54. 
and fluke. In addition to this, there were always several 
boats trawling and getting. nice catches. The Fleetwood 
Channel is a small area, about two miles long from the 
Kanch Buoy to the Wyre light, and at low water, when 
alone the trawling takes place, not more than a quarter to 
half a mile wide. By-and-bye the fishing fell off, and in 
the latter seventies there was scarcely a fish to be caught. 
Over-trawling, of course, was the alleged cause, and if 
ever such a complaint could be justified it appeared 
probable in this case, as the area trawled was so small, 
though it had free communication with the sea. Coupled, 
however, with the disappearance of the fish was the partial 
exhaustion of the mussel beds, and even the ross formed 
by the annelids was greatly reduced, made little growth, 
and looked generally. worn and shabby. In 1880, however, 
I was rambling about the shore when I saw the whole 
place, every blade of sea-weed, every stone or bit of stick 
from high to low water covered with minute specks. A 
lens showed at once that they were very little mussels. I 
took a handful of sea-weed home, poured some boiling 
water on it, and so plentiful were the mussels, the size 
of a very small pin’s head, that I got half a teacup full 
of them. I sent some to Mr. Buckland, who recorded this, 
the most extraordinary fall of spat I have any experience 
of, in Land and Water. 1 also showed them with a lens to 
the local fishermen, telling them I believed next year the 
