316 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



105.— KLIP-FISH AT THE SHETLAND ISJLANHS." 



By Afor. ANrVArYIASSEN. 



Cod, ling, and bream fisheries are carried on all round this group of 

 islands; the ling and bream fisheries, however, principally on the east 

 coast from Sumburgh Head to Haroldswick, at a distance of from 10 to 50 

 miles from the coast. The cod fisheries are mainly found on the west 

 coast, principally in March, for which reason the inhabitants of these 

 islands generally call them the "winter fisheries," t while the ling and 

 bream fisheries are carried on during April, May, and June, until the 

 herring fisheries begin. The most important fishing stations on the 

 east coast are : Lerwick, Whalsay, and Skerries; and on the west coast: 

 Fethalaud, Stenness, Papa-Stour, Vaila Sound, and Scalloway. Na- 

 tives of the islands are engaged principally in these fisheries. J Some- 

 times deck-boats are employed, but more frequently open boats, having 

 one mast and a lug-sail, and generally a crew of from 4 to 6 men. They 

 are good sea-going boats. The deck-boats likewise have one mast, and 

 are rigged like a sloop, and their crew generally numbers from 5 to 7 

 men. As a general rule lines with hooks are used, the hooks, however, 

 being somewhat larger than those used in Norway. The distance be- 

 tween the hooks is 3 or 3£ fathoms. A cork buoy is used, through 

 which passes a pole from 9 to 12 feet long. The cork buoy is in the 

 middle of the pole, which has a sinker at the lower end to keep it in a 

 perpendicular position. As the lines are always hauled in while the 

 boat is under fall sail, six to ten extended and painted ox-bladders are 

 fastened to the cork buoy at intervals of one foot. When the line is to 

 be hauled in the bladders are drawn in with the boat-hook. The lines 

 are placed in baskets which on the inside have an upper edge of fine 

 cork in which the hooks are fastened. Each basket holds generally 

 150 hooks, or from 450 to 500 fathoms of line. As a general rule from 

 1G to 20 baskets are used, so that the entire length of the lines is nearly 

 10 geographical miles. Each line-fisher, moreover, carries from 10 to 

 20 nets, which are cast every evening to obtain the necessary bait. If 

 the weather is favorable for uet-fishing, a sufficient quantity of bait is 

 always procured. If one of the boats happens to be less successful, 

 one of the more fortunate boats renders assistance, without any pay, 

 which is a very general custom among the fishermen of these islands. 

 The nets are generally hauled in about midnight, and immediately 



# "Fiskeriet og TMvirhning af Klipfisk pan Shetlandxderne." From Norsk Fiskeri- 

 tldende, vol. iv, Bergen, April, 1885. Translated from the Danish by Herman Ja- 

 COBSON. 



t Of the fish caught in winter 800 to 1,000 generally yield one barrel of liver, while 

 of the fish caught during summer 1,000 to 1,200 are needed to make up that quantity. 



X In 1882 the number of fishermen was 2,981, and the number of boats 629. 



