23 



the results of equal value they have been expressed in catch per 

 one hour's trawling. The catches of fiat fish are most interesting 

 to us, and if in the results conclusions appear to be based on small 

 numbers, it must be borne in mind that they deal merely with 

 marketable sizes and with experiments which lasted in each case 

 from seven to ten hours. 



The total catches of fiat fish at each station each year were 

 as follows : — 



TABLE IV— MARKETABLE FLAT FISH. 



92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 



Skate Roads ... — — 29 13 24 21 20 24 24 18 — 64 — 28 45 



Alnmouth — 23 21 24 37 28 33 36 37 45 32 34 43 23 25 



Druridge 24 18 20 20 28 25 22 25 28 31 53 44 42 26 41 



Cambois 16 11 10 8 17 24 21 27 19 24 29 33 29 23 27 



Blyth 9 12 11 18 16 29 46 39 40 12 58 58 36 18 39 



Mean 14 16 20 17 24 25 25 26 32 29 38 45 36 24 37 



With the exception of plaice and dabs, the flat fish captured 

 are few in number, and the results may therefore be considered 

 with reference to these species. The catches are arranged in 

 Table V. to indicate the difference between those of June and 

 July and those of August and September, for the experiments 

 were made almost constantly from the end of June to the beginning 

 of September. 



From this table it will be observed that the character of the 

 bays with reference to the general distribution even of marketable 

 fish has been remarkably constant during the whole of the period, 

 and it still remains so in this year of 1920. The northern station 

 always yields a relatively large number of plaice and very few 

 dabs. The station to the north of Holy Island is similar to Skate 

 Roads. It was visited on a few occasions only, owing to the 

 many wrecks which occur along the shore region. The following 

 are the results of three experiments for a number of hours, each 

 expressed in catch per hour's trawling. 



GOSWICK BAY 



Plaice Dab) Flat Fish, 



1898 August ... 6S ... 4 ... 77 



1899 June ... 7 ... 1 ... 10 

 1903 June .., 6 ... 2 ... J3 



