250 



DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



trawl, and soles are taken by the same means. There is 

 also some smelt fishing by the trim-net, a description of 

 which has been previously given.^ The mussel " scorps " 

 give plenty of employment, but have been the cause 

 of much complaint, owing to the large use that has been 

 made of the young mussels for manure. It does not 

 appear, however, that the mussels on some of the scorps 

 would ever be likely to grow large enough to be useful 

 for bait ; but where they will do so, due protection can 

 hardly be a bad policy, for their value to the fisherman 

 far exceeds any peculiar advantage they may have as 

 manure. The scarcity of bait has been the great 

 difficulty of the fishermen on the east coast during 

 the last year, for the complaint with them has not been 

 that fish are scarce, but that they could not procure 

 enough mussel bait to catch them with. 



In the section of coast extending from Grrimsby to 

 Whitby we find some of the most important fishing 

 stations in the kingdom. Trawling has here its largest 

 development, and also nearly its northern limit so far 

 as the regular deep-sea fishery is concerned. 



The important places are Grrimsby and Hull. The 

 situation of Grrimsby at the entrance to the Humber, 

 and the advantage it consequently has in that respect 



^ Trim-net, p. 165. 



