360 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



right of fishing in what they looked upon as their own 

 bays. In one of these bays where the prohibition is 

 still in force, it was proposed by the fishermen of the 

 locality to have it removed ; but when they found that 

 if their wishes should be acceded to a right to fisli 

 there would be given to anyone who liked to come to 

 the place, the proposal was withdrawn. 



Trawling, however, is not confined to the Dublin 

 vessels, but is still carried on by small craft from Bal- 

 briggan, and it was so formerly from Skerries ; for this 

 method of fishing was in operation on the Irish coast 

 many years before the Dublin fleet of smacks came into 

 existence, and it is only in comparatively recent years 

 that any restrictions to its working have been made. 



A peculiar style of fishing boat known as the Skerries 

 Wherry was formerly much used in the district north 

 of Dublin ; but in 1864 there were only a very few of 

 them employed in fishing, and we hear that at the 

 present time such vessels of that style as are still afloat 

 are chiefly used for carrying cargo in the coasting trade. 

 As a relic of former times, however, they deserve some 

 notice, and we therefore give a sketch of one we had an 

 opportunity of examining at Balbriggan in 1864, and' 

 which was then employed as a trawler. 



They are heavy lumbering craft, half-decked or en- 

 tirely so, and some of them we believe were over 30 

 tons. These wherries are the only fishing vessels we 

 have seen on any part of our coasts which had the 

 schooner rig ; but some of them were in course of time 

 converted into smacks, and that is now the usual rig of 

 the larger fishing boats, except those used for the drift- 

 fishery. 



Line-fishing is general along the eastern coast, and 

 long-lining is largely carried on in Dublin J3ay and 



