144 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



smacks remain at sea for a few days only, rarely as long 

 as a fortnight at a time, depending on the number of 

 fish they have caught, or the demand there is likely to 

 be for them. 



The great enemies the cod fishermen have when 

 longlining are the dogfish, which at certain seasons, 

 but fortunately not every year, commit great havoc 

 among the cod which have become hooked. One case 

 is recorded of nearly every fish on the line having been 

 more or less eaten by the " dogs," and the smack 

 returned to harbour with her rigging covered with 

 skeletons. Of six and a half score of cod on the line 

 only six fish were found alive. The clearer the water 

 the more danger there is from " dogs," as the cod can 

 then be seen for some distance when struggling on the 

 hook, and once having attracted attention there is 

 little hope of escaping their enemies. 



The season for longlining is during the winter 

 months, and the fishing is carried on at that time on 

 two widely separated grounds — on the Dogger from 

 November to March or April, and on Cromer Knoll 

 from November to February. The latter ground, 

 although comparatively small, has been a favourite 

 place of resort for many years, and still shows no signs 

 of becoming exhausted during the proper season. 

 Longlines are set on rather rough ground, usually 

 where the trawlers cannot work ; but the deep-sea 

 liners sometimes fish in the same neighbourhood, and 

 without making any complaint of the trawlers carrying 

 away their gear. Considering that Grimsby is such a 

 large station for both liners and trawlers, the fact that 

 the two classes of fishermen work harmoniously not far 

 from one another, and sometimes over the same ground 

 without more injury being done to the lines than the 



