at
indefinitely but for at least 10 miles by about 3 miles in width. On the
ridge the bottom is broken--a hard bottom of black gravel, which
usually means a good fishing spot--the depths here being from 85 to 90
fathoms. There are numerous muddy spots between these harder pieces of
ground where soundings run to 100 fathoms or slightly more. The
surrounding bottom is mostly of mud, and the depths average from 100 to
125 fathoms. There are a number of pieces of gravelly hard ground in the
vicinity, each of which probably would furnish equally good fishing for
cod and cusk at the same seasons as on the ridge.

Due E. from the buoy on Ammens Rock about 12 miles lies a ridge that
rises from the 100 to 120 fathom depths about it to a depth of about 80
fathoms over a bottom of broken ground, mud, and shells. This shoaler
piece is some 3 miles long. N. by E. and S. by NW., by 1 mile wide. It
furnishes good fishing for cod, hake, and cusk in the spring, April
being the best season.

A ridge lying NW. of Cashes Bank and nearly parallel with the main bank,
only separated by a narrow deep channel, is about 7 miles long by 1 1/2
miles wide. The species and the seasons are the same here as on Cashes
Bank.

Big Ridge (near Cashes Bank). This is a broken and rocky piece of
bottom running from the tip of the southeastern part of the ground, at
about 10 miles S. from the buoy on Ammens Rock and about 82 miles SE. 1/2
S. from the lightship at Portland, to a point about 20 miles S. by E.
from the buoy named. Its length is not to be stated definitely, and it
is probably greater than here shown. The width averages about 1 1/2 to 2
miles. Depths are from 65 to 80 fathoms and more, increasing gradually
as it goes away from the main bank. The species and their seasons of
abundance here are as on Cashes Bank. Perhaps this is more of a cod and
cusk ground than is the main part of Cashes Bank, the cusk being
particularly abundant during March and April. Halibut also are found
here in May and June in from 50 to 60 fathoms of water. A considerable
amount of the fish shown in the table of the catch from the area
included in Cashes Bank may very well have come from this piece of
ground.

Another big ridge, paralleling the 100-fathom curve of Georges Bank at
about 20 miles N. of it, lies SE by S from the buoy on Cashes Ledge,
forty miles to its center; SE by S 110 miles from Portland Lightship;
ESE 92 miles from Cape Ann to its western end, and E.