of the Fisltery Board for Scotland. 



99 



There were also caught in these hauls 98 herrings, one sprat, two sandy 

 rays, one starry ray, ten grey skates, three thoi'nbacks, and twenty 

 anglers, of which the starry ray alone was taken to market. The 

 number of herrings was unusually large for the ordinary otter net, and 

 they were all got in one haul. During almost eveiy summer trawlers 

 working in the deep water to the north-east capture considerable 

 quantities of herrings. 



It is evident from the above figures that the fishing in the bay had 

 greatly improved from the previous occasion, and at the same time 

 very few jellyfish were taken in the net. A shoal of haddocks had 

 evidently come in, and the proportion of small and unmarketable among 

 them was large. These small haddocks were fish spawned in the 

 previous year, most of them not being yet large enough for the market. 

 Three other hauls were made in the bay, of which the records are 

 incomplete ; but in one of them, which lasted for four hours and ten 

 minutes, 2424 marketable haddocks were taken, and 224 plaice, and 

 there were 7| basketfuls of " offal," composed chiefly of small haddocks, 

 but also containing many whitings and dabs. 



The quantity, in cwts., landed as a result of the week's fishing was as 

 follows : — 



Although the total catch thus amounted to 151;| cwts., the sum realised 

 for the fish was only £86 Os. Id. The trip was therefore scarcely 

 profitable. 



IV. 



The next voyage was made on the steam-trawler " Strathclyde," from 

 30th July to 6th August. The first shot was made in the " Dog Hole," 

 eleven miles S.E. by S. g S. from Aberdeen, in 62 fathoms for one hour 

 and six minutes, and the catch was a good one, 533 fishes being taken, 

 of which 344 were marketable. The marketable fish comprised five 

 cod, twenty-nine codling, seven ling, 188 haddocks, eighteen whitings, 

 one saithe, 83 lemon soles, ten megrims, two grey skates, and one starry 

 ray. The unmarketable fishes consisted chiefly of small haddocks. The 

 small-meshed net, which had been put around the cod-end, was found to 

 have a hole worn in it when hauled, from which many fishes escaped. 

 It contained 107 haddocks — the smaller spawned in the spring — 31 

 whiting, 26 codling (one 2| inches long), eleven bibs (Gadns luscus), 350 

 Norway pouts (4| to 7| inches), three lemon soles (smallest 4| inches), 

 49 common dabs, and 218 long rough dabs. This haul was so productive 

 that on returning to port I informed the skippers of some of the 

 .smaller trawlers about it, and several of them for a week or moi'e got 

 very profitable catches on this ground. 



The vessel then steamed to Aberdeen Bay, where a nvimber of hauls 

 were made. The trawl was fii'st shot off" Belhelvie in eight fathoms, 

 but it was almost immediately aftei-wards brought up owing to the 

 enormous number of jellyfish which soon filled it, and burst some parts 

 of it. It sometimes happens, I was informed, that the vessel is brought 

 to a standstill from the immense ciuantities that get into the net and 

 impede its movement, the vessel being unable to drag it. The weather 



