FISHING STATIONS— ENGLAND. 235 



seasons at wliicli the herrings are fished for bj the 

 Lowestoft men ; and we need not do more here than 

 repeat that they regularly work the spring, summer, 

 and autumn herring fisheries. 



The mackerel fishery, carried on from May to July, 

 has been very fluctuating for some years, and the 

 mackerel " voyages " have been generally less success- 

 ful than the other fisheries. This comparative failure 

 has been accounted for by many people by the great 

 development of the spring herring fishery, in which the 

 small-meshed nets are said to frighten the mackerel 

 then on the coast, without being large enough to catch 

 them. It is one of the plausible explanations which, 

 in our real ignorance of what causes the movements 

 of mackerel on the various parts of the coast, may be 

 accepted for what it is worth ; but it is obviously quite 

 hypothetical, and is unsupported by any known facts. 



The drift-boats at Lowestoft are of the same build and 

 rig as those at Yarmouth, but there is a larger piopor- 

 tion of small craft. 



In the return of the number of fishing boats belonging 

 to Lowestoft, furnished to the Sea Fisheries Commis- 

 sioners, it is stated that in 1854 there were only 32, and 

 in 1863 they had increased to 166, besides eight trawlers. 

 By the last return, as given above, there were in 1872 

 as many as 269 boats, including trawlers, averaging 

 27 tons, and 258 of less than 15 tons. 



No idea of the quantity of fish caught by these boats 

 can be arrived at, as only part of it is landed at the 

 port, and of this portion a good deal is cured, and is not 

 included in the ordinary fish traffic of the railway. Of 

 the mode of curing the herrings we may more legiti- 

 mately speak in our notice of Yarmouth. 



The connection of Yarmouth with the herring fishery 



