34 



Part III. — Twenty-second Annual Report 



The proportion of the small plaice to those of larger size here was very 

 different to what it was in the Dornoch Firth in June. The unmarket- 

 able gave only a ratio of 6 "3 per hour, as shown in the appended Table, 

 which also gives the numbers, and the average per hour's fishing, for the 

 various classes of haddocks : — 



In one haul, for an hour, in eight to twelve fathoms, with the small- 

 meshed net around the cod-end of the otter-trawl, 997 fishes were 

 obtained, belonging to twelve species, as follows : — 



The fishing in the Dornoch Firth, which was the next place visited, was 

 fairly good, but not so productive as at Burghead Bay. The first haul 

 was made on the afternoon of the 20th October, oft'Dunrobin and Golspie, 

 in from eight to fourteen fathoms of water, and lasted for two hours. 

 The number of fishes caught was 793, of which 677 were marketable and 

 116 unmarketable. They included forty-two cod, thirty-three codlings, 

 all but seven marketable, 592 haddocks, nearly all marketable, twenty- 

 seven whitings, two brill, twenty-two plaice, and one or two others. The 

 weather was fine, a light wind blowing from the south-west. In the 

 next drag in the same locality, and lasting also for two hours, 842 fishes 

 were caught, 771 being marketable. There were only three cod, but the 

 number of haddocks was increased to 652, and of plaice to a hundred. 

 A number of other hauls were made on the same grounds, the best being 

 one of four hours' duration, by which 2486 fishes were taken, 2239 

 marketable and 247 unmarketable. Only one cod was included in the 

 catch, but there were 1846 haddocks and 345 plaice, as well as some 

 codlings, whitings, lemon dabs, and others. In the next haul the net was 

 split, but the one succeeding it yielded 2223 fishes, 2081 being market- 

 able. The haddocks numbered 1926, and the plaice 133, and there were 

 also five cod, forty-t^wo codlings, and some dabs. 



Altogether there were nine recorded drags in this place, and the aggre- 

 gate of fishes taken was 12,253, 9611 being marketable and 2642 

 unmarketable. The averages per hour of actual fishing were 331 '4 for 

 the marketable, 91 "1 for the unmarketable, and 422*5 for both combined. 

 The average per hour for the haddocks was 266*8 and for the plaice 57*0. 



