368 EXAMINATION OF THE PRESENT STATE 
season. At this time stake-nets were allowed for salmon fishing, 
and many salmon and sea-trout were taken in this manner, 
“ At the end of the herring season (then about the end of Sep- 
tember) they went to the Tees with their herring cobles for mussels, 
which they laid down in sheltered positions to form ‘scarps’ (a 
local name for mussel-beds) to last them over the winter; the 
herring cobles were then hauled up, and the line-fishing conducted 
in their small cobles. 
«‘ All bait was locally procured, and such a thing as sending away 
for bait was quite unknown. In the winter they prosecuted the haddock 
or small-line fishing, which was conducted comparatively near to the 
shore ; this they did in small cobles, and it is thus managed :—Three 
men, or three men and a boy, have a coble amongst them. Hach 
man provides what are termed two half-lines; each half-lne is 
coiled up on a flat-shaped basket, and consists of six or seven pieces 
of line, each piece being 65 fathoms. The hooks are whiting hooks, 
and the fishing is for whitmg and haddock, though not infre- 
quently cod and ling of large size are taken in consequence of their 
having swallowed a whiting or haddock already hooked. These 
lines are baited with mussel, limpets, and sandworms, and, if pos- 
sible, shot before daybreak, and the principal time for this fishing 
is from October to March. 
“ As the season advanced, the same cobles and crews would com- 
mence the long-line fishing, at which cod, ling, turbot, halibut, 
conger, skate, and other large fish are taken. Twenty years ago, 
skate were of no value, and were cut adrift as they came to the 
surface, and they were hooked in enormous quantities, so much so 
as to be a nuisance to the fisherman; but since steam-trawling has 
commenced, they have become very scarce, and a moderate-sized 
skate will sell at the fish-market for from 5s, to 7s. 
“The lines used at the long-line fishing are much stronger, the 
hooks of course being larger and stronger also, and the fishing con- 
ducted at a greater distance from land. In the first place the 
small lines were shot as in the haddock fishing ; the long lines were 
then got ready for shooting at the after end of the coble, and as 
the small lines were hauled in, the haddock, whiting, and other small 
fish would be used as bait for the large lines, which were shot over 
the stern as the small lines were hauled. The large and dead fish 
would be cut up into suitable sized baits ; the live fish were hooked 
by the lip, thus forming a very attractive bait. The long lines 
were then buoyed, and left until the next morning. Of course 
this cannot now be done, as the lines would be swept away by 
steam-trawlers. The quantity of fish taken in this manner was 
immense, considering the amount of line then used, about five 
