DRIFT-NET FISHING. 59 



that depth of water in heavy weather^ have been found a 

 considerable distance from the pLxce where they were lost, 

 with their " runners '^ bright as if they had been towed 

 along. 



Bellamy (No. 3 h) states the effect of south-west storms 

 is to drive the generality of fish to deep water. 



Breeding of Fish. — Of the breeding habits of fish there is 

 but little known by the fishermen. From June to October 

 Whitsand Bay is found to be full of small young flat fish 

 of various kinds, and would appear to serve, if not as a 

 breeding ground for these fish, at any rate as a nursery for 

 their young during* these months. Soles are taken full of 

 roe about March near Plymouth, and in April and May in 

 Mounts Bay. 



Besides fish the trawlers catch the following marketable 

 commodities : 



Crabs {Cancer pagurus). — Sometimes caught in consider- 

 able numbers, more by night than by day, however. The 

 fishermen believe it buries itself in the sand during the day. 



Squid (Loligo). — Caught in very considerable numbers; 

 it is the favourite bait of the hook and line fishermen. 



" Qiieens " {Pecten). — They are used for food and bait. 

 During calm summer weather they are brought up in the 

 trawl in very great numbers. 



2. Drift-net Fishing. 



There are not a great many '' drift-boats " owned in 

 Plymouth, although a considerable trade is carried on, on 

 the fish quay, in drift-net fish landed here from boats belong- 

 ing to other ports. The centre of the drift-net fishery in 

 the west country is at Penzance. 



Boats. — From Plymouth about twenty boats, averaging, 

 say, twenty tons each, sail regularly to fish for mackerel 

 {Scomber scomber), or herring {Glupea harengus) or pilchard 

 {Clnpea pilchardus). These boats are lugger-rigged, and 

 are manned by a skipper, four hands and one boy. 



Besides these there are, say, twenty-five smaller boats, 

 "hookers," between ten to twenty tons each, dandy rigged 

 and manned by a skipper and three men, which fish with a few 



