Fishing Grounds of the Gulf of Maine Part 10

OFFSh.o.r.e BANKS

Browns Bank. This bank lies in a northeastern direction from Georges and is separated from it by a gully 15 miles wide, in which the depths range from 100 to 450 fathoms. Its area is about 2,275 square miles. The greatest length, from SE to NW, is 63 miles and the greatest width is 43 miles. It is situated between 64 52" and 68 29" west longitude, and 41 50" and 43 02" north lat.i.tude. There is a small rocky shoal on the northern part, on which, it is said, there is not 9 to 15 fathoms. The bank slopes away from the shoal, S. and E. to depths of 55 to 75 fathoms, but at a distance of 12 or 15 miles off, it again rises to 30 to 50 fathoms. This area of shoal water, within the 50 fathom limit, is 50 miles long and has an average width of 15 miles. North of the shoal the water deepens suddenly to 70 and 80 fathoms. The bottom is largely coa.r.s.e sand, gravel, pebbles, and rocks and is rich in animal life. The area of the bank is approximately 1,370 square geographical miles.

Tides here are quite as strong as on the eastern side of Georges Bank, the ebb having an average strength of 1 1/3 miles an hour and the flood is somewhat stronger. The greatest strength of the flood tide sets W.

the ebb in nearly an opposite direction.

Haddock, cod, cusk, halibut, pollock and hake are the princ.i.p.al food fishes procured from this bank, ranking in volume in the order named. In value, however, halibut takes third place in the list. Cod are plentiful here in winter, though fewer vessels fish here than on Georges Bank, at that season. At other seasons the codfishery on Browns Bank compares favorably with that of other banks in the vicinity. Cod are present the year around, in May and June feeding in depths of about 40 fathoms, going into 80 fathoms in August, and into depths of about 100 fathoms in cold weather.

Haddock, also, are present all the year, the period of greatest abundance being usually January and February. In March and April they are most abundant in 27 to 30 fathoms; at other seasons they are in 50 fathoms and deeper, especially in winter, when generally they can be found in 80 to 100 fathoms. Cusk are present in the deep water all the year.

Older reports say (1880-81): "Halibut were formerly found here in abundance, but at present the fishery is limited to an occasional trip off the southern and western edge." It will be noted that a fair amount of halibut was taken here during 1923, when this bank ranked third in volume of halibut taken, which seems a good showing when the comparatively small size of the ground is considered. Fairly good catches have been made SW from the Northwest Peak of Browns, about 66 50' west longitude and 42 40' north lat.i.tude, along the 100-fathom curve and following eastward to the southward of La Have and beyond, perhaps to 63 west longitude. The Southeast Peak is perhaps the most productive of the halibut grounds here, "setting" off from the shoaler parts into the narrow deep-water channel between this and Georges perhaps 20 miles distant.

A considerable part of the fish listed under the heading "Miscellaneous"

are swordfish, which come upon this bank during their summer wanderings.

It will be noted that the number of otter-trawl fares from this ground is small. It is only in recent years that this method of fis.h.i.+ng has been employed here, the bottom having been thought to be too rough for the successful operation of gear of this type upon it.

Seal Island Ground. This is called also on the charts in its northwest part, the German Bank and lies off the western part of Nova Scotia. Very few charts show it, as it is somewhat difficult to define its exact limits. It is a direct continuation of the sh.o.r.e soundings, which slope gradually from the land to the S. and W. and continue in a northerly direction beyond what might be considered the bounds of the grounds. To the S. it extends nearly to Browns Bank, from which it is separated by a narrow gully 70 to 80 fathoms deep. To the N. it reaches 38 miles beyond Seal Island and to the NW. about 35 miles from the same island. The southern limit of the ground is in 43 and the northern 43 45' north lat.i.tude, while the western boundary may be placed at 66 40' west longitude. The entire ground outside the 3 mile limit covers an area of 1,250 miles.

There is a small shoal called Pollock Rip, with a depth of 7 fathoms, bearing SW from Seal Island, distant 9 miles; but otherwise the ground slopes quite gradually, the depths being from 15 to 70 fathoms. The bottom is mainly coa.r.s.e gravel and pebbles with occasional rocky spots of greater or less extent. The tides sweep over this ground with considerable force out from and in toward the Bay of Fundy. the flood running strongest.

In general, the species of fish found here and the seasons of their greatest abundance are much as on Browns Bank. The princ.i.p.al fishes taken are haddock, cod, cusk, halibut, and hake, and a very small amount of pollock. Except for the haddocking, the best fis.h.i.+ng season is from March to October. Halibut are said to have been very plenty here in the past but are said to have been comparatively rare in recent years, although occasional good fares are brought from these grounds, perhaps more commonly in the spring and early summer and a few at other seasons.

In April they are found most commonly in 80 fathom depths; in May in 30 to 40 fathoms, in June the best halibuting is had in 25-fathom depths or even in shoaler water. (The halibut catch shown for the year chosen (1927) is unusually small, most years yielding a fair amount of this species from this ground. Apparently no member of the American halibut fleet visited this ground for the year.)

Cod are present here the year around, perhaps the best fis.h.i.+ng taking place in May and June, when the fish are found in about 40 fathoms They go into deeper water, about 60 fathoms, in August and into 100 fathoms as the cold weather advances. This Seal Island ground may be considered essentially as a feeding ground for the cod, which seem to appear here after the sp.a.w.ning season is over, to fatten upon the crabs and mollusks living on the bottom and on the herring and other small fish that swim back and forth In the tide rips.

Haddock are also present all the year, the schools being most abundant and the number greatest in January and February, when the fish are in about 50 to 60 fathoms. Apparently they come into depths of from 27 to 30 fathoms in March and April for sp.a.w.ning.

Cusk are present here during most of the year in 80 fathoms on the hard bottom. Pollock are few on this ground at any time of the year. This species, together with herring and mackerel, are abundant on the "sh.o.r.e soundings" of Seal Island Ground, whence, following the abundant food furnished by the smaller fish, they range a short distance in to the Bay of Fundy. Many mackerel are taken in the traps in the vicinity of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, which seems to mark the limit of their penetration in any considerable schools on the western sh.o.r.e of Nova Scotia.

What is apparently a gradually deepening extension of Seal Island Ground is found about 65 miles SSE. from Mount Desert Rock and 60 miles W. from Seal Island. There seems to be no distinguis.h.i.+ng name for this area.

The depths here are from 70 to 100 fathoms over a broken bottom of mud, gravel, and in places fine sand. The ground falls off rapidly on all sides except toward Seal Island and the Nova Scotia coast, leaving an area at its end of somewhat indeterminate length, perhaps 18 or 20, miles, and having a distance across of about 8 miles at its widest part.

Apparently there is no reason why this should not be an all-the-year fis.h.i.+ng ground, but it seems not to be visited much in the winter. It furnishes, however, a very good summer handline fishery for cod at dogfish time, and in the spring months it abounds in cod, cusk, and hake, all fish of large size.

Roseway Bank. This bank lies N. of the western part of La Have and SE.

of Shelbourne Light, Nova Scotia: 31 miles SSE. from the whistling buoy off Lockport, Nova Scotia, to the southeastern edge. It is oblong in shape and of small extent--about 270 square geographical miles. Its greatest length is 21 miles and its greatest breadth 15 miles. It extends from 43 12' to 43 33' north lat.i.tude, and from 64 25' to 64 52' west longitude and at the northwest corner is connected with the sh.o.r.e limit of 60 fathoms by a narrow neck. Depths are from 33 to 48 fathoms. The bottom is of sand, gravel, and rocks; on the Northeast Peak the bottom is of yellow mud and gravel.

Currents in this region are not nearly so strong as about Cape Sable and Browns Bank, their general direction being WSW. and ENE the westerly much the stronger, though the force and direction of both are much influenced by the winds.

The princ.i.p.al fish taken here are cod, haddock, and cusk, but hake, pollock and halibut occur, the best fis.h.i.+ng months being from May to October, when the bank is resorted to by craft from western Nova Scotia.

A few New England craft also fish here.

La Have Bank. Situated eastward of Browns Bank and S. and E. of Roseway Bank. It extends from 42 34' to 43 26' north lat.i.tude a distance of 52 miles, and from 63 50' to 65 07' west longitude a distance of about 54 miles. The bank is nearly divided into two portions, of which the eastern (La Have Bank proper) extends N and S. 39 miles and the western portion nearly E. and W. about 35 miles. The total area of the bank is about 1,200 miles.

The bottom is largely coa.r.s.e gravel, pebbles, and rock, with smaller areas of sand distributed here and there. Depths run from 40 to 50 fathoms. The general set of the currents is to the westward, but this is much influenced by the force and direction of the wind and is generally quite strong during easterly blows.

The princ.i.p.al fis.h.i.+ng upon this bank in the past has been for cod and haddock: and while former reports, (1881) speak of this as having once been a favorite fis.h.i.+ng ground for halibut and state that it was not at time of much importance in that fishery, the figures for this ground for the year 1923 show the halibut catch to have been third in volume and first in value of the species taken there. In fact, the catch of halibut here makes quite an imposing figure when the comparatively small size of the ground is considered.

Little La Have and the La Have Ridges are simply continuations of this back toward the Western Bank for a distance of about 45 miles. This places the eastern limit in about 62 50' west longitude, the northern and southern boundaries being about as those of La Have Bank. The area of the ridges is about 1,575 miles. The bottom here is a succession of ridges of pebbles and gravel with occasional patches of rocks. Depths are from 53 to 80 fathoms. The current, occasionally strong, is weaker here than farther W. on the bank and, except during easterly winds, is but little noticed. The general set is westerly.

"The Ridges" says the report before mentioned, "were for a number of years one of the favorite resorts for halibut catchers in winter, and many good catches of cod were taken here at that season. At present but few halibut are caught except in the deep water along the southern edge of the ground, where they sometimes have been found quite plentiful during nearly the entire year." Apparently there has not been much change in these conditions since the writer's time; fish seem to be present here In about the same quant.i.ties as in former years.

One piece of bottom, having depths of 25 to 50 fathoms over red clay, lying approximately in 43 08' to 43 10' north lat.i.tude and about 81 to 83 west longitude, seems a good spring and early summer ground.

Apparently red-clay bottom indicates a good halibut ground, as this species is usually present where such a bottom is found.

Hake are found in good numbers in the deep water about the edges of the ground and even on the Ridges.

These waters are quite heavily fished from Canadian ports, and a fair number of American vessels visit them each year, most of them hailing from Boston or Gloucester.

Scandinavian Bank. Eighteen miles SSW. from Shelbourne Light. Nova Scotia. It is about 3 miles long in an E. and W. direction by about mile wide. In general, the bottom is level, with depths from 50 to 70 fathoms; the shoal parts are sharp and rocky, the bottom over the deeper portions being composed mostly of small black and yellow pebbles.

This is a summer halibut ground (July and August) in depths from 45 to 60 fathoms, and halibut occur in October in the deeper waters about it.

It is also a fair summer cod ground, and cusk are present in the deep water about the edges during most of the year. In general, species and seasons are much as on Roseway.

Western Bank. This is one of the most important fis.h.i.+ng grounds of the western Atlantic, whether as regards size or the abundance of its product. It lies S. of Cape Breton Island and the eastern part of Nova Scotia between the parallels of 42 55' and 44 46' north lat.i.tude and the meridians of 5904' and 62 35' west longitude. It has a length of 156 miles and a width, including the Middle Ground, of 76 miles. It is about 420 miles E. S. from Boston to the southwestern edge, which means about 48 hours' steaming for the otter-trawl fleet.

The general contour of the bank within the 65-fathom line, as laid down on the Admiralty chart, approaches somewhat a very elongated ellipse, the longer axis running NE. by E. and SW. by W.; but over a broad area to eastward of the center of the bank, soundings of less than 50 fathoms connect it directly with the Middle Ground, which we have here included in the some bank. The total extent of the bank thus defined is about 7,000 square geographical miles. Off its eastern end lies Banquereau (the Quereau of the fishermen) with The Gully between, and a short distance of the western edge are the La Have Ridges.

The depths off the southern edge of the bank increase rapidly from 80 to 700, 1,200, and even 1,400 fathoms. At the eastern end is Sable Island, [16] "graveyard of s.h.i.+ps", a long, narrow, crescent-shaped elevation seemingly lessening in area each year, formed entirely of sand that has been blown Into innumerable hummocks and dunes. Off both ends of the island are long and dangerous sand bars. The length of the island is 20 miles; its greatest width is about 1 miles. It is said that the Northwest Light has been moved three times due to the fact that the western end of the island has been literally blown away. It lies in an E. and W. direction, and the depth of water over the bars for a distance of 7 to 10 miles out does not exceed 2 fathoms, and even 10 miles farther out the depths do not exceed 10 to 11 fathoms. Within recent years fishermen have reported the appearance of a sand shoal about 5 or 6 miles SE. from the Northeast Light. This is said to appear at low water.

In general, the bank slopes S. and W. from the island, depths ranging from 18 to 60 fathoms. The bottom is mostly sandy with patches of gravel and pebbles. Currents are sometimes very strong about Sable Island and are somewhat irregular; apparently they are much influenced by the winds. On the other parts of the bank usually there is but little current, whatever there is usually tending toward the west.

Formerly the cod and halibut were the food fishes most taken here, but with the changed methods in the fishery (as the growth of the otter-trawl fleet) and a changed taste in our public the haddock catch has become the second most important in the receipts of fish from these waters. The halibut fishery stands third in the list. Other bottom feeders occur in less numbers, the pollock and the cusk perhaps being next in order of importance, with hake and a considerable amount of the various flatfishes in the otter trawls. These latter are marketed as sole.

Noting the small amount of haddock in the fares taken from these waters in former years, the writer asked a number of old-time fishermen as to its abundance in the old days. The reply was usually "Oh, yes, there were always haddock there; sometimes they bothered us a lot." Then, noting my surprise at so putting it, "You know, the haddock isn't much as a salt fish."

It will be noted that in 1923 the haddock catch here was a very good second to the cod catch in poundage, though not so valuable proportionately. In the otter-trawl catch from this ground it will be noted that the positions of the two species are reversed. As a rule, these steamers certainly take more than 2 pounds of haddock to 1 of cod on other offsh.o.r.e grounds--perhaps the result of operating in the shoaler waters and on the smoother bottom because of the difficulty of dragging over the rocky and kelp-covered ground, which the cod seems to prefer. But the bottom on the Western Bank is of such nature as to offer little obstruction to the pa.s.sage of the net, so that virtually all parts of it may be fished by this method; and this, added to the known movements of the cod schools makes it possible at certain seasons of the year to catch a larger proportion of this species if it is so desired.

Haddock are found about the bars at both ends of the island in March and from that time to about June 1 in from 15 to 22 fathoms. They are also abundant 18 miles W. from the Northwest Light at the same seasons and at the same depths. During April, May, and June they come in close to the island in from 10 to 17 fathoms--even to 1 fathom. Through the rest of the year (except for the colder months, when they have moved off into deeper water) they may be found all over the bank on sandy bottom in 28 to 30 fathoms, where most of the beam trawl fis.h.i.+ng is carried on.

There is a good cod school each year on the comparatively level bottom along the western and southwestern edges of the ground in 70 fathoms and more from February 1 to May 1, and in most years a certain amount of this species is taken on this area. In May this school seems to have moved on to a piece of bottom about 20 miles long lying SW. from the Northwest Light and having depths averaging 27 fathoms. With fair fis.h.i.+ng for cod on the Western Bank during most of the year, they seem to be most abundant from the first of March to June. The winter school here appears to be smaller than that on Georges, but apparently this species visits this ground in considerable numbers during the sp.a.w.ning season. In winter the cod are mainly found upon the western part of the bank, moving into the shoaler waters toward Sable Island as the spring advances (during March and April), the "Bend" of the island and the neighborhood of the bars in 2 to 4 fathoms, where they can be seen taking the hook or can be "jigged." being favorite grounds. The ground lying W. from the Northwest Light, on and about the Northwest Bar (18 miles W, from the light), is a favorite cod ground in May and June. The shoal water over the rocky bottom WNW from the Northwest Light furnishes good cod fis.h.i.+ng from June 10 to July 1. This piece begins just outside the 3-mile stretch of breakers running out from the land and extends offsh.o.r.e in a generally westerly direction to 24 fathoms. Much hand-lining is done here.

In the shoal water, in April and May, the fish seem to be feeding on the "lant," (Ammodytes america.n.u.s). It is said that the fish taken on the bottom close to the island are smaller than those found farther west.

The shoal water of the northern sh.o.r.e of the island is said to have good cod grounds and favorite spots for "dory hand-lining." The cod schools seem to arrive on the Northern Peak (SE. from the Northeast Light 40 miles to SE S. from same point 28 miles) in late March and the first of April, moving N. and W. to the island. The cod of Sable Island are said to be fine, firm fish, perhaps due to the abundance of the "red clams" (bank clams) on these grounds.

The cod and haddock fishery is carried on by American and Canadian sailing vessels and otter trawlers, an increasing number of English and French vessels of the latter cla.s.s engaging in the fishery of this ground each year.

Halibut are found on the Western Bank virtually all the year at depths varying with the seasons. As a halibut bank, this, with The Gully and Quereau--in fact, all one piece of ground--ranks second only to the Grand Bank Itself. The best fis.h.i.+ng here for halibut is found from January to October. There are numerous places on and about the bank that the halibut seems to prefer, as the Peak of Pike, 85 miles W. by S. from the Northwest Light of Sable Island; S. and SW. of Sable Island from 12 to 38 miles; SW. 20 miles in 60 fathoms in May; thence out into 100 and 150 fathoms in June; in fact, following the 100--fathom curve along the edge of this bank, past the Northeast Peak (40 miles SE. from the Northeast Light), into the Gully and around the Southern p.r.o.ng of Quereau to the Middle p.r.o.ng. Apparently they leave this piece of bottom in July. Often the fish are close to the island in the spring, where the water is so shoal that they can be seen taking the bait or playing with the hook before taking. In April, May, and June a good halibut ground is in 18 fathoms 24 miles WNW. from Sable Island.

The Western Bank seems to be a good feeding ground for both cod and halibut as it abounds in sh.e.l.lfish and crustaceans, and at certain periods there are many smaller species of fish upon it, such as the lant and herring, on which these species and the haddock, also, especially prey. A considerable amount of swordfish is taken here in August and September, mainly by American vessels.

Banquereau. Separated from the Western Bank by The Gully, this has a very irregular form--the main bank roughly rectangular, with a narrow westerly extension of comparatively regular form. Its length, E. and W., is about 120 miles, its greatest width about 47 miles, and its total area about 2,800 miles.

The main portion of the bank lies between 44 04' and 45 01' north lat.i.tude and 67 10' and 59 00' west longitude, and the western prolongation lies between 44 24' and 44 42' north lat.i.tude and 69 00'

and 80 05' west longitude. North of Banquereau lies Artimon, distant 3 miles, and Misaine, distant from 2 to 15 miles according to the places from which measurements are taken. The currents here are of varying force, much influenced by the wind, so that several days of strong tides may be followed by intervals when there is little if any current.

On the eastern part of Quereau is an area of shoal ground called the Rocky Bottom, having a depth of about 18 fathoms; elsewhere depths run from 18 to 50 fathoms. For the most part the bottom is rocky, but there are scattered patches of sand and gravel.