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Page 32
The outer ridge parallels the inner at about 1� miles distance and there
is a deep, narrow gully between. It apparently has about half the area
of the other. This smaller ridge has a 45-fathom shoal of rocks on the
western end, deepening the water, like the other, to the eastward to 75
and 80 fathoms over a broken rocky bottom and 90 fathoms on hard mud.
This is an all-the-year cusk ground. A few cod are present all the year.
but this species is most abundant here and on the other ridge in the
spring and through June. Hake occur on the muddy ground in summer and
fall.
On both shoals are abundant growths of "lemons" and like species of fish
food, and they are good "hand-line spots" over their rocky bottoms.
Fishing on both is said to be at its best in the spring and in June, the
species taken being cod, cusk, pollock, and hake. As before stated,
these are year-around cod and cusk ground, pollock and hake being
present in summer and fall, the latter species over the muddy ground.
These grounds have been thought to lie too rough for trawling. But
occasional good fares are taken on them by this method.
Cashes Bank. Our older reports state that Cashes Bank was not then an
important fishing ground except for a short time in the spring, although
good fares were often taken there in the fall also. The writer has found
it furnishing at least its quota in recent years and in apparently
increasing volume. It bears E. 1/4 S. from Cape Ann (Thacher Island
Light, from which point most skippers lay their course), from which its
shoaler parts are distant 78 miles, and bears SE. 1/4 S. from Portland
Lightship 69 miles to the buoy upon it, where is a depth of 17 fathoms;
and 74 miles SE. � S. from Cape Elizabeth eastern light to the buoy. The
bank is about 22 miles long, from 42� 49' to 43� 11' north latitude, and
about 17 miles wide, from 68� 40' to 69� 03' west longitude. There are
three small shoals upon its western part, of which the southern has a
depth of 7 fathoms, the middle one has 4 fathoms, and the northern one
has 11 fathoms. The middle shoal lies in 42� 56' north latitude and 68�
52' west longitude. From this the south shoal bears S. by E. and the
north shoal NNE., each being 3 1/4 miles distant from it. The water
breaks on these in rough weather and, though of small extent, they are
dangerous to passing vessels bound from Cape Sable to Massachusetts
ports, across whose course they lie directly. Except for these shoals,
the water ranges from 15 to 60 fathoms. The ground is more or less
broken, and the bottom is of sand, pebbles, and rocks.
The principal fishing on these grounds is for cod, haddock, hake, and
cusk; the cod and cusk are present the year around, the cod being most
abundant in February, March. and April in an average depth of 60
fathoms. The hake are found on the muddy edges in summer, with a lesser
number present all the year. Haddock are present in considerable numbers
from November to February, and sometimes a good school occurs in
20-fathom depths in April. The arrival of the dogfish usually puts a
temporary ending to the fishing here in the last days of June or early
In July, to be resumed again when these pests have moved inshore.
Formerly halibut were reported as seen rarely, but of late years they
have been found among the kelp in 15 to 18 fathoms on the shoal nearly
the year around, the fish ranging in size from 5 to 40 pounds, rarely
larger. Halibut of larger size are taken occasionally in fairly good
numbers in 30 to 50 fathoms in May and June. Perhaps this species is
more abundant on this and neighboring grounds than is generally
realized. At all events, certain Portland vessels have recently taken
good fares of halibut when fishing for them here in the season named.
Cusk are present in the deep water the year around. As is the case with
most of the detached ridges in this gulf, the cusk is the most abundant
of the fish present about the middle of March. continuing in good
numbers through May. In herring years these fish usually occur in good
numbers on this ground In late May, and a considerable number of these
(food fish or large herring) are taken here by seiners at this season.
Mackerel are generally abundant on these grounds In those years when
these fish occur In normal quantities on this coast.
Vessels operating on Cashes Bank range in size from 15 to 50 tons,
principally from Maine ports, with a fair number of them from Gloucester
and Boston, especially in winter. Of late years a few gill-netters have
fished here, and these craft are using these grounds in steadily
increasing numbers.
A comparatively little known and apparently as yet unnamed ridge lies E.
by S. 15 miles from the buoy on Cashes Ledge, which is reported to be
good fishing ground, especially for cod and cusk. With both species
present here the year around, the cod is said to be most abundant in
April and May: and the cusk, as is the rule on these outlying ridges,
appears in largest numbers in March and April. Haddock seem to be
somewhat rare here.
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