15 



they continue on the grounds till about the 20th of July, when 

 they disappear. At this date the fishing vessels are accustomed 

 to leave the west coast and move to Lerwick, where herrings of a 

 finer and larger quality are obtained. The herrings are small 

 and immature till the middle of June ; they then begin to fill and 

 improve in quality till the middle of July, after which they dis- 

 appear. Mr. Bro^^ii has been connected w^ith the Shetland herring 

 fishery since 1882, and never saw ripe spawqiing fish caught from 

 these shoals. These herrings are smaller than the Lerwick fish, 

 and they make very fine mattie herrings — nice, fat, thick fish. 

 Mattio herrings when cured must be not less than 9 inches long, 

 or 9 1 inches when caught, the extra length allowing for shrinkage 

 in curing. They are therefore a shoal or shoals of young herrings, 

 the bulk of them being probably in their third and fourth years. 

 (See growth data, pages 60 and 68.) 



Mr. R. H. Johnston, Kirkwall, has furnished information 

 relating to the herring grounds of the Orkneys, which are as 

 follows : — 



1. Stronsay grounds, 28 to 65 miles E. by N. to S.E. by S. 



from Stronsay. Ma}^ and June, matties and mediums, 

 small and usualh^ tender ; July and August, large 

 fulls, fulls and matfulls, spents towards end of August. 

 The most important fishing ground. 



2. Fair Isle grounds. July and August, mostly fulls and 



matfulls, spents towards end of August. 



3. Copinshay grounds, 3 to 10 miles S.E. to S. bj^ W. of 



Copinshay. June, small matties ; July and August, 

 fulls and matfulls. The fish are generally tender. 



4. Auskerry grounds, E. to S.E. of Auskerry, a small and 



unimportant area. June, small matties ; July and 

 August, fulls ; spents towards end of August. 



5. West of Orkney grounds, 12 to 20 miles W. of Eynhallow 



Sound. May, June and early July, fine large mattie 

 herrings. Few fish are caught after the end of June. 

 The area is not extensively fished as large shoals are 

 seldom found. 



6. Strathy Point to Whiten Head grounds, 3 to 12 miles off 



the coast. January and February, large full fish, 

 spents in March. 



