330 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



for the whole distance to Inverary. The lower part of 

 the loch varies from 4 to 5 miles in width. There is 

 deep water from one end of the loch to the other, Lnt 

 the depth is very irregular throughout, and, roughly 

 speaking, ranges from 20 fathoms to as much as 100 

 fathoms, or even more, near the entrance. There is 

 plenty of water therefore for the fish to pass to the 

 extreme end of the loch without the necessity for their 

 coming in contact with any of the nets used there ; but 

 if anything would be likely to obstruct their course, it 

 would be the hundreds of trains of drift-nets which are 

 set across the loch, rather than the sean-trawls which, 

 except on rare occasions, only make a semicircular 

 sweep from the shore, and whose headline or backrope 

 is always at the surface. 



At Otter Point, by far the most contracted part of 

 the loch, there is some shoal water suitable for sean- 

 trawling on both the north and south sides; but 

 between the Point and the opposite shore — the passage 

 by which the herrings would enter the Upper Loch — 

 there is a depth of 29 fathoms ; and supposing the 

 whole space between the two shores to be by any 

 possible chance covered with sean-trawls, there" would 

 be at least 20 fathoms of water below the nets for 

 the unobstructed passage of the fish. It would appear 

 extremely improbable therefore that, even at the 

 narrowest part of the loch, the sean-trawlers could 

 materially interfere with the passage of the herriugs 

 into the upper waters. 



We have given these details about Lochfyne because 

 that particular locality has long been famous for its 

 herrings ; it has the same essential character of a long- 

 fissure or opening in the land as is found in the other 

 lochs on the west coast ; but the abundance in which 



