifies the herring fishery as an unimportant business. There still remains to become accounted forthe catch of herring of Lavish Manan as well as the neighboring Canadian Provinces.

A new supply of profit towards the fishermen within this business has been developed in the

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purchase of herring scales by firms involved in the manufacture of artificial pearls. For this specificpurpose there were gathered at Lubec and Eastport 700,000 lbs of herring scales, valued at $a, ;and 39 further amount was used at Grand Manan of 140,000 lbs, valued at $7,000. Along with otherentrants currently within the area, this division from the business bids reasonable to develop to stillbetter significance.

An estimate of the number of weirs in Saint. Andrews Bay, by Capt. Guilford Mitchell of Eastport,Me., is really as comes after: Canadian: 1921: 126 weirs 1923: 40 weirs Calais to Eastport: 1921: 35weirs; 1923: 7 weirs Total amount in 1923, operation andhttp://www.cabelas.com/category/Minn-Kota-Mail-in-Rebates/234230580.uts Canadian about 300;United states under 130.

Northern coast and Shore of Nova Scotia. Across the Northern Shoreline and from Yarmouth toCape Sable, over a difficult base, cod abound. The western shore of Nova Scotia is virtually allfishing ground for haddock, hake and cod and cusk, but trawling is somewhat handicapped here bystrong tides and rocky bottom, these combining to destroy much gear. In summer these fish areoccasionally found close inshore along the southwest coast, going somewhat beyond Digby to thenorthward, though halibut are somewhat unusual on this western shore except about the mouth ofthe Bay of Fundy. Haddocking is quite an important industry away Yarmouth, Nova Scotia,throughout the winter, the units being of quite brief period and created in the slack of the tide athigher drinking water. This exercise is created necessary by the heavy tidal currents on thesereasons.

The whole western coastline of Nova Scotia is herring ground at some period of the season."Drifting" for herring was formerly a considerable industry from Digby to Briers Island, but in theselast few years it has not been important, although the year 1927 had a very good run of large foodfish. This western coast can also be an important minn kota edge area for lobster men.

Swordfishing in the Bay of Fundy was formerly profitable in September, although these fish werenever so numerous here as upon the outer shore of Nova Scotia.

St. Marys Bay is a summer time herring floor. Good haddocking might be experiencedhere and also,from Apr 15 to October 15, with the period from the opening up from the minn kota edge in April asmuch as July 15 the very best of it.

The mackerel fishery from the Bay of Fundy seems of relatively small importance during thesesecond option years. The regional anglers state that the fish are unable to originate the tides ofthese waters! The large quantity of little herring should be an inducement sufficient to bring themright here. Evidently these fish successfully pass straight inshore northwesterly and reach thecoastline of Maine. A considerable amount of this species is taken by traps and by netting in St.Marys Bay and in the overall vicinity of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, as at Cranberry Head, Burns Stage.Beaver Stream, Woods Harbour, and also at various other points between Yarmouth and Cape Sable;but the internal waters from the Bay of Fundy show really slim catches when compared with thegreat quantity adopted the external shores of Nova Scotia inside a typical mackerel season. It reallyhas been 32 years, it is said, since any number of mackerel have been "connected" in St. Mary's Bay.

Lurcher Shoal. This is situated WSW, from Cape Saint, Mary 19 kilometers and WNW, from Cape

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Fourchu, faraway 13 kilometers, it is really an irregularly shaped piece of base, a rocky floor, about5 kilometers lengthy, north and south, by 3 kilometers wide, There are a variety of "nubbles"developing to7 and 5, and 9 fathom depths--with a place noted as getting only 12 feet water morethan it-- increasing from the typical depths over the rest of the shoal of from 13 to 15 fathoms. Morethan this typically difficult bottom are spread areas of gravel and of shells, Depths concerning theshoal are from 30 to 50 fathoms spanning a base consisting mostly of rocks, Tide rips are extremelyweighty right here, The months and species found here are as on Trinity: pollock, haddock and codand herring, it is a good lobster floor.

Trinity Shoal. This shoal, 14 kilometers N. by W. from Cape Fourchu and 7? miles SW. from Cape StMary, with a rocky bottom upon it and over an indefinite region about this, is probably 3 miles long,SW and NE, by some 2 kilometers wide. Over the greater part of the shoal there are depths of from 6to 10 fathoms, with an average of from 12 to 16 fathoms over the sandy and stony ground about it,though near the center is a rock, uncovered at low water. There is a strong tide rip right here on theeastern and northeastern part referred to as Deluge Tide Eddy, where is great fishing manuallycollection for pollock in Sept and October. haddock and Cod are taken here in small amounts bytrawling. This is a herring ground also, and there exists a lobster floor around the shoal and allabout this.

A cod ground extends overseas SW from Briers Island, beginning about 5 miles right out of thetropical island and stretching to around 18 kilometers from your property. Its width is about 4kilometers. Depths over this region come from 40 to 60 fathoms over a difficult, shelly bottom. Codare taken here in from 30 to 44 fathoms around the shoal floor operating from 5 kilometers fromGull Rock as well as the South-Western Ledges down to the Lurcher Shoal, a distance ofapproximately 22 kilometers. Between these factors fishing is done mostly manually-coating "in adrift." Cod are bought out the ledges in 5 fathoms water and thence out to 60 fathoms about themfrom August to November. Pollock are taken from the exact same technique. The best season isAugust. September, and October. This is an excellent lobster ground.

North west Ledge. Is situated about 3 3/4 kilometers northwesterly from Briers Island. This is a bitof difficult base about 2 kilometers lengthy by something under 1 mile wide with depths of from 2 to10 fathoms on the ledge and soundings of 12 to 30 fathoms around the gravelly floor about it. Codare normally found within great deal from Sept to November, inclusive, and therefore are usedmanually-coating. Pollock also are taken here in summer time, "drailing" by hand line.

A narrow piece of difficult floor with somewhat better depths connects this with Batsons Shoal, some5 miles SW., the two therefore making what is virtually a single bit of ground. The methods of minnkota edge, the species taken, and the seasons of their abundance are the same on both, thoughdepths on Batsons Shoal are rather less than on Northwest Ledge. The bottom all about these twogrounds is rocky, with from 20 to 40 fathoms inside of them, but this deepens rapidly to 100 fathomsover rocks and coarse gravel outside of them to W. and NW.