the ledge cod, haddock, and cusk are taken in the full winter and
spring, winter, perhaps, furnishing the best fishing. There are also
more or less pollock, and hake constitute an important part of the
catch. In those seasons when herring make their appearance in these
waters the seiners make good catches here, mostly of food fish, as the
large herring are termed by the trade. The mackerel, also, appear on
these grounds and on the smaller grounds nearer to shore to northward
and westward in good-sized schools, usually from July 1 through
September. For many years the haddock catch from this bank has been of
considerable importance, and this statement remains true for recent
years as well.

Formerly this fishery was almost entirely carried on by trawlers and
hand-liners, but the gill-net fishery on these grounds is of great and
steadily growing importance. Of late the larger part of the haddock
catch has been taken by the "otter-trawl" method, this gear being
operated by steamers of considerable size and upon the more distant
grounds, such as Georges Bank, the South Channel, and the Western Bank.
The same change to fishing grounds farther offshore has to a great
extent taken place in the fleet of larger sailing vessels, thus leaving
Jeffreys and other inshore banks to the smaller craft; except that, with
the high prices of haddock and cod in the winter months, it is often
profitable for these larger vessels to run off to near-by banks for one
set and return to port the same day.

On the inner parts of this ground, particularly, the gill-net fleet
operates extensively, mainly in the full and spring, on northwest
Jeffreys 8 to 12 miles E. and SE. from Thacher Island, where the bottom
is sand and rocks. Other gill-netting grounds are 8 to 15 miles NE. by
E. from Thacher Island in 22 fathoms on a hard bottom of mud and mixed
material of sand and gravel. The Cove of Jeffreys, NE. by E. 12 to 15
miles from Thacher Island, is a favorite haddock ground in the spring
(April 20 to May 15) in 45 to 70 or even 80 fathoms, although gill nets
are not often fished in more than 50 fathoms because of the, weight of
the nets in the deeper water. In the spring (in April and May), the
haddock come in on Scantum, 10 miles NNE. from Thacher Island between
Jeffreys Ledge and the Isle of Shoals, on a broken bottom of rocks and
blue clay in 55 to 70 fathoms.

Off Newburyport and N. and SW. of the Isle of Shoals are gill-netting
grounds that