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Part III. — Twentieth Annual Report 



The total catch of the combined nets in an hour was thus 10,845 fishes, 

 contrasting with the haul at the end of November. 



Four hauls were then made in Aberdeen Bay, but the records of three 

 were incomplete. The haul of which the record is complete lasted one 

 hour, and was made in from 9| to 15 fathoms. The otter-net contained 

 137 fishes, of which 45 were marketable, viz., one codling, five haddocks, 

 six whitings, thirteen plaice, ten lemon soles, seven common dabs, and 

 throe starry rays. The unmarketable consisted chiefly of whitings, and 

 included three herrings. The small-meshed net around the cod-end 

 contained 757 whitings, twelve haddocks, thii-teen codling, 45 herrings, 

 seven sprats, fifteen common dabs, 57 long rough dabs, one lemon sole, 

 three armed-bullheads, and one starry ray (2g inches broad), or a total 

 of 911 fishes. The inshore gi'ounds at this time were thus much less 

 productive than those offshore in deeper water. 



The quantity of fish landed on the 17th December, the product of 

 the five hauls, was 26 j cwts., which realised =£34 19s. 9d., mainly for 

 the cod, of which 114 were taken. The details are as follow : — 



The work in the Moray Firth was begun on 19th December. On 

 the 18th a strong wind from IsT.W., and afterwards a snowstorm from 

 N.E., and a heavy sea prevented any hauls being taken offshore, and 

 the vessel took shelter in the Cromarty Firth, where some foreign 

 trawlers were also lying. On the 19th, a strong wind still blowing, 

 with a swell from N.E., several hauls were taken in Doi*noch Firth, 

 with comparatively poor results, and in one haul the net was badly 

 damaged and the ground-rope laroken. Four hauls in from six to 

 twelve fathoms, occupying sixteen hours and fifty-five minutes, yielded 

 only 1398 fish, of which 1249 were marketable, as follows: — 



There were also taken 22 thoi^nbacks (one mai^ketable), eight stai-ry 

 rays, 22 herrings, three sprats, eight armed-bullheads, and four 

 anglers 



