286 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



the nets so as to catch the fish when they are at the 

 bottom and spawning, and this practice does not appear 

 to have struck the fishermen as open to much objection, 

 ahhough the possible disturbance of herring spawn by 

 a trawler is sufficient to raise the neighbourhood. This 

 ground - fishing is carried on mostly by day. The 

 Dunbar fishermen are also conspicuous among those 

 who use the dandy-line or jigger among the spawning 

 fish ; and, in fact, there seems to be no method for 

 catching herrings, no matter what their condition may 

 be, which is not apj)roved by them — except taking the 

 young ones in the sprat seans, and this is only done at 

 the other end of the Firth by another set of fishermen, 

 who cannot avoid it if the sprat fishery is to be worked, 

 as the two kinds offish are frequently in company. 



An important winter herring fishery is also carried 

 on in the Firth of Forth. It is continued more or less 

 through the first three months of the year, but its 

 success depends a good deal on the state of the weather, 

 which at that season is of course very uncertain. These 

 winter herrings are usually ready to spawn at some 

 time in March. Herrings are here counted six score 

 and eight to the hundred, and a very large proportion 

 of the enormous numbers of these fish which are landed 

 in the course of the year on both sides of the Firth do 

 not come into the curer's hands, but are sent to market 

 fresh. 



The sprat fishery takes place only at the upper end 

 of the Firth, and at one time was not permitted beyond 

 certain limits. It is carried on from October to 

 February, altogether about three months and a half. 

 The sean or cii'cle net is the only one employed ; and 

 there being now no restriction to its use great success 

 attends its working where sprats are abundant. Like 



